Cop killed in Mindoro skirmish

CITY OF CALAPAN, Philippines – A police officer was killed while another another was wounded in an encounter with New People’s Army (NPA) rebels in Gloria, Oriental Mindoro Thursday night.

Supt. Socrates Faltado, Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan) police information officer, said the 30-minute firefight in Sitio (sub-village) Layang Layang in Barangay (village) Malamig happened at around 6:17 p.m.

Killed in the encounter was Police Officer 3 Edwin Encarnacion, of the 2nd Provincial Mobile Force Company (PMFC).

PO3 John John Morente was wounded.

Faltado said the policemen were on patrol near Premium Megastructures Inc. Construction in Barangay Malamig when the encounter broke out.

The encounter followed the attack staged by a group of NPA members at Sta. Clara International Corporation, an eight-megawatt hydro power plant project in Barangay Malvar in Naujan town, also in Oriental Mindoro, on Monday.

The rebels torched heavy equipment owned by the company.  / gsg