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LABO, Camarines Norte – Five police officers were killed and two injured in a clash with suspected rebel forces in the city of Labo on Friday night.
The Camarines Norte Police Office said the shooting started as Police Lieutenant Louie James Amoy’s group was patrolling 50 meters from their Barangay Dumagmang camp in the city.
The confrontation lasted for three hours, where five policemen, all members of the 1st platoon of the Camarines Norte Provincial Mobile Force Company (1st PMFC), died on the spot.
The suspected rebels, whose number is unknown, immediately fled the scene and headed for the forests of the bush. Labo.
The head of the PNP, the OIC, Guillermo Eleazar, condemned the attack and ordered immediate pursuit operations to hunt down the attackers.
“Condemning this attack is not enough to express the anger of the men and women of the PNP, especially since the circumstances of its deployment are to ensure a project that would benefit the inhabitants of Quezon and the Bicol region from the extortionary activity of the Local Communist Terrorist Group, “Eleazar said in a statement.
“In consultation with our PNP chief, Police General Debold M Sinas and in coordination with the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), LtGen Cirilito Sobejana, I order the Regional Directors of PRO4A, Brigadier General Police Officer Felipe R Natividad and PRO5, PBGen Bartolome R Bustamante, to mobilize their forces in order to strike not only those responsible but also the NPA that operates in their respective Areas of Responsibility (AOR) “.
Bustamante also condemned the incident and said officers were in the area to help secure a highway that was being built to connect Camarines Norte with Quezon province.
The rebels were suspected of having demanded revolutionary taxes from small miners in Dumangmang, a mining village.
Eleazar said the attack would not have been possible without the help of his supporters.
“So I am also ordering the RD, PRO5 to carry out a thorough investigation to identify those who may have assisted these NPAs in carrying out their ambush and bring them to court,” said the head of the PNP.
“For the families of our heroes, I feel your pain and anger over this incident and the most we can do is seek justice for them. Rest assured that we will always be there to provide all the assistance they deserve.
The rebel side has not yet reported on the alleged involvement in the shooting.
Philippine state forces and rebels are involved in regular clashes as peace negotiations between the government and the communist movement have not gone well.
In a recent speech, President Rodrigo Duterte ordered state troops to fire on the spot against armed rebels and “ignore human rights.”
A few days later, several activists labeled in the communist movement were killed in police raids in Calabarzon.
– Jonathan Magistrate’s Report
Camarines Norte, regional news, regional stories, Camarines Norte, armed encounter, policemen, policemen
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