Cagayan Valley cops mourn deaths of colleagues

Police crime investigators are seen outside a morgue Tuesday, January 27, 2015, in 6th Division camp as they conduct autopsy to bodies of policemen killed in intense fighting with Moro rebels coddling a Malaysian terror bomb expert in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.
JEOFFREY MAITEM / INQUIRER MINDANAO FILE PHOTO

CAMP ADDURU, Tuguegarao City—Police officers in Cagayan Valley region have expressed their “deep sadness” over the deaths of their fellow policemen in Sunday’s clash with Moro rebels in Maguindanao province, including six from the region.

Chief Supt. Miguel Laurel, regional police director, instructed his troops to receive the bodies of the slain members of the Special Action Force (SAF) who were from Cagayan, Isabela and Nueva Vizcaya provinces.

“We fervently hope that justice will be served,” he said.

The fatalities from the region include PO2 Richelle Baluga of Piat town and PO1 Olibeth Viernes of Tuguegarao City, in Cagayan; PO3 Rodrigo Acob Jr. and PO3 Andres Duque Jr., both of Aurora town, and PO1 Loreto Capinding II of San Mateo town in Isabela; and PO2 Joel Dulnuan of Villaverde town in Nueva Vizcaya.

The remains of the six were expected here Thursday.

“Our problem now is how we can deploy our forces to escort the remains for delivery to the families, since there are just too many [casualties],” said an SAF officer in Cagayan.

This will be the second time since last year that the SAF will be burying their fallen comrades. Eight SAF commandos were killed in an ambush by suspected New People’s Army rebels in Allacapan town in Cagayan.