BACOLOD CITY – The Mount Cansermon Command-New People's Army (MCC-NPA) admitted staging the attack on the Binalbagan Municipal Police Station in Negros Occidental on Feb. 13, 2022, which wounded two policemen.
Ka Dionesio Magbuelas, MCC-NPA spokesperson, in a statement, released on Monday, said they carried out the ambush in Sitio Candida, Barangay Biao, which is less than a kilometer away from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) forward base at Sitio Elinita, and few kilometers away from another Philippine Army troop position at SItio Bulwang.
Magbuelas said the ambush was launched as an “appropriate” counter-offensive response as Philippine National Police (PNP) are being use in counter-insurgency operations, thus considering them as a legitimate military target.
Two policemen were wounded in the ambush, which later led to an encounter after cops were able to retaliate against the enemies.
Ten policemen on board their patrol car were on their way to respond to an incident, where a man was found dead in the said village, when the ambush happened last Sunday.
Police Maj. Ellendie Rebusquillo, Binalbagan town police chief, believed that the reported incident could have been part of a plan hatched by the suspects to lure the police into a trap.
A 15-year-old boy, who was just outside their house, was also wounded after he was hit by a stray bullet.
The rebel group also said that the ambush was also the answer to the resounding cry of the people for justice for all the victims of “state-sanctioned murders and extra-judicial killings” against unarmed civilians and activists and hors de combat NPA fighters and unarmed and defenseless CPP cadres.
For his part, Rebusquillo said they will have to assess the situation if there would be a need to add more personnel in the town, especially with the election fast approaching.
Meanwhile, Police Brig. Gen. Flynn Dongbo, director of Police Regional Office (PRO)-Western Visayas, and Police Col. Leo Pamittan, Negros Occidental police director, condemned the attack, calling it as a treacherous act from the NPA.
Dongbo also visited the wounded cops here last Monday, and awarded them with PNP wounded personnel medal.
Following the incident, the provincial police force is now on full alert status.