Map of Panabo City / GOOGLE MAPS
DAVAO CITY – Four people were killed following a failed attack by communist guerrillas on a police outpost in an upland village in Panabo City, Davao del Norte on Friday, police said.
The dead included a policeman who was hit by a sniper and three New People’s Army insurgents who were slain by police and soldiers, according to Senior Insp. Catherine dela Rey, spokesperson of Southern Mindanao regional police.
Dela Rey said an undetermined number of communist guerrillas assaulted the patrol base of the Davao del Norte provincial public safety company (DNPPSC) in Barangay (village) Malitbog past 8 a.m.
But police commandos manning the outpost fought back, forcing the attackers to withdraw after almost an hour of fighting, preventing the insurgents from overrunning the detachment.
A joint police-army team conducting pursuit operations killed three rebels, the regional police spokesperson said.
Chief Supt. Manuel Gaerlan, Southern Mindanao police chief, has commended the bravery of the policemen for preventing the rebels from taking over the outpost.
“However, one hour after the attack, SPO1 Niño Moreño was assassinated by a (communist) gunman,” dela Rey said, adding an investigation into the policeman’s death was underway.
Gaerlan slammed the rebels’ attack on Moreño, calling it “an act of desperation and treachery.” JPV/rga