12 Sorsogon lawmen promoted

LEGAZPI CITY — Philippine National Police chief Director General Oscar Calderon promoted the police chief of Matnog, Sorsogon and 11 of his men for defending their headquarters against New People’s Army (NPA) attackers last Saturday morning.

"Ang pulis ay lumalaban at lumalaban para sa bayan (A policeman fights and he fights for his country)," Calderon said.

Promoted a rank higher were Senior Inspector Jesus Callada, Matnog police chief, and his 11 men, four of whom were wounded when they repulsed 80 NPA guerrillas who swooped down on the municipal police station, the Coast Guard detachment at the Matnog port and an Army outpost before dawn Saturday.

The 11 policemen were identified as SPO3 Henry Colico, SPO2 Noli Cerbito, SPO1 Emiliano Ramos, PO1s Dafi Haloc, Edward Gealone, Ernesto Raquel and Roel Villarin, PO2s Rodel Grayda and Menardo Garcera, PO3 Arnel Garduque, and SPO4 Edgardo Masarate of the Traffic Management Group.

Calderon, together with other ranking PNP officials, flew to Matnog yesterday to assess the ongoing pursuit operations against the NPA attackers.

"If you were able to see the port and the police station, you might not believe that our police forces (there) were able to defend the area against the rebels. Our police were obviously outnumbered but never outfought," Calderon said.

Killed in the Matnog attack, the first major NPA offensive since Calderon took over as PNP chief last July 5, were Petty Officer 1 Armando Penollo of the Coast Guard and five rebels.

A Masbate councilor, Winston Joson, of Baleno town, died Saturday afternoon in a Sorsogon hospital due to shrapnel wounds in the head that he sustained during the attack.

Calderon said the NPA apparently targeted Matnog since it links Luzon with the Visayas and Mindanao via the nautical highway. — With Cecille Suerte Felipe