DND officer-in-charge Undersecretary Jose Faustino Jr. (Screengrab from DND Facebook live video) MANILA - Department of National Defense (DND) officer-in-charge Undersecretary Jose Faustino Jr. on Wednesday strongly deplored the New People's Army's (NPA) landmine attack on Tuesday that injured government troops conducting operations in Northern Samar. "The DND strongly condemns the landmine blast perpetrated by the communist terrorist group (CTG) against our troops conducting immersion and clearing operations in Mapanas, Northern Samar, yesterday, July 5. The blast resulted in the injuries of seven of our men from the 20th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army," he added. While calling the incident an isolated one, Faustino said the NPA landmine blast is a clear violation of the International Humanitarian Law. "More specifically, an incontrovertible violation of the Ottawa Convention, which bans and condemns the use of landmines," the DND official added.