A police officer was killed while three others were wounded when suspected New People’s Army (NPA) rebels attacked their group while returning to camp from a security operation in Jovellar town, Albay province, Wednesday morning.
Jovellar Municipal Police Station (MPS) chief Captain Millard Bongalon said Patrolman Belmonte, a member of the 1st Albay Provincial Mobile Force Company (PMFC) , died while being rushed to hospital.
Three other cops — Police Corporal Marlon Beltran, Patrolman Roy Resurreccion and Patrolman John Mark Paz – are confined in the hospital due to gunshot wounds.
“Tinambangan po sila. Pabalik na ‘yung tropa sa kampo mula sa security operations dito sa bayan ng Jovellar at pagdating ng Barangay San Isidro saka sila tinambangan. Inabangan sila ng mga NPA,” Bongalon disclosed.
Based on initial report reaching the Albay Police Provincial Office (PPO), the troop of 1st Albay PMFC based in Barangay Tula-Tula, Ligao City, were attacked by at least 15 members of suspected NPA rebels around 5 a.m. on Wednesday.
Report said that the government troops were conducting major internal security operations in Barangay San Isidro when they encountered the rebels.
Pursuit operations against the rebels were still ongoing as of Wednesday afternoon.(Nino Luces)
