DAVAO CITY – Gunmen believed to be New People’s Army guerrillas raided a town police station and took hostage its station chief, the Army said.
The Army was careful about mentioning it was the NPA but only said that they and the Philippine National Police “are now coordinating to investigate the attack at the Governor Generoso Police Station in Davao Oriental last Sunday, May 29 where armed men also took the police chief”.
The government troops have already coordinated with the Local Government Unit of Governor Generoso, a second class municipality, and other nearby towns to continuously secure the affected areas.
A group of armed men attacked the police headquarters around 8:00 pm on Sunday and took Chief Inspector Arnold Ongachen.
Captain Geoffrey E. Galandia of the 28th Infantry Battalion said that the army and the police are already “on top of the situation”. He also said they are currently doing inventory on the police station’s armory.
Lt. Col. Ramon P. Zagala, Commanding Officer of the 28th Infantry Battalion under the 701st Brigade of the Philippine Army is also leading the assessment of the situation in the area.
The police and the military have ordered clearing operations along the national highway going to Governor Generoso.
The New People’s Army has not yet issued a statement on the incident as of press time. On April 16, the NPA took as its prisoners-of-war five PNP officers, including the police chief, in Paquibato district here.
The prisoners of war were released on April 25 to President-elect Rodrigo Duterte. (davaotoday.com)
