Suspected NPA rebels ambush cops; 1 hurt

Patrolman Carmelo G Estioco with wounded feet wrapped with cloth as first aid, waits for an ambulance that will rush him to a nearby hospital. FB photo courtesy of Chazz Moreno Degorio

SAN FRANCISCO, Agusan del Sur — A policeman was hurt when gunmen, believed to be New People’s Army (NPA) rebels, ambushed a patrol car along the national highway in Prosperidad town around 9 a.m. Friday, July 19.

A report from the Agusan del Sur Provincial Police said the rebels were positioned on a hill in Barangay San Jose when they peppered a passing police car with bullets, hitting Patrolman Carmelo G. Estioco in the right ankle. The bullet pierced through his combat shoes.

He was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital.

All other policemen aboard the patrol car of the Provincial Mobile Force Company were unscathed.

Investigators believed some of the rebels were injured from the brief gunfight that ensued, as blood was seen on the ground where the gunmen were positioned.

In a statement posted on its Facebook page, the Agusan del Sur Provincial Police Office condemned the attack as “treacherous,” and without regard to the hard work by the police to make the province peaceful.

“They did this to threaten the people which caused fear among the populace, “ the statement said. /lzb