NPA kills Negros city police chief, 6 others

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines (UPDATED) – Alleged communist rebels killed a city police chief, 5 cops and one civilian in an ambush Friday morning, July 21, in Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental, the military said.

A councilor and 3 other policemen were wounded, Colonel Eliezer Losañes, commander of the Army’s 303rd Infantry Brigade, told Aksyon Radyo Bacolod.

The policemen were on their way to Sitio Magtiid, Barangay Magsaysay, to rescue councilor Edison Delarita, who was ambushed earlier by the rebels but survived, according to Losañes.

The guerrillas attacked the responding police team, which was led by Guihulngan City police chief Superintendent Arnel Arpon.

Losañes said Arpon was among those killed. Also killed were Senior Police Officer 3 Necasio Tabilon, SP01 Jesael Ancheta, P02 alvin Bulandres, P02 Alfredo Dunque, P03 Teodic Agusto, and the driver of Delarita.

The wounded policemen were SPO4 Jerome Delara, PO2 Jordan Balderas, and PO2 Jury Maribao.

Losañes said the councilor had earlier told the Army that he was on the NPA’s hit list.

The ambush came two days after New People’s Army guerrillas clashed with the security team of President Rodrigo Duterte who were traveling in a rebel bailiwick in Arakan, North Cotabato.

The clash angered Duterte, prompting him to declare Friday he was canceling the peace process with the communist-led National Democratic Front.

(UPDATED) A councilor and 3 cops are also wounded in the Friday attack

Source: Rappler