NPA rebels threaten cop’s wife, kids in E. Samar

From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 22): NPA rebels threaten cop’s wife, kids in E. Samar

ARTECHE, Eastern Samar -- At least 20 communist insurgents barged into the house of a police officer and threatened his family, just minutes after the same group shot and wounded a civilian in Barangay Tangbo, an outskirts village some five kilometers from the town proper here.

Reports reaching the Police Regional Office 8 (PRO8) based in Camp Kangleon, Palo, Leyte disclosed that at about 8:30 a.m. Sunday, a group of suspected New People’s Army (NPA) terrorists barged into the house of PO1 Alvin Evardone looking for the policeman.

The rebels failed to locate Evardone as he was on duty at the Arteche police station at that time. The suspects instead threatened the cop’s wife and three children, ages 12, 8 and 5, and ransacked the cop’s house.

The group carted away the policeman’s personal .45-caliber Armscor pistol and wallet containing undetermined amount of cash, ATM and PNP identification cards before fleeing to the village’s hilly portion.

Earlier, the bandits arrived at the village and shot one Erick Oseias, married, jobless, who was standing at their front yard, some 20 meters from Evardone’s house.

Oseias was hit on his hips but managed to run and escape. He is now recuperating at the Arteche District Hospital.

Government troops from the Army’s 52nd Infantry Battalion, PNP’s Regional Public Safety Battalion and Arteche police station are conducting follow-up investigation and pursuit operations against the insurgents.

Although the Army’s 8th Infantry Division and local government officials declared Eastern Samar as development-ready province, communist-rebels continue to make their presence felt in the area.

Two days before the May midterm polls, POI Agerico Afable was killed by suspected NPA guerillas while securing the Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOs) machines in Calingatngan Elementary School, situated some 15 kilometers from Borongan City proper. The attack also wounded a village watchman.

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