KIDAPAWAN City–New People’s Army rebels struck again, killing a militiaman and hurting at least five members of President Duterte’s security aides in an ambush in Arakan, North Cotabato yesterday.
A police asset was also abducted by the communist rebels, police said.
Senior Supt. Emmanuel Peralta, North Cotabato police director, said members of the Presidential Security Group, led by T/Sgt. Ferbello Galleno, and nine others were on board two vehicles heading for Cagayan de Oro when they noticed a checkpoint manned by men in military uniform.
Sensing something wrong, the two-vehicle convoy stopped but was fired upon by armed men at around 6:16 am. The men in military uniforms displayed a Task Force Davao road signage. They turned out to be NPA guerrillas at a checkpoint in Barangay Katipunan, Arakan.
Peralta said the NPA rebels, about 100, exchanged firepower with the presidential guards, triggering an hour of sporadic gunbattle until government reinforcements from 7th Infantry Battalion and Arakan municipal police office came.
Peralta identified the injured as PSG personnel as S/Sgt. Matumhay, Cpl. Ayam Alia, S/Sgt. Lisondor, Cpl. Rodel Ledesma and S/Sgt. Gerry Tursal.
The slain militiaman was identified as Ben Padia.
Police said the rebels fled toward the hinterlands of Barangay Gambudes, Arakan, bringing with them, Rogelio Magno, reportedly an agent of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Arakan.
Pursuit operations are ongoing at presstime.
The wounded PSG personnel are now safe and were brought to Davao City after receiving first aid from a village clinic.
But PSG spokesperson Lt. Col. Mike Aquino however said only four presidential guards, and not five, were wounded in the encounter with the rebels in Arakan town, North Cotabato.
Aquino also downplayed the incident, saying it was not an NPA ambush because it was the government personnel who fired first at the armed men manning the checkpoint.
He said PSG personnel, aboard in two vehicles, were conducting an “admin movement” as part of the efforts to coordinate with other security personnel in the Cagayan de Oro.
The engaged PSG troops just came from Davao, Aquino said.
Aquino also declined to comment on whether the incident was part of the NPA’s effort to taunt Duterte before his State of the Nation Address on July 24. (pna)
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