RP military condemns ambush

RP military condemns ambush

MANILA (DPA): The Philippines' military chief condemned on Wednesday an ambush by communist rebels that killed 13 soldiers who were returning from a medical mission in a northern province.

Armed Forces Chief of Staff General Angelo Reyes vowed to hunt down the New People's Army (NPA) guerrillas behind the attack on the military convoy on Tuesday afternoon in the town of Linomot Jones, Isabela province, 300 kilometers north of Manila.

Among the slain army soldiers were Col. Josefino Manayao, commander of the 502nd infantry brigade that was conducting a humanitarian mission, and Second Lieutenant Wilfredo Estanislao of the 54th infantry battalion.

Reyes said the ambush was "obviously in response" to a directive by communist leaders living in self-imposed exile in the Netherlands for the NPA "to step up their terroristic activities" at a time when the military was busy fighting Muslim resistance in the south.