President Rodrigo R. Duterte (Rene Lumawag/Presidential Photo)
DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Updated as of 1:43 pm)— President Rodrigo Duterte is scheduled to visit on Thursday afternoon the wake of police officers killed in an ambush in Bansalan town, Davao del Sur.
The President will be visiting the wake of Police Officer 3 Jayden May Rabor of the Scene of the Crime Operatives in Digos City and PO1 Rholly Benelayo of the Bansalan Municipal Police Station who were among the four policemen killed in an ambush by suspected members of the New People’s Army under the Front Committee 51 in Barangay Sibayan, Bansalan.
The remains of PO1 Saro Mangotara were already laid to rest in Digos City in accordance with Muslim tradition while the remains of PO1 Joey Narvaza were transferred to Kidapawan City.
Davao del Sur Governor Douglas Cagas said they already extended financial and medical assistance to the casualties. He also said they will provide scholarship for the children of the slain police officers.
Cagas also said the police should have more intelligence work and cooperation with the military.
“This is my fourth term as governor and fourth ambush here in Bansalan. Kelangan talaga pabilisin ang network ng military at pulis, all the time,” Cagas told reporters in a press conference Thursday.
The police officers were responding to a crime scene reported by the village chairman of Barangay Sibayan, Eddie Dicdican when they were ambushed around 7:30 am Wednesday.
The police sent a patrol car with PNP personnel and another patrol car was sent to fetch personnel from the crime laboratory. Authorities recovered from the crime scene the Hilux patrol car from the Bansalan Municipal Police Station, an improvised explosive device, several fired cartridge cases and three metallic fragments.(davaotoday.com)
