BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The New People’s Army Mt. Cansermon Command yesterday issued a statement claiming responsibility for the ambush of policemen on February 13 in Brgy. Biao, Binalbagan,Negros Occidental.
The roadside bombing ambush led to slight injuries to three policemen, not two as reported earlier, all assigned at the Binalbagan Police Station, as they were responding to a shooting incident in Sitio Nursery of the barangay.
Ka Dionesio Magbuelas, spokesman of the Mt. Cansermon Command, said “this action points out to the heightened capacity of MCC to covertly gather armed units and launch surprise offensive action in exterior lines or near barangay and town centers.”
Brig. Gen. Inocencio Pasaporte, 303rd Infantry Brigade commander, yesterday condemned the NPA for its continued use of landmines which is contrary to protocols of the Geneva Convention, which the government is signatory.
PBrig. Gen. Flynn Dongbo, regional police director of Western Visayas, also strongly denounced the deceitful and cowardly act of the local communist terrorist group.
They have the intention to kill our personnel who are lawfully performing their mandated duties. And, they disturb the tranquility of the place and the whole community of Brgy. Biao by unleashing their evil and unlawful intentions, Dongbo added.
Magbuelas said that the ambush was in relation to what he calls “resounding cry” of the people for justice for all the victims of state sanctioned murders against unarmed civilians and activists, and hors de combat NPA fighters and defenseless cadres, including Kerima Lorena Tariman, Marilyn Badayos, Floreta Seballos, among other revolutionaries.
Tariman and Badayos were tagged by the military as top leaders of the dismantled Northern Negros Front, and Ceballos as secretary of the NPA guerilla front in central Negros.
PCol. Leo Pamittan, provincial police director of Negros Occidental,also slammed the NPA for killing an innocent civilian he identified as Bertito Roso Jr., by using him as a bait to lure the police in going to the crime scene.
Police investigations show that two improvised landmines were detonated by NPA rebels, while two unexploded Improvised Explosives Devices with electrical wirings were recovered by the police at the scene of incident.*
