‘STAY RESOLUTE VS LAWLESSNESS’: PNP Chief Gamboa wants intensified, focused offensive against Reds

From Panay News (Feb 16, 2020): ‘STAY RESOLUTE VS LAWLESSNESS’: PNP Chief Gamboa wants intensified, focused offensive against Reds (By Ruby Silubrico)

ILOILO City – The Philippine National Police (PNP) is raring to launch intensified and focused operations against the New People’s Army (NPA).

No less than, PNP chief himself, Police General Archie Gamboa, gave the order following an encounter between government forces and communist rebels in Barangay Aglobong, Janiuay, Iloilo, tragically ending the life of Police Captain Efren Espanto Jr.

Gamboa was in this city yesterday to visit Espanto’s wake in the chapel of the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6).

The country’s top cop personally bestowed posthumous medal to slain cop. He also gave financial support to Espanto’s family through his wife Patrolman Ivy Rose who is assigned in Negros Occidental Police Office.

Gamboa encouraged all police personnel stay resolute in the battle against lawlessness and terrorism and make Espanto’s death as inspiration as he offered his life for to the country to attain peace.

“Talaga ang police ay nag aalay ng kanilang buhay para ma-attain natin ang mission natin na mapaya na bansa,” said Gamboa.

He said that Espanto was the 58th casualty who fought against terrorist and illegal drugs since last year.

Gamboa directed PRO-6 director, Police Brigadier General Rene Pamuspusan, to promote Espanto’s wife from Patrolman to Police Corporal because when she applied for a promotion she was pregnant for their first child.

On Wednesday, NPA rebels and troops of the PRO-6 Regional Mobile Force Battalion 6 – Reconnaissance Company clashed in the remote barangay of Aglobong.

The Reconnaissance Company team leader, 29-year-old Espanto of La Carlota City, Negros Occidental, died.

The encounter happened at around 5:45 p.m. on Some 20 policemen were attacked while on their way back to the town proper on foot after three days of anti-insurgency offensive operations.

The encounter lasted for some 30 minutes, according to Police Captain Dadjie Delima, Janiuay police chief. He was unsure of the number of rebels.

Espanto, a graduate of the Philippine National Police Academy, Batch 2015, died in the encounter site but his body was still taken to the Federico Roman Tirador Sr. Memorial District Hospital in Janiuay. He sustained a fatal gunshot wound on the right eye.

Delima said the NPA rebels belonged to the Jose Percival Estocada Command. He did not discount the possibility that Espanto’s troops may have wounded or even killed some rebels, too, citing trails of blood along the withdrawal path of the insurgents.

Espanto was the lone police casualty.

Prior to his Reconnaissance Company assignment, Espanto served as police chief of San Remigio, Antique.

The PRO-6 deployed more troops to Janiuay following the encounter to run after the rebels.

Delima said there had been frequent sightings of rebels in Barangay Aglobong which is geographically near Barangay Atimonan, Janiuay, an identified NPA-influenced area./\

https://www.panaynews.net/stay-resolute-vs-lawlessness-pnp-chief-gamboa-wants-intensified-focused-offensive-against-reds/