Armed men attack NPD offices

MANILA, Philippines — Armed men fired at the offices of the Northern Police District (NPD)’s district drug enforcement and criminal investigation and detection units before dawn yesterday.

The offices, located on Larangay street in Barangay 14, were attacked by three unidentified persons at around 2 a.m., according to NPD director Brig. Gen. Ponce Rogelio Peñones Jr.

Probers found two 9mm bullet casings and fragments from an MK-2 hand grenade at the scene.

Bullets had pierced a door of the NPD’s satellite office while the grenade blast damaged steps leading to the building.

No one was wounded or killed in the incident, Peñones said.

He added that the attack may have been the assailants’ attempt to harass police officers who have become “aggressive” in their crime and anti-drug operations.

“The motive we see is threat and harassment as a result of aggressive police operations,” Peñones said.

The NPD launched a manhunt for the assailants, who were seen on footage taken by Barangay 14’s surveillance cameras.