Five (5) members of the Presidential Security Group (PSG) were wounded in a clash with suspected members of New People’s Army in North Cotabato.
The encounter took place in Arakan town at about 6 am on Wednesday.
The injured were part of a PSG convoy heading to Cagayan De Oro City from Davao City.
A firefight ensued after the group observed that suspicious-looking men wearing Philippine Army uniforms were manning a checkpoint in Barangay Katipunan along Davao-Bukidnon Road.
The men’s uniforms had patches supposedly indicating they were members of Task Force Davao, but the PSG members doubted their identities due to the boots they were wearing.
PSG Commander General Lope Dagoy says, the PSG members sustained gunshot wounds following the clash.
Arakan Police Chief Sr. Supt. Argie Celeste reports, the PSG convoy consisted of 10 members.
He notes it was a good thing the PSG members were on board two vehicles that were bullet-proof and that they did not alight from the vehicles as they fought with the suspected NPAs.
About a hundred to 150 NPAs were reportedly in the area.
Celeste, however, adds the rebels had killed a member of the Civilian Armed Forces Security Unit (CAFGU) while they were stationed in the bogus checkpoint.