Three policemen, including an officer were killed, while one of their colleagues was wounded in an ambush allegedly perpetrated by communist rebels in Barangay Managa in Bansalan, Davao del Sur yesterday, military reports said.
Maj. Randolph Cabangbang, spokesman of the military’s Eastern Mindanao Command identified the slain lawmen as Senior Inspector Remelex Mabalot, Bansalan police chief and his subordinates PO3 Ruel Salces and PO3 Vernie Louis A Humol.
The wounded officer was identified as SPO4 Efren Suico.
Cabangbang said the lawmen were on their way back to the town police station after responding to an incident in the said village when they were waylaid by a still undetermined number of New People’s Army rebels at around 12:35 p.m.
After the incident, a squad of active civilian auxiliaries on a patrol mission immediately proceeded to the ambush site and is now hot on the trail of the rebels who fled after the incident.
On Jan. 3, NPA guerrillas ambushed a convoy of policemen using landmines and took three lawmen as hostages in Rodriguez town in Rizal province.
Military and police operations are ongoing as of press time to rescue the three.