NPA unit owns up Iloilo police station attack, PNP condemns 'raid'

BY BOY RYAN B. ZABAL

The Coronacion Chiva “Waling Waling” command of New People’s Army (NPA) has claimed responsibility to the raid of Maasin police station in Iloilo province on June 18.

                                                  PHOTO PANAY NEWS

According to Ka Julio Montana, the NPA command group barged into the Maasin police station at around 10:30 a.m. on Sunday and carted away firearms including 11 M16 armalite rifles, four pistols, ammunitions and a VHF radio. 

“Ang istasyon ng Maasin PNP ay dinis-armahan ng NPA dahil matagal nang nangingikil ang mga tauhan nito sa mga maliliit na vendors sa sentro ng bayan, samantalang nagpapabaya lamang sa paglaganap ng ilegal na droga at sugal,” he said in an official statement.

The raid, without any shots fired, came after the Philippine Army (PA) sent its 525 personnel belonging to 82nd Infantry Battalion based in Miag-ao, Iloilo to Marawi City on June 17 to augment government troops in fighting the Maute group.

No police officers and civilians were injured during the raid which lasted for 20 minutes. The communist rebels were also heard shouting "Mabuhay ang NPA!" outside the police station. 

Chief Superintendent Cesar Hawthorne Binag, police regional director, said at least 60 armed men, on board an elf truck,  disarmed and handcuffed the police officers inside the station before fleeing towards Alimodian town. 

Later, authorities recovered the Toyota Hi-lux police patrol vehicle of Maasin municipal police station at Barangay Cagay in Alimodian and the elf truck in Barangay Pajo, also in Alimodian. 

Aside from firearms and equipments, two laptops, five hand-held radios, jewelries and P25,000 cash money were taken by the armed group.

Binag, in a statement, had condemned the "acts of robbery and carnapping of NPAs with the use of force and intimidation."

Hours after the raid,  government troops from the 301st Bayanihan Brigade based in Dingle in Iloilo, 61st Infantry Battalion backed-up by armored personnel carriers and the Special Action Force of the Police Regional Office 6 conducted hot pursuit operations against the communist rebels who were responsible for the Sunday attack of Maasin police station.  

‘ALL-OUT WAR’

The NPA spokesperson further said, “ito ay sagot din ng NPA-Panay sa kontra-mamamayang Oplan Kapayapaan at kampanyang todo-gyera na pinapatupad ng AFP at PNP laban sa rebolusyonaryong kilusan sa buong bansa.”

“Ang mabangis na kampanyang ito ay lalong nagpalubha sa mga paglabag ng AFP-PNP-paramilitar sa karapatang tao gaya ng pambobomba sa mga komunidad, sapilitang pagpapalikas, pagpatay at ilegal na pag-aresto sa mga pinaghihinalaang rebolusyonaryo, pananakot, sapilitang pag-ookupa ng kabahayan ng sibilyan at pampublikong gusali sa mga barangay, at iba pang pang-aabuso,” Montana added.

Maasin police station is listed among the police stations in Iloilo province targeted for attacks by the NPA, the police regional office said.  

RED ALERT
Meanwhile, Iloilo City mayor Jed Patrick Mangilog also placed the entire city under red alert status.

In a statement, Mabilog directed all barangay captains, barangay officials and tanods to strictly monitor their barangays and report any suspicious movements that might compromise the peace and order in the city.