Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Police General Guillermo Eleazar on Tuesday said he has directed all unit commanders to be on alert and further intensify police operations against communist rebels following a bomb attack in Iloilo that left two cops injured.
“The NPA attack that resulted in the wounding of two of our policemen is certainly a strategy being employed to make it appear that they are still strong and eventually use as a leverage for their extortion activities to candidates for the next year’s election,” Eleazar said in a statement.
“Dahil dito, inatasan ko na ang lahat ng ating mga unit commanders na maging alerto at lalo pang paigtingin ang mga operasyon laban sa mga CPP-NPA-NDF upang hindi sila mabigyan ng pagkakataon na magkamal ng pera na patuloy nilang gagamitin sa recruitment at sa pagsasagawa ng karahasan,” he added.
The PNP identified the injured policemen as Patrolman Jessie Castamado and Police Corporal Genel Simpas.
Initial reports stated that personnel from the Iloilo Police Mobile Force Company were harassed by members of the Southern Front Komite, Komiteng Rehiyon Panay at their base area in Barangay Mayang.
The local police force then conducted a pursuit operation, which resulted in the encounter. But the members of the communist terrorist group detonated two improvised explosive device that resulted in the injury of Castamado and Simpas.
The number of casualties in the enemy side after the seven-minute firefight was undetermined, police said.
The two policemen were taken to the Rep. Pedro Trono Memorial District Hospital for medical treatment and are now in stable condition, it added.
Eleazar vowed to extend assistance to the injured personnel. He also tasked the local police in the area to conduct follow-up operations to catch the perpetrators.
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