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Reds apologize, offer indemnity to civilian hit by IED
[MindaNews] The communist National Democratic Front-Southern Mindanao Region has apologized to the family of a civilian who was hit by an IED during an attack on Saturday by the New People's Army on plants owned by Lapanday Foods Corporation in Barangay Mandug.

The NPA attacked three businesses run by the Lorenzo family in the city on April 30, leaving Buenafe and three other persons injured, Lapanday security guard Reynaldo Talamaque and two NPA guerillas. Two NPA militants were killed in the attack.

Fish vendor Larry Buenafe was seriously hurt when the militants detonated the IED near soldiers from Task Force Davao who responded to the attack. The militants also offered to give indemnification to Buenafe.

In a statement, NDFP-SMR spokesperson Rubi del Mundo said that the insurgents carried out attacks against the soldiers in Barangay Tigatto after the NPA unit attacked the LFC box and plastic plants in nearby Barangay Mandug. She said, "The blaster-operator saw that Mr. Buenafe was far from the target military vehicle and proceeded to detonate the explosives. The shock waves and splinter, however, hit and injured him."

She maintained that the movement has absolute respect for “human rights and international humanitarian law.”

"It is waging a just war for the genuine emancipation of the majority exploited Filipino people. The punitive action by the NPA-Southern Mindanao against the Lorenzo-owned Lapanday Foods Corporation in Davao City is just and long-demanded by the thousands of peasants, Lumad and workers in Mindanao," she said.

Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza said he was dismayed by the recent NPA attacks while peace negotiations are "making substantial headway" but remained optimistic they “will not be deterred” despite calls to drop [the talks] and wage an all-out war.

Labor Secretary and government chief peace negotiator Silvestre Bello III said they are now preparing for the fifth round of talks scheduled for May 27 to June 1 in the Netherlands. He said the bilateral teams are working to “arrive at a consensus” on contentious provisions of the proposed Comprehensive Agreement on Social and Economic Reforms (CASER) and bilateral ceasefire.
Posted by: ryuge 2017-05-04
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=487284