LEGAZPI CITY – Two policemen were killed while four, including a town police chief, were wounded in a series of attacks staged by suspected
New People’s Army (NPA) rebels on Thursday afternoon in Viga town in Catanduanes province, report reaching the Bicol police in this city said.
Two police patrol vans with 10 drug surrenderers and four policeescorts were negotiating a road at sitio (sub-village) Pinarayan in
Barangay (village) Sagrada when an improvised explosive device (IED) planted by NPA rebels exploded and hit the convoy at around 11:20
a.m., Senior Inspector Maria Luisa Calubaquib, Bicol police spokesperson, said.
The policemen were transporting the surrendered drug users to an orientation on substance abuse treatment for outpatients conducted by
personnel from Albay’s Malinao Rehabilitation and Treatment Center at noon in Viga town center.
The explosion was followed by a volley of gunfire from at least 20 NPA rebels, Calubaquib said.
The incident was followed by another attack at around 1:40 p.m. when responding policemen went to the scene of explosion where the same
group of NPA rebels flagged them down at their checkpoint and opened fire.
A fierce firefight ensued that led to the death of Police Officer 1 Eva Torcilino and PO3 Joseph Tupue, both assigned at the Viga police,
Calubaquib said. The suspected NPA rebels fled immediately towards neighboring villages.
Senior Inspector Ernesto Montes Jr., Viga town police chief who led the team that responded to the blast scene, Senior Police Officer 1 Marwin de Vera, and two still unidentified drug surrenderees were wounded in the series of attacks, the report said.
Montes, who sustained a bullet wound on his back, was brought to the Viga District Hospital for treatment while the three others wounded by the IED blast were brought to the Immaculate Hospital in Virac town.