Suspected communist rebels attacked a police patrol car with four cops on board in Giporlos, Eastern Samar yesterday morning, triggering an intense gun battle but the lawmen stood their ground.
A report reaching Camp Crame in Quezon City said the four policemen from the Giporlos Municipal Police Station were on their way to attend a seminar of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency at the Eastern Visayas Provincial Police Office in Palo, Leyte when the incident happened.
The communist rebels reportedly planted a bomb on the road and detonated it as the patrol car was passing by in Sitio Salvacion in Barangay Biga at around 6 a.m.
“The troops were able to retaliate and engaged the armed men, believed to be communist rebels, in a firefight that lasted for 20 minutes,” the report said.
The four cops, led by SPO4 Teodoro Tan, were unharmed during the roadside blast and the ensuing gunfight.
Additional soldiers and policemen were sent to the ambush site and nearby areas to conduct pursuit and blocking operations.
The 4,000-strong New People’s Army has been on attack mode since February last year which resulted in the renewed peace negotiations to be stalled again.
An irate President Duterte even threatened to have all the communist rebel leaders he ordered released to be re-arrested due to the series of attacks against government forces and business establishments especially in Mindanao. (Aaron Recuenco)