At least six young police officers were killed and nine others injured in what security sources initially described as an “ambush incident” by army troops on Monday in the backwoods of Sta. Rita in Samar.
Reports said the incident happened mid-morning between members of the Philippine National Police 805th Mobile Company, Regional Mobile Force Battalion and the 87th Infantry Batallion, Philippine Army based in Calbiga, Samar.
There was no immediate reaction from either the national headquarters of the Philippine National Police nor the Army in Metro Manila.
A media source, who refused to be identified as he was not in an official position to divulge the information, said the “ambush incident” of PNP personnel was “perpetrated” by the soldiers when the police were “conducting minor combat operation” in the area.
Killed in action were PO1 Phil J Rey Mendigo, PO1 Edwin P. Ebrado, PO1 Wyndell S. Noromor, PO1 Rowel Reyes, PO1 Julie Y. Escalo, and PO1 Julius R. Suarez.
Wounded in action on the PNP side were PO1 Romulo Cordero, PO1 Elmer F. Pan, PO1 Chris Angelo A. Pialago, PO1 Jaime G. Galoy, PO1 Rey C. Barbosa, PO1 Jonel C. Gonzaga, PO1 Rommel Bagunas, PO1 Janmark K. Adones, and PO1 Roden T. Goden.
However, a separate report received from the Sta. Rita Municipal Police Station said police conducting “patrol heading towards Sitio Canunay, Brgy. Rosal of said municipality, same was waylaid with volume of fire by an undetermined number of unidentified armed men which prompted the former to return fire to defend themselves.”
“Initial investigation conducted disclosed that the opposite side who initiated the firefight were elements of one section of Charlie Company, 87th IB, PA, 8ID led by 1st Lt. Orlando M. Casipit Jr. composed of 16 enlisted personnel,” the report added.
In the meantime, the officers in the regional police headquarters in Camp Ruperto Kangleon in Palo, Leyte are in a closed-door conference. With Francisco Tuyay