6 cops hurt in Camarines Sur ambush

MANILA, Philippines — Six police officers were wounded in an ambush by suspected New People’s Army (NPA) guerrillas in Libmanan, Camarines Sur on Saturday afternoon.

The officers were in a patrol car on their way to the town proper when the guerrillas waylaid them in Barangay Mambulo Nuevo at around 4:30 p.m.

The team, composed of personnel of the 1st Camarines Sur Provincial Police Mobile Force Company, came from a medical mission in nearby Barangay Bagamelon.

An improvised explosive device was detonated by the NPAs as the officers were traveling in Sitio Patag.

The lawmen managed to fire back, prompting the guerrillas to flee.

The wounded – Police Officer 3 Roland Hermogeno and PO1s Daisy Bhel Genova, Eliseo Jomar Palaroan, Mikhail Jose Concina, Roy Carbonell and Vladimir Guadalupe – were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. 

Meanwhile, Armed Forces of the Philippines chief Brig. Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr. yesterday visited the 23 soldiers who were wounded in an encounter with Abu Sayyaf bandits in Sulu three days ago.

Galvez personally assessed the condition of the troopers confined in military hospitals in  Jolo and Zamboanga City.

Five soldiers were killed in the encounter that occurred in Patikul on Friday. – With Roel Pareño