NPA owns ambush in Oriental Mindoro

LUCENA CITY — Communist New People’s Army (NPA) rebels claimed responsibility for the ambush of policemen in Socorro town, Oriental Mindoro on Tuesday.

Madaay Gasic, spokesperson of the NPA-Lucio de Guzman command operating in the island, said on Wednesday that a unit of Red fighters

successfully staged the ambush against the police forces in Barangay Pasi 2 around 7 a.m.

He claimed there were about 12 casualties in the ambush.

However, police reported that only three of their troops were wounded.

Gasic said members of the Police Regional Mobile Force Battalion and Public Maneuver Force Company from the Philippine National Police in

Mimaropa, with soldiers from the Army’s 203rd Infantry Brigade have been conducting continued military operations against the communist guerrillas and local residents.

He said Mindorenos have long been complaining of human rights violations under the police and Army Joint Campaign Plan-Kapanatagan.

On Tuesday, Lt. Col. Socrates Faltado, information officer of the Mimaropa police, said a team from the Pinamalayan police were on their way to Calapan City for a radio program, when their vehicle was hit by an explosion, followed by gunshots.

Wounded in the attack were Chief Master Sergeant Ivan Fortus, Senior Master Sergeant Irene Lazo and Corporal Jessica Ivy Carmona.

They were rushed to the Oriental Mindoro Provincial Hospital for

treatment./lzb