5 cops slain in NPA encounter promoted

Five police officers who were killed in a clash with communist rebels in Bulacan last Saturday will get posthumous promotions.

Director Ricardo de Leon, head of the Philippine National Police’s community relations division, said nine other officers who were wounded in the day-long gunbattle will be decorated.

Killed in the clash were Chief Inspector Expedito Delgado, PO3 Epidio Reyes, PO1 Edwin Cruz, PO1 Israel Fajardo and PO1 Benjamin Hernandez. Their posthumous promotions were ordered by national police chief Director General Hermogenes Ebdane Jr., De Leon said.

Meanwhile, the nine wounded officers — Superintendent Fernando Villanueva, Inspectors Lauro Apostol and Rodolfo Solomon, SPO2 Glorification Tanquiz, PO1 Eduardo Solian, PO1 Danny Torang, PO1 Juan Aquilo, PO1 Nur Baladji and PO2 Telesforo Ocdinaria — will receive the Wounded Medal and the Medal for Acts of Bravery.

Acting on a tip, police — backed by troops and armored vehicles — raided a gathering of 50 to 70 New People’s Army (NPA) rebels early last Saturday in an area near the towns of Angat and Pandi in Bulacan.

At least 18 NPA guerrillas were killed in the ensuing 13-hour gunbattle, the military said, citing witnesses’ reports, although only four bodies were found. Local residents saw the retreating rebels bringing their dead, military officials added.

Two soldiers were killed and two others were wounded. In a television interview Monday, rebel spokesman Gregorio Rosal insisted that the NPA lost only two men.

The rebels were believed to be planning to launch an attack in nearby towns to mark the 34th anniversary of the Communist Party of the Philippines last March 29, police and military officials said. The estimated 9,000-member NPA is the CPP’s armed wing.

In Aurora province, at least eight NPA rebels were killed and an undetermined number wounded in two separate clashes in the towns of Dinadiawan and Dipaculao last Monday, the military said. — With James Mananghaya, Ric Sapnu, Ding Cervantes, Jaime Laude, Mike Frialde, Artemio Dumlao