4 SAF men killed, 5 hurt in NPA ambush

MANILA, Philippines - Four members of the Special Action Force (SAF), the fighting unit of the Philippine National Police (PNP), were killed while five others were wounded in an ambush staged by communist rebels in Antipolo City, Rizal yesterday morning.

Senior Superintendent Jonathan Miano, Rizal police director, identified the slain SAF members as PO1s Rami Baddungon, Jesus Moral, Johnald Tapitan, and Clifford Bacwadin.

Those wounded were PO1s Lito Babling, Indri Majaluddin, Ronnie Baroga, and Alvin Infanta, and PO2 Joey Mangawi. They were rushed to the PNP General Hospital at Camp Crame.

Miano said the policemen belonged to the 34th Special Action Command of the 3rd SAF Battalion based in Baras, Rizal.

The SAF men were on board their “defender vehicle” on their way to their main headquarters at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City when they got information on the presence of armed men in Barangay San Jose.

Miano said the SAF vehicle was cruising Kaysakat Road in Sitio Kaysakat, Barangay San Jose when their vehicle hit a landmine believed planted by New People’s Army (NPA) rebels at around 6 a.m.

The guerrillas then opened fire. But SAF members who survived the first volley of gunfire shot it out for several minutes until the rebels withdrew.

Miano said joint police and Army units responded to the scene but the NPA attackers had long been gone when they arrived.

Police recovered fragments of a landmine and grenades at the ambush site.

Miano said tracks left by the NPA rebels showed that they had been in the area since Monday night apparently waiting for their targets.

Miano said they were conducting hot pursuit operations against the retreating guerrillas.  – With Arnell Ozaeta and Cecille Suerte Felipe