Following the successful defense of its police station from a New People’s Army attack the other day, 15 policemen of the Victoria Municipal Police Station in Northern Samar will get medals and meritorious promotion from Police Gen. Oscar Albayalde, Philippine National Police chief.
“I have given them a directive to report to me on Monday. They will be commended and given the necessary awards on the Monday flag-raising ceremony at Camp Crame. Some of them we promised of meritorious promotion,” Albayalde said after a command conference in Camp Major Bado Dangwa, La Trinidad, Benguet yesterday.
“‘Yung dalawang nasugatan of course ‘yung wounded personnel medal. ‘Yung iba, depende doon sa committee. We have an awards committee naman kung ano ang puwedeng ibigay but this will all be interim kasi puwede nga silang mapromote dito,” he added.
Albayalde praised the 15 cops and said their act, which could be considered as one of the “best success stories in the history of the PNP,” is worthy of emulation.
“I think this is a good example that our policemen are always ready to defend their station, that they are aware. They have the instinct to fight. They are aware of the threats in their area of operation and they know where to position themselves in case of harrassments like that,” he said.
Police Brig. Gen. Dionardo Carlos, Eastern Visayas Police Regional Office chief, said the Samar police have been placed under full alert status.
About 50 suspected communist rebels, some are women and young fighters, attacked the Victoria Municipal Police Station around 3:45 a.m. on Thursday ahead of the NPA’s 50th anniversary yesterday.
Outnumbered, the 15 on-duty police officers relied on the skills and wisdom they learned in training and occupied the vantage point – the second and third floors of the police station before they engaged the NPA.
After a three-hour firefight, the policemen forced the NPA to retreat. Three NPA rebels were killed while another was captured and was identified as 18-year-old Aljon Cardenas.
Two policemen were wounded by shrapnels – Police Senior Master Sargeants Arturo Gordo Jr. and Arnold Cabacang.
Albayalde said they recovered an M60 machine gun, two M16 rifles, and an M14 rifle from the NPA. (Martin Sadongdong)
