BUTUAN CITY, Philippines – Eight suspected New People’s Army (NPA) guerrillas raided the house of Carmen town Mayor Ramon Calo in Agusan del Norte Sunday night.
Carmen Vice Mayor Wilfredo Taglucop said the assailants, armed with assault rifles, disarmed and hogtied the two security guards stationed at the gate of Calo’s house, located across the municipal hall in Barangay Poblacion.
Taglucop, who was the acting mayor, said Calo was in Manila when the raid occurred at around 7:30 p.m. He said the assailants hogtied one of the house helpers and ordered the other one to take them to Calo’s room, where the firearms were reportedly kept.
The gunmen allegedly took an Uzi submachine gun, a baby Armalite rifle, an M-14 rifle and two briefcases from the room.
Taglucop said he and the members of the Agusan del Norte police found the rooms in disarray.
“An inventory must be done as soon as Mayor Calo arrives home to determine the items taken by the gunmen,†he said.
In an interview yesterday morning, Calo blamed the absence of an Army detachment in the town proper for the attack on his house.