6 Samar cops probed on NPA raid

CAMP RUPERTO KANGLEON, Palo, Leyte – Six policemen of Hinabangan, Samar are facing an investigation, on orders of the regional police command, over the raid of more than 100 New People’s Army (NPA) guerrillas on the town hall last Dec. 23.

The attack left a former government militiaman and father of one of the policemen dead. The insurgents also carted away the service firearms of two police officers.

Senior Superintendent Pio Manito, operations chief of the Eastern Visayas police command, said the six police officers on duty during the NPA raid are being probed to determine if they had committed any security lapses that would warrant the filing of administrative charges against them.

Manito said the six policemen, who he identified as PO1s Marlon Plata, Elizalde Ricalde, Samuel Otibar and Joel Calesa, and PO2s Rowel Mazdo and Rufino Abadiano, have been temporarily relieved from their assignments pending the probe, and are now under restrictions at the Samar police headquarters.

Manito said the investigation will also cover other police personnel of Hina­bangan town.

In a report, police said the NPA raid left damage placed at about P1 million at the municipal mayor’s office, the human resource management office and the local Commission on Elections office.

A municipal team was still finding out if the rebels had carted away documents, the report said.

Manito said the regional police command has placed the Hinabangan police on full alert, and other police units elsewhere in Eastern Visayas on indefinite red alert to thwart other NPA attacks this holiday season.

The NPA attack in Hinabangan town was the second after President Arroyo declared a suspension of military operations during the holiday season.