Ambush in Toboso leaves 3 dead, 3 wounded
BACOLOD CITY -- At least 30 heavily armed men believed to be members of the New People's Army ambushed a cargo truck belonging to a far-flung barangay in Barangay Poblacion in Toboso town Sunday morning resulting to the death of three passengers including the driver and the wounding of three others.
Reports reaching the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office revealed that the vehicle belonging to Barangay Salamangka was on its way to the town proper when waylaid at Purok Mabuhay in the poblacion at around 7:20 a.m. 30 dissident terrorists armed with M16 and M14 rifles.
Police Senior Inspector Nestor Tuadles, chief of the local PNP, identified the fatalities as Rodolfo Salipod, the vehicle's driver, Ena Pata and high school student Edmar Sultan while those wounded as Eryl Baynosa, Ivy Recopelacion, student of Toboso National High School, and bystander Primitivo Lumapay who was reportedly in critical condition.
The victims, all residents of Barangay Salamangka, were rushed to San Carlos City Hospital while the cadavers of the fatalities were brought to an undisclosed funeral parlor in the town.
Police investigators recovered empty numerous live ammunition and spent shells of M16 and M14 rifles from the scene of the ambush according to Police Chief Inspector Rico Santotome Jr, spokesman of NOPPO.
Police and Philippine Army officials in Negros Occidental point to the members of Platoon 1 of Komiteng Larangan Northern Negros (KLNN) of the CPP-NPA as the ones responsible for the dastardly act that claimed the lives of innocent civilians and the wounding of three others during the attack.
Police Senior Superintendent Manuel Felix, Negros Occidental PNP director, directed the police chiefs of Escalante City, Calatrava and nearby police stations as well as the 611th PMG to conduct roadblocks and checkpoint operations supervised by Police Superintendent Armando Tubongbanua, NOPPO deputy PD for operations, for the rebels' possible exit route.
Likewise, Felix ordered the Investigation Branch to assist in the conduct of investigation and to dispatch the SOCO personnel of the PNP Crime Laboratory for investigation and documentation of the crime scene.
He further condemned another atrocity perpetrated by the dissident terrorists in Northern Negros which is undeniably a violation of the rights of the victims and the victim's relatives, inimical to the achievement of lasting peace in the province.