CATBALOGAN CITY- The New People’s Army (NPA) in the region has suffered a major blow as they failed to successfully carry out their attack on a police station in Victoria, Northern Samar.
Thus said Major General Raul Farnacio, commanding general of the 8th Infantry Division, based this city.
What made the failure doubly frustrating to the rebels was it happened while they were to celebrate their 50th founding anniversary, Farnacio said.
The NPA observed their founding anniversary on March 29.
To recall, about 80 NPA rebels attacked the police station in Victoria on March 28 but was frustrated by 15 policemen, led by their chief of police, Lt. Eladio Alo, who engaged them to a two hour gun battle.
This resulted to the death of three rebels and the captured of three others.
At least two policemen were hurt during the predawn attack.
Farnacio said that the NPA rebels further suffered defeat with the surrender of a top rank rebel leader in Leyte.
He said that ‘Ka Bayong’ of the Apoy Platoon, informed them that more rebels are planning to surrender and return to the folds of the law and want to avail the program of the government for those who want to surrender.
“What we can assure the public is that members of the Philippine Army is always ready and willing to do what is necessary for the triumph of the government,” Farnacio said.
The region’s top Army official also said that their forces are further augmented with the return of their forces earlier assigned in Mindanao and Negros and the assignment of the elite force of the Philippine National Police, Special Action Force, to the region.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)
