3 police officers hurt in NPA ambush in Surigao del Sur

From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 28): 3 police officers hurt in NPA ambush in Surigao del Sur

Three police personnel were hurt in an ambush perpetrated by a heavily armed group believed to be members of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPA) as they were on their way to assist in the confiscation of illegal forest products discovered at a remote village in San Agustin, Surigao del Sur, Thursday afternoon.

Reports from the Surigao del Sur Police Provincial Office said that nine (9) personnel from the 131st Regional Public Safety Company led by PInsp. Andrev G. Bautista together with Nestor Piala, representative of the Community Environment and Natural Resource Office (CENRO), were on board an Elf vehicle going toward the town of Lianga, Surigao del Sur when they were attacked upon reaching the portion of the national highway of Barangay San Vicente, Barobo town at 2:15 p.m. Thursday.

The ambuscade resulted accordingly to the wounding of the three members of the 131st RPSC identified as Police Officer 2 Arwin F. Dela Cruz, who was hit at his upper right arm; Police Officer 2 Alejandrino M. Intas, who was hit at his right leg and Police Officer 1 Mark Sherwin M. Castrodez, who was also hit at his right leg.

The police report said that the RPSC personnel came from their base at Cutlog, Barobo, Surigao del Sur and were on their way to Lianga town of the said province to respond to a request for assistance from OIC CENRO Hernan P. Ramirez, to verify and confiscate some forest products reportedly found at Barangay Gata, San Agustin in Surigao del Sur.

The three wounded policemen were rushed to D.O. Plaza Memorial Hospital at Barangay Patin-ay, Prosperidad town in Agusan del Sur for medical treatment, on board an ambulance of the Barobo Municipal Health Unit (PN LHA 137). They have been declared out of danger by their attending physician.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=620932