Reds raid police station in Bukidnon, cop killed

By Ronron
June 25, 2007

Suspected communist rebels raided a police station in the northern Philippine province of Bukidnon last Sunday, ensuing a firefight with cops on duty.

Sr. Supt. Juan Ratunil, provincial police director, said one of the policemen died while in the act of defending the Dangcagan Municipal Police Station from some 30 raiders from the New People’s Army (NPA).

Ratunil said the raid happened at around 12:40 pm when the station was only manned by two policemen. Two other cops on duty reportedly were out at that time.

The heavily armed rebels wore police uniforms and arrived aboard two vans.

The firefight lasted for at most 10 minutes, leaving SPO1 Danilo Noblefranca dead. The other policeman was able to run away for safety.

Carted away by the rebels from the police station were five M16 rifles, a caliber 45 and a 9mm handgun.

Maj. Samuel Sagun, spokesman of the Cagayan de Oro City-based 4th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army, said the suspects left towards Kitaotao town of same province, leaving one van in Barangay Dolorosa, and the other at Barangay Miaray, both still in Dangcagan.

Sagun said a platoon from the Alpha Company of the Philippine Army’s 26th Infantry Battalion pursued the rebels, who were believed to have moved to the interior of Kitaotao and the southern part of Quezon town.

Ratunil said Dangcagan used to be infested heavily by communist guerillas.

Citing the principle of command responsibility, Dangcagan Police chief Sr. Insp. Henry Pañares was relieved Monday as he undergoes investigation for possible administrative lapses, Ratunil said.

The 7,1000-strong NPA has been waging guerilla warfare for almost four decades now. The government hopes to crush the movement by 2010./DMS