By Ronron
February 11, 2008
The chief of police of Mandaon town in Masbate province survived an ambush attempt by suspected members of the New People’s Army (NPA) last Saturday morning.
Chief Insp. Brian Castillo told Manila Shimbun in a phone interview Monday that he was driving his personal vehicle, an enclosed owner-type jeep, on his way home to Masbate City when gunfire suddenly came his way from the side of the road at around 7:30 am.
Castillo said he was at the boundary at that time of Mandaon and Aroroy towns, particularly at Barangay Managa-naga in Aroroy town.
“It was a weekend so I wanted to go home because I was also expecting some visitors at home,” Castillo said in Filipino.
Castillo said when he started receiving gunfire from some 15 suspected rebels who were already pre-positioned, he did not stop driving using his left hand, and fired back using his right hand.
“It was very quick because they also withdrew immediately after firing at me,” he recalled.
He said it was only his vehicle that sustained 10 bullet holes after the incident.
“I think they have long planned this against me because we have caught up with them many times already and we have neutralized a lot of them already,” Castillo said, referring to the alleged NPA perpetrators.
While he has not received personal threats to his life from the communist movement, Castillo said the intelligence report that the NPA intends to raid the Mandaon Police Station persists.
Castillo said a pursuit operation was immediately conducted against the perpetrators by joint elements from the 5th Police Regional Mobile Group and the local unit of the Philippine Army.
The 5,760-strong NPA has been directed by its leadership to continue launching offensives against government and private installations.
The government intends to neutralize the movement by 2010 when President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ends her term.
Peace talks between the movement and the government bogged down in August 2004 after the NPA and its affiliated organizations and key officials were tagged by the United States and other foreign bodies as terrorists./DMS
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