NPA hit squad back, kills 1 senior cop, vows more killings
One senior police officer is dead and more killings are feared as the dreaded hit squad of the communist-terrorists New People's Army (NPA) are back anew.
Liquidated in front of scores of witnesses while inside a town public market, Senior Police Officer 1 (SPO1) Hilario "Larry" Vicente's murder came some two weeks after a local farmer was also tortured then killed by the group. It was to be the second major NPA attack in Iloilo's First District within a month's time alone.
The latest NPA killing occurred Friday morning in Tubungan, Iloilo, executed by two male suspects believed to be in their early 20s.
SPO1 Vicente was apparently followed by the two shooters to the meat section where without questions asked and in front of vendor Valentin Tadit, one suddenly pulled out his .45 caliber pistol and shot the cop in close range.
Initial reports said Vicente succumbed to 15 gunshot wounds in the different parts of his body.
Panic immediately set in as locals scampered to safety. The two armed men went on to fire shots sporadically as they calmly walked out of the public market and proceeded on foot towards what locals said was by the area of Igbaras.
Reports further said that two policemen were in the crime scene however failed to respond nor aid the fallen cop. SPO1 Vicente's service pistol, a 9 mm Beretta was taken by his attackers. Said report is being validated as top cops vow to institute major reforms and offensives.
It was also believed that at least 20 other NPA- back-up were present in the area, reason why SPO1 Vicente's assailants carried out his liquidation calmly and boldly.
"They are enemies of the State and we will deal with them," Senior Supt. Isagani Cuevas, deputy chief for operations of Police Regional Office 6, said in a radio interview while adding that the killing could have been a test mission for the new NPA recruits.
SPO1 Vicente, sources told The News Today (TNT), has since been a "marked man" in the roster of NPA targets. Another pal, a "Police Officer Alacre" was also reportedly been "marked" and subject of similar execution.
Validation is also underway to ascertain the threat sent to one cop based in Tigbauan who was warned by an NPA group under the Napoleon Tumagtang Command.
Meanwhile, Cuevas reiterated the call for every police units to be on guard all the time as the NPA rebels would sow terror in answer to the government's all-out war against them.