Four cops killed in Negros ambush

CEBU, Philippines — Four police officers were killed after they were ambushed by suspected New People's Army (NPA) rebels in Sitio Yamot, Barangay Mabato in Ayungon town, Negros Oriental Thursday afternoon.

Police Regional Office (PRO)-7 director Police Brigadier General Debold Sinas identified the fatalities as Police Corporal Relebert Beronio, Patrolman Raffy Callao, Patrolman Ruel Cabellon, and Patrolman Marquino de Leon.

The four victims were members of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion-7, assigned to a detachment in Sitio Nabangka, Barangay Mabato in Ayungon town.

Initial investigation showed that the four police officers were verifying intelligence reports about the presence of NPA rebels in the area.

They were on board two motorcycles on their way to the house of Oto Anadon, their contact in the area, when they were waylaid and fired upon by the suspected rebels.

Sinas noted that the alleged rebels carted away the four police officers' service firearms. Authorities were also unable to recover the motorcycles used by the victims.

Their bodies were only recovered Thursday evening, after military and police personnel held clearing operations in the ambush site.

From the ambush site, their bodies had to be transported to the Ayungon police station about 25 kilometers away. As of Thursday evening, their corpses were at the nearby Bindoy District Hospital for autopsy.

A day after the ambush, Sinas himself visited the crime scene along with other police officials to investigate.

Barangay Mabato is a hinterland barangay in Ayungon town, about 84 kilometers from the province's capital of Dumaguete City. The village itself is located near the border between Negros Oriental and Negros Occidental.

On July 21, 2017, a similar ambush occurred in Barangay Magsaysay, Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental, where six police officers were killed. Among those slain was the city's then police chief, Supt. Arnel Arpon.

For its part, the Negros Oriental provincial government strongly condemned the ambush-slay and extended its sympathies to the families of the four fallen cops.

In Cebu, Sinas directed police units in the region to put the Philippine flag at half-mast as a gesture of respect to the slain policemen.

The flags shall stay at half-mast until the four cops are buried.

Sinas also ordered his men to be on alert.

“All concerned police units in the field shall not lower their guards and personnel must continue to be on alert, security conscious, and battle ready to ensure that no similar untoward incident will happen in the future,” Sinas said. — with Mae Clydyl L. Avila, JMO (FREEMAN)