NPA denies using feces-smeared bomb

MANILA, Philippines – Communist rebels denied military claims that they smeared their improvised bombs with human feces and snake venom. 

It is “pure invention” by the Philippine military, NPA Southern Mindanao Regional Command spokesperson Rigoberto Sanchez said on Thursday, September 5.

“To insinuate that the New People’s Army (NPA) is engaged in a highly criminal biological and chemical warfare is pure invention. The bacteria and poison are not found in the NPA bombs but in the AFP headquarters, camps, detachments and in the AFP echelons itself,” Sanchez said.

READ: 7 soldiers hurt in ComVal blast and NPA rebels use feces-smeared bomb on PH military 

The military has long expressed concerns against the improvised bombs of the communist rebels because they are “unstable” and could harm civilians when they accidentally set off. But Sanchez maintained what they use are command-detonated explosives.

“NPA Red fighters have been using in the last 4 decades guerrilla warfare weapons, such as, but not limited to, command-detonated explosives made up of traditional, non-biologically toxic ingredients,” Sanchez said.

But the reported use of chemical toxins is a first, according to Armed Forces public information chief Lt Col Ramon Zagala.

“There is a posibility that the enemy is experimenting on such techniques. This will be looked into, but we cannot conclusively say that they are really into that,” Zagala said. 

“We should study it further. Our units will be able to evaluate that together with the Philippine National Police,” Zagala added.

Zagala said doctors at Camp Panacan noticed that the soldiers injured in the roadside bombing showed different reactions to the blast. They weren’t reacting to antibiotics, too.