23 cops defend station vs 200 NPAs in Misamis Or

From the Manila Bulletin (Dec 4): 23 cops defend station vs 200 NPAs in Misamis Or

A police captain and 22 of his men displayed gallantry as they withstood the rain of bullets and grenades and even drove away more than 200 New People’s Army (NPA) rebels who tried to lay siege and burn the Binuangan Municipal Police Station (MPS) in Misamis Oriental early yesterday morning.

Senior Inspector Dante Hallazgo, local chief of police, was wounded along with three of his men — Senior Police Officer 1 Ramonito Zambas, PO3 Alberto Bernadas, and PO1 Joshua Satur — when they were hit by shrapnel from an M203 grenade fired by the attacking NPA force.

The fifth casualty, a certain SPO4 Cabil, was also wounded during the attack.

Chief Superintendent Timoteo Pacleb, director of the Northern Mindanao Regional Police Office, said the communist rebels were actually combined forces of NPA units operating in the eastern part of Mindanao, particularly that of Manuelito Satur, alias “Ka Musong;” Oscar Romania, alias “Amboy;” and alias “Makong Mansigyaw.”

“The firefight lasted about three hours wherein PNP personnel fought hard and defended their police station despite the NPA strength,” said Pacleb.

“They failed on their attack on the police station and failed to get the firearms and retreated in the hinterlands,” he added.

Sr. Insp. Corinne Mae Estigoy, spokesperson of the Misamis Oriental Police Provincial Office (PPO), said the attack was carried out at 3 a.m. yesterday by more than 200 communist rebels.

“They established three blocking forces in three areas near the police station,” said Estigoy.

The rebels are believed to have targeted the guns and other equipment of the Binuangan MPS as they have allegedly done in the past.

But the 23 policemen who were on duty immediately organized themselves to defend the police station. The firefight lasted for almost three hours, said Estigoy.

“We also found several containers of gasoline in the area. So there was a plan to set the police station on fire, but they were not able to do that because our police forces stood their ground,” said Estigoy.

The failed attack of Binuangan MPS was the first major offensive attack by the NPA, the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) since President Duterte terminated peace talks with the CPP-NPA-NDF last month.

During the attack, the NPA terrorists put up a road block on the national highway that resulted in traffic mess that kept private and government vehicles and buses going to Butuan City and Cagayan de Oro City to be stuck on the road for three hours.

The national highway only re-opened at 6 a.m. when the NPA rebels had retreated. No civilian was reported hurt during the incident.

Estigoy said they believe the rebels also suffered casualties as revealed by bloodstains on their escape route.

She said the rebels used trucks in arriving and in fleeing the police station.

“The leadership will be giving commendation to our personnel in the area. But it has to be studied yet as to what type of awards would be given to them,” said Estigoy.

On the other hand, she said they are now readying the criminal charges that would be filed against the leaders and attackers of the police station.

Senior Supt. Rolando E. Destura, Misamis Oriental Police Provincial Office (PPO) director, is currently leading his field troops to verify whether or not there were NPA casualties.

At the same time Destura extended a congratulatory message to the members of Binuangan MPS for “gallantly” in defending their station.

Likewise, the military commended the MPS for its resiliency in fighting off the NPA attack.

Captain Joe Patrick Martinez, the chief of the Army’s 4th Infantry Division Public Affairs Office and concurrent spokesman, said the foiled attack is a big slap in the face of the CPP-NPA-NDF leadership.

“More than the resiliency of the PNP (Philippine National Police) who stood their ground during the attack are the timely report and outpouring support from the civilians about the NPA’s plan,” Martinez said.

“However, we condemn the terrorists courses of action when they used the civilian properties such as vehicles along the highway and the nearby houses as their shield. This is a clear and undeniable proof that they really do not care about the safety of the masses. All they wanted to do is to sow fear to advance their terroristic activities that are aimed to make people suffer,” he added.

Supt. Lemuel Gonda, Police Regional Office 10 (PRO10) spokesman, also commended the MPs. “The NPA terrorists failed on their attack on the police station (Binuangan MPS) and failed to get their (policemen) firearms, and retreated to the hinterlands, because our PNP personnel fought hard and defended their police station despite the NPA strength,” Gonda said.

https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/12/04/23-cops-defend-station-vs-200-npas-in-misamis-or/