Six soldiers and three Cafgu (Citizen Armed Forces Geographical Unit) volunteers were killed in Tulunan, North Cotabato, on Oct. 21, 2013, in an ambush and landmine explosion. Four others were wounded. New People’s Army rebels are believed to be behind the attack.
The NPA is becoming active again, wreaking havoc and harm, and adding to our nation’s current problems.
I happened to come across a primer on landmines and the Philippine Landmines bill. What I learned is that there are various kinds of landmines—victim-activated antipersonnel landmines, command-detonated antipersonnel landmines, victim-detonated antivehicle landmines, and the command-detonated antivehicle landmines. All of these are deadly, killer landmines that the NPA obviously has been using in its attacks against government troops. These landmines have also been used by international and foreign terrorists in their attacks.
Landmines have so far killed more than 500,000 people worldwide; more than 300,000 other victims have survived landmine attacks but live the rest of their lives with physical and emotional trauma. Landmines, thus, cause unnecessary suffering.
In the NPA’s landmine attacks, civilians have become innocent victims. Many of those who survived these attacks have lost their capacity to work or live normal lives. These attacks have also left countless orphans.
—JOACHIN B. SALAS
salas.joachin@yahoo.com