Reds attack Sorsogon cop outpost; 4 killed

SORSOGON CITY — Three policemen and a 14-year-old bystander were killed in a Valentine’s Day raid by New People’s Army (NPA) guerrillas on a police outpost in the public market of Gubat, Sorsogon last Friday, police said.

Superintendent Jose Arne Delos Santos, Sorsogon police director, identified the fatalities as SPO2 Danilo Doctama, PO3 Ernesto Ebrada and PO2 Albino Cadag, all members of the Gubat police, and bystander Raymund Tan, who was hit by a stray bullet.

De los Santos said at least five rebels, brandishing Armalite rifles and wearing fatigue uniforms, arrived on board a passenger jeepney at about 8:15 p.m. and positioned themselves a few meters from the police outpost.

They then riddled the outpost with bullets, killing all three policemen manning it and the bystander.

The rebels took Cadag’s Armalite rifle before they fled toward Barangay Sta. Ana.

De los Santos believes that the guerrillas first conducted a surveillance of the possible escape routes in the area before attacking the police outpost because, he said, they managed to elude police and Army reinforcements from the municipal police station some 300 meters away and members of the 508th Mobile Police Group and the 21st Infantry Battalion who arrived in the area in about five to 10 minutes.

De los Santos said he received a report yesterday morning that the Army’s 2nd Infantry Battalion in Sorsogon held for questioning six people, who were caught in a safehouse in Barangay Marinas in Gubat town.

The six were suspected to be among the attackers. De los Santos said fatigue uniforms and short firearms were found in their possession.

Witnesses said the slain policemen had just taken their supper when the raid took place.

They said there were 20 other men waiting in the attackers’ passenger jeepney during the raid. The vehicle was found in Barangay Union, also in Gubat town, Saturday morning.

Authorities believe the raiders belong to the NPA’s Guerrilla Front 80, reportedly led by one Rolando Mustaza and which has 23 regulars with 43 high-powered firearms. — With Celso Amorsolo