Caraga cop chief condemns NPA ambush in Agusan del Sur that seriuosly wounded 4 cops including a town police chief

by Ben Serrano

      October 22, 2010

 

            BUTUAN CITY- Caraga Police Regional Director Chief Supt. Reynaldo S. Rafal today condemned in strongest term yesterday afternoon’s ambush of Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur Municipal Police Chief Police Chief Inspector APOLLO BLAZO ABAO and three of his men, SPO2 Mellardo p Lumain, PO3 Leo Rhoderick Urbiztundo and PO2 Marcial S Corvera in Barangay Libertad of said town.

 

            Abao and his men aboard PNP patrol vehicle were on their way back to Prosperidad Police Station after securing some local government unit and other government agencies’ officials in distributing land titles in Barangay Mabuhay when some 50 suspected communist rebels ambushed them, official report from Caraga Police Regional Information Office said.

 

            Firefight between cops headed by Abao and the communist rebels lasted for about ten minutes, police said.

 

            Police said because the four PNP men were outnumbered, they were eventually overpowered and subdued with the overwhelming strength of the NPA rebels and were wounded.

 

            Civilian eyewitnesses claimed Abao and his men even allegedly begged to spare their lives when leaders of the NPA ambush teams go near to the wounded cops and took away all their service firearms and ammunitions.

 

            Police report described the suspected NPA rebels as allegedly robbed the wounded and battered policemen’s individual issued firearms consisting four (4) M16 rifle, one (1) 9mm pistol, four (4) bandoliers and ten (10) magazines of M16 and damaged patrol vehicle.

 

            Police said Wound-in-Action (WIA) PNP personnel were brought to DO Plaza Memorial Hospital where they are now undergoing treatment

 

            Upon receiving information about on going ambuscades at his quarters office inside Camp Rafael Rodriguez here, Rafal and some members of the Caraga PNP regional mobile group immediately responded to the scene which is about 80 kilometers away.

 

            Joint forces from Agusan del Sur Police Provincial Office, PPSC and SAF personnel jumped off to the area upon receipt of information and conducted pursuit operation, while all police stations in the province immediately established checkpoints.

 

            In a press statement released just this morning, Rafal said the CPP/NPA/NDF continuing sow of terror, destruction of communities and people only proved once again their terroristic nature and anti-people stance contrary of what they heralded they are pro-people.

 

            “Caraganons or the people of Caraga and the general public must condemned in strongest terms the NPA communist rebels’ terroristic acts as these are all anti-development, anti-poor and unchristian” General Rafal said.

 

            Earlier, some upland farmers in Agusan provinces aired complained before authorities about alleged unabated rampant corruption in the issuances and distribution of land titles airing allegations that some officials of concerned government agencies named fictitious beneficiaries of government land title distribution program.

 

            They alleged that some top DENR and some government officials were actually getting huge chunks of prime lands under said program using other names of persons including their in-laws and relatives that could not be easily detected.

 

            They challenged government to conduct impartial, all-out investigations alleging a top Agusan DENR official is actually owner of some 300 hectares of land out of the land title distribution program but was named to his sons, daughters and in-laws.(-30-)