ISANG mataas na pinuno ng armadong galamay ng Communist Party of the Philippines, ang napatay ng mga tauhan ng Philippine Army sa inilunsad na law enforcement operation sa Maco, Davao de Oro.

Ayon sa ulat na ipinarating sa tanggapan ni Philippine Army Commanding General, Lt. Gen. Jose C. Faustino Jr., na-neyutralisa ng kanyang mga tauhan si Renante Mantos, alyas “Nante” o “Roy,” isang NPA leader at Guerilla Front 2 secretary.

Napaslang si Mantos nang tangkain nitong lumaban sa pinagsanib na puwersa ng 28th Infantry (Kamagong) Battalion at 1001st (Pag-Asa) Brigade sa Purok 6, Special Brgy. Malamudao, Brgy. Anitapan, sa bayan ng Maco.

Nabatid na si Mantos ay kasalukuyang Front secretary ng Guerilla Front 2 Southern Mindanao Regional Committee ng CPP-NPA na responsable sa serye ng extortion activities at landmine and roadside bombing laban sa mga tropa ng pamahalaan sa lalawigan ng Davao de Oro at Davao Oriental.

Ayon kay BGen. Bergante, ang Brigade Commander ng 1001st Infantry (Pag-asa) Brigade, “The success of neutralization is the result of the massive deployment of Community Support Program Team in the 1001st Brigade Area of Operations, De-Radicalization and the report of a concerned citizen about the presence of the high ranking NPA who were planning to conduct atrocities to civilian communities.”

Nabatid na nakatanggap ng sumbong ang military hinggil sa presensiya ng mga NPA sa lugar kaya mabilis na kumilos ang mga tauhan ng Philippine Army para beripikahin ang ulat.

Ngunit pagsapit sa area ay sinalubong ng putok sila ng nasabing NPA leader na armado ng caliber .45 pistol, kaya napilitang ang mga sundalo na gumanti ng putok na nagresulta sa neutralization sa nasabing target.

“The communities have felt the government and the delivery of basic services amid Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Thus, realized that they should not support the CPP-NPA but rather rally behind the government in its campaign to end this local conflict. The government is offering lots of incentives if they opt to return to the folds of the law under its Enhanced-Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP).”

“I am appealing to the remaining members of GF2 to give up the armed struggle and instead be our partner, the Philippine Army, in uplifting the lives of your families and people in far-flung sitios. Enough of this useless communist ideology,” ani BGen Bergante. (JESSE KABEL)