Suspected New People’s Army (NPA) rebels ambushed on Thursday a security team assigned to the visiting team of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Director General Nela Charade Puno in Camarines Sur, killing three policemen and wounding three others.
A report sent by the Camarines Sur Provincial Police Office to Camp Crame said a team of policemen on board a marked police vehicle serving as security escort to Puno’s team was waylaid by some 20 rebels.
The ambush reportedly occurred at around 9:10 a.m. along the national highway in Barangay Napolidan, Camarines Sur.
The report identified the fatalities as SPO1 Percival Rafael, PO3 Carlito Navarroza and PO1 Ralph Jason Vida, all members of the Camarines Sur Provincial Police Office.
Wounded were PO1 Jonathan Perillo, PO1 Ruby Buena and PO1 Rodolfo Gonzaga, who were all brought to the Bicol Medical Center in Naga City.
The report said the security escort and the team of Puno were on their way to Daet, Camarines Norte, when it was fired upon.
“Route security personnel from [the] 1st Camarines Sur PPSC [Provincial Public Safety Company] were able to immediately respond to the area and retaliate, thereby, suppressing the enemy and preventing further damages/casualties,” the Camarines Sur police said in its initial report.
The report added that coordination has been made with Army units who are now conducting pursuit operations in tandem with the policemen.
“Also, upon receipt of the said report, city and municipal police stations in adjacent municipalities conducted checkpoints in all strategic locations in their respective areas of jurisdiction,” it added.
Hours after the ambush, Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III condemned the attack against the FDA chief’s “in no uncertain terms.”
“The DOH [Department of Health] leadership is currently coordinating with the authorities for a full investigation,” Duque said.
“The safety of DG [Director General] Puno and FDA employees is our top priority at the moment. They have the full backing of the department,” the health chief said. The FDA is an attached office under the DOH.