2 cops slain; Abra solon, mayor hurt

PHOTO from PNP-CAR

BAGUIO CITY—Two police officers, including a commando who had survived the Mamasapano massacre three years ago, were killed and more than a dozen other people were wounded in a predawn grenade attack apparently timed to coincide with the fiesta fireworks in Abra province’s La Paz town.

Abra Rep. Joseph Bernos and his wife, La Paz Mayor Menchie Bernos, were among those wounded in the blasts from two hand grenades thrown into a crowd that was watching the fireworks display at 1:30 a.m. on Thursday.

Many of the wounded suffered burns and shrapnel injuries.

The Bernos couple were released from the hospital after treatment for minor injuries, but PO3 Carlos Bocaig and PO2 Frenzel Kitoyan, both from the Abra provincial police, died while being treated, according to regional police spokesperson Carolina Lacuata.

Bocaig was a member of the 84th Seaborne Company of the Special Action Force (SAF), which battled Moro rebels in firefights following the commando operation that killed Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, alias Marwan, three years ago in Mamasapano, Maguindanao province.

The police and the families of 44 SAF troopers who died in Mamasapano were commemorating the third anniversary of the massacre when they received reports of the death of Bocaig, who was from Boliney town southeast of La Paz.

Salute on Facebook

They offered Bocaig a salute on Facebook, saying he has now joined his slain SAF comrades.

The grenade attack occurred while people, including residents from other Abra towns, were celebrating the La Paz town fiesta at the plaza.

Investigators recovered two hand grenade levers at the crime scene, Lacuata said.

The town police chief, Senior Insp. Apdilon C. Galong, and PO2 Richard Basiag, from the adjacent town of Danglas, were wounded.

Also wounded were Darroll Azdi Gonzales, a village chief, of Bucay town; Leyze Rose Pe Benito, a teacher of Queen of Peace High School; Marc Rowjan Beronilla of La Paz; Diosdado Mina, Jayson Bernabe Zales and Juanito Zales, all of Bucay town; Benedicto Doque Jr. and Aira Cortez of Dolores town; Ryan Jun Marasan of Bangued town; and Eva Marie Sales of Peñarrubia town.

31 political killings

Abra, a landlocked province in the Cordillera region, was notorious for political killings until a special police and military task force was deployed to the province in 2004 to keep the peace.

A study by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism listed 31 Abra politicians murdered allegedly by hit men hired by rival politicians between 2001 and 2006.

The most prominent of the victims was Congressman Luis Bersamin, whose House seat Bernos now holds.

Bernos’ older brother, then La Paz Mayor Mark Ysrael Bernos, was gunned down while watching a basketball game on Jan. 13, 2006. Incumbent Gov. Joy Bernos is the late mayor’s widow.

A government fact-finding team also confirmed the existence of armed groups employed by political clans but they have since been disbanded.

Police had no immediate suspects in the attack. —WITH A REPORT FROM AFP