2 cops, 1 civilian wounded in Pontevedra rebel ambush
ROXAS CITY – Two policemen from Pontevedra Police Station and a civilian were injured in an ambush by 17 heavily-armed persons believed to be members of the New People’s Army Friday morning, a Philippine Army official said.
SPO3 Isagani Dadivas, who was hit on the head, and SPO1 Leony Dadivas, who was injured on the chin, were part of the responding policemen who were on their way to Brgy. Banate, Pontevedra, where a group of NPA rebels had earlier ransacked the house of village chief Abraham Molo.
Upon reaching Sitio San Jose, Brgy. Hipona, they were ambushed by the rebels’ blocking force.
Both policemen were already declared out of danger by physicians.
Bystander Maximo Batolome was also hit on his left arm.
1st Lt. Rey Balegioso of the 47th Infantry Batallion said in a radio interview the rebels also planted landmines but these failed to explode because of defective blasting caps.
He said the same group of NPA rebels, who included two women, also engaged in an encounter last week with the composite team of police and 47th IB troopers.
They were led by Romulo Gangoso a.k.a Ka Regan of the Eastern Front Committee and Federico Diaz, platoon leader of Nonito Aguirre Sr. Command of the Eastern Front Committee of the CPP-NPA.
Police said the rebels entered the house of Molo and carted away three short firearms and an improvised 12-gauge shotgun. Molo was not around for he was attending a seminar in Manila.
Policemen from President Roxas, Maayon and Panay towns, along with an intelligence team from Capiz Provincial Police Office and the 47th IB based in Dumarao responded to the scene.
The CPPO team proceeded to Banate village through Yatingan, Pontevedra but the rebels were already gone when they arrived.
Meanwhile, thinking that the area was already cleared, the Pontevedra policemen led by Dadivas with the Provincial Special Operations Group team who were on standby at the outskirts of Brgy. Hipona also proceeded to Banate.
On their way to the site, the rebels’ blocking force ambushed them.
Police said the encounter lasted almost five minutes.
There were no reported wounded or casualty on the part of the rebels, however, police and the army troopers were still conducting hot pursuit operation as of press time.
Recovered from scene of ambush were seven shells of 5.56mm Armalite rifle, three improvised Claymore mines, a bundle of electrical cord, an improvised switch, and a fired dud ammo of M203 grenade launcher.
