DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Two provincial employees were killed and a policeman was seized as some 50 New People’s Army (NPA) rebels attacked a relief operation of the provincial government in Agusan del Sur yesterday morning.
Chief Superintendent Reynaldo Rafal, Caraga regional police director, said the attack took place at around 6 a.m. in Barangay Pulang Lupa in Trento, Agusan del Sur where relief operations were ongoing due to massive flooding.
Rafal identified the fatalities as Fritz Man Dimzon and a certain Lito, of Bantay Kalikasan under the governor’s office.
Rafal said SPO2 Jorge Sabatin, who escorted the relief mission, was seized to serve as the rebels’ human shield against pursuing policemen. Another police officer, PO3 Mario Siviliano, was wounded in the attack.
Rafal said the provincial employees, along with volunteers and policemen, were conducting relief operations for flood-hit villagers in Trento town.
Police said the NPA rebels arrived on board two unlicensed Isuzu trucks and opened fire at the group, and then carted away two M-14 rifles of the police escorts.
Rafal condemned the attack, which forced the police to refocus their effort from purely relief and rescue operations to securing vital installations.
“We are tracking them now and my men and I vow to get back Sabatin,” he said, citing intelligence report that the NPA attackers were fleeing toward the Davao area.
“They (rebels) should have considered that many of our people (are) suffering from flash floods and landslides… We are assessing (the situation) and helping (those affected) and they (rebels) used that opportunity to attack our helpless troops,” he said. – With Ben Serrano