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COMMUNIST guerrillas on Wednesday morning ambushed and
killed three Army soldiers in a remote town in Sorsogon.
In
Southern Mindanao, the acting chief of police was killed
while his aide was abducted on Tuesday by New People’s
Army (NPA) guerrillas who intercepted them in Boston
town, Davao Oriental, while they were en route to a
court hearing in another town.
The
Sorsogon ambush took place at about 8 a.m. along the
highway in sitio Macabalo, barangay Bacalon, Magallanes
town. The victims were onboard a motorcycle and were
returning to their detachment from the market when they
were waylaid by the communist guerrillas.
Senior
Supt. Henry Rañola, Sorsogon police commander, said the
victims died on the spot when attacked by the rebels who
were armed with automatic rifles.
The
identities of the victims were not revealed pending
notification of their next of kin.
The
victims were assigned at the detachment of the Army’s
9th Infantry Battalion (IB) in barangay Tula-tula Norte,
Magallanes town.
The
victims were negotiating a zigzag road about 1 kilometer
from the detachment and 3 kilometers from the town
proper when waylaid by a still-undetermined number of
gunmen, Rañola said.
Tension
gripped the area as hot- pursuit operations were
immediately launched by Army troops to track down the
ambushers, residents said.
On the
Southern Mindanao ambush, Senior Supt. Jimmy Manabat,
Davao Oriental police commander, identified the fatality
as Insp. Jonel Belneson, the acting chief of police of
Boston.
His
aide, Police Officer 1 Rowel Balmores, was taken by the
guerrillas when they fled. Troops tracking down the
rebels expressed fears that Balmores may be used as a
human shield by the guerrillas.
Manabat
said that at about
1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Belneson and Balmores were on their way to
attend a court hearing in Baganga, also in Davao
Oriental, when a group of NPAs blocked their path in
sitio Mahayahay, barangay Cabasagan, outside
Boston.
Suspecting an abduction, Benelson engaged the guerrillas
in a fiefight but was hit several times and died.
Balmores was then taken hostage by the rebels.
Manabat
said family members of Belneson have been informed of
his death.
He added
that “friendly forces” have been asked to help rescue
Balmores.
However,
the NPA group that took Balmores has not made any
contact or sent feelers for negotiations.
Manabat
said investigators have yet to determine the NPA group
that killed Belneson and took hostage Balmores.
He added
that Belneson’s service pistol was taken. |
