NPA rebels in cops uniform disarms town Mayor and his PNP escort in ZamboSur

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 NPA rebels in cops uniform disarms town Mayor and his PNP escort in ZamboSur

By JONG CADION

PAGADIAN CITY, ZAMBOSUR – Mayor Richard “Tata” Medalla Garban of Pitogo town, Zamboanga del Sur together with his police escort was flagged down and disarmed by more or less 20 heavily high powered armed men believed to be members of communist rebels New People’s Army (NPA) at about 6:20 Tuesday morning, August 12, 2013.  

The group of Mayor Garban was on board in his vehicle while on their way to his municipality. Upon reaching Barangay Mati particularly in front of Elementary School in San Miguel town, they were stopped by the armed men wearing PNP SAF camouflage and color blue and green uniform conducting a check point, 53^rd Infantry Battalion Commander Lt. Col. Victor Tanggawohn in a mobile phone call said.

“Abi namo nga mga police nag check point mao to kompiyansa me ug kalit nga giti-unan me,” (We thought it was the policemen conducting check point that’s why we are very confident, unexpectedly were at gun-point), Mayor Garban also said in a mobile phone interview.

The NPA gun-point and order them to dis-embark from their vehicle and carted the firearms from the mayor’s escorts such as M16 Armalite rifle owned by the police escort PO3 Julito Hacotano y Garban, M16 Baby Armalite rifle owned by the mayor, 2 Norinco Caliber 45 pistol and caliber 9mm pistol.

“We were not harm and were freed later after they ordered to get inside their vehicle and commanded them to go, while the suspects fled towards east-north direction,” Mayor Garban reported the incident to San Miguel Municipal Police Station.

53^rd Battalion Commander Lt. Col Tanggawohn alerted and dispatched immediately his troops to conduct pursuit operation against the fleeing NPA rebels towards Brgy, Ocapan and Cabule all of San Miguel town.

This is the 3^rd harassment  done by the communist rebels in this province for this year 2013. The first was in Lakewood where some soldiers were wounded after they were ambushed and hit by the landmine. The 2^nd was in Tambulig encounter that caused the death of 1 soldier and 3 others were wounded, Army’s Premiere Infantry Division spoke person Captain Jefferson Somera disclosed.  

It was recalled four months ago, Police Regional Director Chief Superintendent Juanito Vaño had alerted and ordered his forces to be on alert and to initiate defensive measures to pre-empt any possible violence that the CPP-NDF-NPA may carry out ahead of their plans to stage insurgent’s attacks.

PNP Regional Director also directed his municipal station commanders, city and provincial directors to work and coordinate closely with the local government units, our force multipliers and the military, to prevent harassments of PNP personnel, ambuscades, raids, and sabotage of cell sites.

The NPA might employ tactical guerilla style warfare on soft targets such as isolated and less fortified police and military outposts, government installations and infrastructure and vital facilities in the region, Vaño added  

Vaño area of jurisdiction covers the police commands in Zamboanga City and the three Zamboanga provinces - Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga Sibugay.

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 NPA rebels in cops uniform disarms town Mayor and his PNP escort in ZamboSur