23 Cops Defend Misamis Oriental Police Station Attacked By 200 NPA
A police captain and 22 of his men withstood the rain of
bullets and grenades and even drove away more than 200 communist rebels who
tried to lay siege and burn the Binuangan Police Station in Misamis Oriental
early morning of Sunday, December 03.
Senior Insp. Dante Hallazgo, the chief of police, were
injured along with three of his men – SPO1 Ramonito Zambas, PO3 Alberto Bernadas
and PO1 Joshua Satur – when they were hit with shrapnel from an M203 grenade
launcher fired by the attacking New People’s Army (NPA).
The fifth casualty, a certain SPO4 Cabil, was also wounded
during the attack.
Chief Supt. Timoteo Pacleb, director of the Northern
Mindanao regional police, said the communist rebels were actually combined
forces of NPA units operating in eastern part of Mindanao, particularly that of
Manuelito Satur, alias Ka Musong, Oscar Romania, alias Amboy and alias Makong
Mansigyaw.
“The firefight lasted about three hours wherein PNP
personnel fought hard and defended their police station despite the NPA
strength,” said Pacleb.
“They failed on their attack to the police station and
failed to get their firearms and retreated in the hinterlands,” he added.
Senior Insp. Corinne Masy Estigoy, spokesperson of the
Misamis Oriental provincial police, said the attack occurred at around 3 a.m.
Sunday by more than 200 communist rebels.
“They established three blocking forces in three areas near
the police station,” said Estigoy.
The rebels are believed to also targeting the guns and other
equipment of the police station which the police said they usually do in the
past.
But the 23 policemen who were on duty immediately organized
themselves to defend the police station.
The firefight lasted for almost three hours.
“We also saw several containers of gasoline in the area. So
there was a plan to set the police station on fire but they were not able to do
that because our police forces stood their ground,” said Estigoy.
The official said they believe the rebels also suffered
casualties as revealed by the bloodstains in the escape route.
Estigoy said the rebels used trucks in arriving and in
fleeing the police station.
“The leadership will be giving commendation to our personnel
in the area. But it has to be studied yet as to what type of awards would be
given to them,” said Estigoy.
On the other hand, Estigoy said they are now readying the
criminal charges that would be filed against the leaders and attackers of the
police station.
It was recalled that the PNP leadership has alerted all its
units especially in NPA infested areas in anticipation of escalation of attacks
after President Rodrigo Durterte had ordered the cancellation of peace talks
with the rebels.
The northern and eastern parts of Mindanao are considered as
NPA-infested areas.
Several areas in Luzon and the Visayas are also considered
as operational areas of the communist rebels, including Quezon and Batangas
areas where 14 communist rebels were recently killed.
The Misamis Oriental attack is the latest of the series of
attacks carried out by the communist rebels.
Over the weekend, they killed a policeman and wounded six
others in an ambush in Camarines Norte.
Watch the video below via DZMM Teleradyo:
Source: Manila Bulletin
Watch the video below via DZMM Teleradyo:
Source: Manila Bulletin
23 Cops Defend Misamis Oriental Police Station Attacked By 200 NPA
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December 04, 2017
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