DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 03 December) — Suspected members of the New People’s Army (NPA) attacked a police station in Binuangan town in Misamis Oriental at around 2 a.m. Sunday, injuring four police officers, including the police chief.
The rebels also set up checkpoints along the highway of Binuangan, 72 kilometers east of Cagayan de Oro.
Vinoya said the attack lasted for two hours as the policemen put up a stiff resistance.
“The rebels failed in their attack on the police station and failed to get the firearms of the
policemen which was their target,” Superintindent Lemuel Gonda, PNP spokesperson for Northern Mindanao, said.
Police chief Senior Inspector Dante Hallazgo, SPO1 Ramonito Zambas, PO3 Alberto Bernades and PO1 Joshua Satur were wounded when an M203 grenade exploded inside the station.
Gonda said the rebels also set up checkpoints along the highway linking the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Butuan.
Bus passenger Kimbo Velez said he saw three rebels armed with AK47 rifles and bandoliers of ammunition stopped their bus at around 2:30 a.m.
Velez said the checkpoint set up by the rebels were made of rows of plastic chairs placed in the middle of highway.
“One of the rebels who carried a flashlight identified himself to us as NPA rebel and warned our driver not to proceed,” Velez said.
He said the rebels also commandeered two Isuzu trucks which they later used in their escape.
Nicholas Marino, spokesperson of the National Democratic Front in Northern Mindanao said guerillas from NPA Front 4B staged the attack and the unit did not suffer any casualties
“The attack is a warning to the police and military that the NPA do not fear the threats of all-out war and Martial Law by the Duterte regime,” Marino said. (Froilan Gallardo / MindaNews)