NPA rebels storm Eastern Samar police station

By: Joey A. Gabieta - 8 years ago

TACLOBAN CITY – Communist rebels raided a police station in Balangkayan town, Eastern Samar on Monday night and escaped with 17 firearms, laptops and personal belongings of policemen.

The five policemen on duty were overpowered by at least 20 armed rebels who barged into the police station around 7:30 p.m., said Senior Supt. Romeo Campomanes, police director of Eastern Samar.

Balangkayan, about 158 km from Tacloban City, with a population of more than 10,000 spread in 15 barangays, has 22 policemen.

Campomanes said the first group of armed men in shorts went inside the police station, brandished their hand guns and identified themselves as members of the New People’s Army (NPA), the armed wing of Communist Party of the Philippines.

Then a second group of men went inside the police station, all carrying high-powered firearms, said Campomanes.

The rebels then told the five policemen on duty to drop on the ground as they ransacked the armory and took nine M16 rifles, seven M16 rifles and one shotgun from the armory.

They also seized two laptops, uniforms and personal belongings of policemen.

The five policemen on duty were SPO4 Montero, PO3 Opriasaya, PO1 Azura, PO1 Globio and PO1 Buenafe.

The town police chief, Senior Inspector Gilberto Polima, was not around during the raid.

“The raid lasted for just 20 minutes. Our policemen, who were on duty, were surprised and overpowered by the raiding NPA members who were around 20 to 30, all fully armed,” Campomanes told the Inquirer in a phone interview.

From the police station, the armed men then fled toward Barangays (villages) Balogo and Tigbao, both interior villages of the Balangkayan.

The soldiers belonging to the 14th Infantry Battalion, based in Oras town, also in Eastern Samar, conducted hot pursuit operation against the rebels.

Campomanes said an investigation was being conducted to determine if the policemen committed some lapses at the time of the raid. CDG