NPA terrorizes Lapinig town, kills the mayor’s security detail and wounds an innocent civilian

By 34th Infantry Battalion, 8ID PA
January 20, 2012

PALAPAG, Northern Samar  –  Despite the action taken by the government troops to promote the AFP’s Internal Peace and Security Plan (IPSP) “Bayanihan” designed to encourage peace and development to far flung and depressed communities, sixty fully-armed members of the New People’s Army (NPA) under Renato Ribay alyas Bata/Manoy/Rinay and the group of alyas Demet deliberately attacked the peaceful town of Lapinig, Northern Samar at 6:30 in the evening of January 20, 2012.

Initial report reaching this headquarters, the terrorists commandeered one dump truck owned by Yakal Construction at Sitio Takras, Poblacion del Sur, Lapinig proceeded towards the northern portion of the town and established roadblock, laid Improvised Explosive Devise (IED) landmines at the center of the road and hostage the passing innocent civilians and motorists and divested them of their belongings. While some of the CTs went inside the houses, pointed their guns to the occupants including women and children and forcibly took away their cellular phones and other valuable belongings.

The communist terrorists (CTs) proceeded to the house of Mayor Romualdo D. Menzon to abduct the latter. However, they were repulsed by Aurelio Jullata, the Mayor’s security detail who immediately and bravely engaged them killing one of the assaulting CTs but due to the latter’s evil intention, butchered the defending security.  Sensing that the Mayor’s house is heavily defended by the other security details which were occupying vantage positions, the CTs forcibly entered the residence of Romeo Senobio Jr which is next to the Mayor’s house, looted his house and shot him in cold-blood, hitting him in the head and back.  Likewise, they also entered the house of PO3 Rowena Opena, disarmed her, ransacked her house, and forcibly dragged her outside and mauled her in full view of her neighbors including children.

Other members of the attacking CTs went to the Lapinig Municipal Police Station (MPS) and announced through a megaphone for the Police inside to surrender.  However, the police personnel were already at their defensive positions and refused to surrender.  Sensing that they (the CTs) already lost the element of surprise and that the civilians were shouting at them, they hastily left the MPS and withdrew towards Barangay Imelda of same municipality bringing along with them their dead and wounded comrades on-board same dump truck and two motorcycles.

It can be recalled that the use of landmines is explicitly banned by the United Nations Conventions since most of its casualties were civilians but the terrorist New People’s Army (NPA) persistently and blatantly employs landmines thereby severely endangering the lives and limbs of civilians especially women and children alike.