Hot pursuit ongoing vs NPA members who staged ambush in NegOcc

From the Philippine News Agency (Jan 28): Hot pursuit ongoing vs NPA members who staged ambush in NegOcc

The Scout Rangers and the Philippine National Police (PNP)on Monday continued with its pursuit of the members of the New People's Army (NPA) under the "Komiting Rehiyon ng Negros" who staged an ambush and killed nine in La Castellana, Negros Occidental last Sunday morning.

Capt. Reyan Caytan of the 3rd Infantry (SPEARHEAD) Division of the Philippine Army said that they continue to conduct hot pursuit operation until now with the Scout Rangers and the Philippine National Police in order to apprehend those members of the NPA under the Komiting Rehiyon ng Negros who staged the ambush in the upland barangay where nine people died and six others wounded.

Caytan said that based on their investigation, most of the NPA members were young and were Cebuano-speaking. The ambush took place at 3:45 a.m. Sunday when the NPAs fired at the truck with policemen, Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team and civilians on board. They were supposedly headed back to Brgy. Cabacungan from Brgy. Puso where there was a fiesta on the previous day.

The authorities and some civilians on board the truck helped in the maintenance of peace and order of the fiesta of Brgy. Puso. The Negros Provincial Police Office has identified PO1 Richard Canja of La Castellana Police Station as one of the fatalities. The dead victims were brought to the Nalagon Funeral Homes in La Castellana. The six wounded in the attack included PO3 Constantino Villegas and PO2 Jeffrey Alvarez, both assigned at the Cabacungan police detachment.

The Philippine Army believes that this ambush is the bloodiest incident that so far happened in the country lately especially when there is an election gun ban since Jan. 13.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=491689