Masbate mayor survives NPA attack

LEGAZPI CITY—The mayor of the town of Balud in Masbate escaped unhurt a bomb attack carried out by a suspected group of New People’s Army (NPA) rebels along the national road of Barangay Ilaya, Balud on Tuesday morning, a report reaching the Philippine National Police regional office here said.

Balud Mayor Ruben Jude Lim was on board his Ford Ranger SUV (AAH 8466) with his security escorts and was followed by another SUV as back up vehicle when waylaid by about 40 NPA rebels at 9:10 a.m., Tuesday in an area some 4 kilometers away from the town proper, according to Police Senior Insp. Maria Luisa Calubaquib, spokesperson of the Philippine National Police in Bicol.

Calubaquid, quoting a Masbate police report, said the mayor’s convoy was bound for Barangay Mabuhay of the same town to attend a Christmas party when waylaid.

The convoy was initially halted by two explosions, both coming from two improvised explosive devices (IED) planted beside the road by the NPA rebels. But soon after the NPA rebels fired at them with automatic assault rifles, the four policemen that provided security escort to the town mayor quickly fired back allowing both vehicles to speed off for safer grounds.

The firefight barely lasted a minute and the attackers fled toward the mountainous area of Barangay Victory of the same town, Calubaquib said.

The shrapnel from the explosion broke the windshield of the Ford Ranger carrying Mayor Lim and his police escorts, the report said.

Meanwhile, a town ambulance responding to the scene of the encounter was also fired upon the another group of NPA rebels.

No passengers in the ambulance was reported hurt but the ambulance suffered bullet holes as a result of the attack.