By Jennifer P. Rendon
The Antique Police Provincial Office (ANPPO) insists that the armed clash between its officers and suspected New People’s Army (NPA) was not a case of ambush.
Instead, “it’s a chance encounter. Nagkagulatan sila. Nagkabulagaan,” Colonel Alexander Mariano, Antique police chief, said.
An ambush is defined as a surprise attack by people lying in wait in a concealed position.
Mariano said that composite teams from the 1st Antique Provincial Mobile Force Company (APMFC) and San Remigio Municipal Police Station went to Sitio Gahit, Barangay Aningalan, San Remegio to respond to an intelligence report about the presence of suspected NPA members.
The rebels were allegedly vandalizing the Green House, a government-owned vegetable plantation situated at Aningalan village.
The police report stated that “upon arrival of the responding team, they saw the communist terrorist group (CTG) led by Harold Mariano alias Ka Rod composed of more or less 16 persons with long firearms.”
“The said group initiated the firefight against the PNP personnel. Then and there, an armed confrontation ensued between the PNP.”
Had it been a case of an ambush, Mariano said rebels could have used an improvised explosive device (IED).
“But there was no IED used. Instead, they engaged each other in a 10-minute firefight,” he said.
Two officers under the 1st APMFC were wounded during the encounter.
Corporal Jomer Yamuyam suffered a graze wound on the left side of his head while Patrolman Danmer dela Cruz suffered injuries on his right shoulder and his right clavicle was fractured.
Dela Cruz is being treated in a hospital in Iloilo City and is scheduled to undergo surgery.
Meanwhile, Mariano is not discounting the possibility that NPAs could have suffered casualties.
“There are blood stains on the area where they were seen,” he said.
Authorities are checking hospitals and clinics for the possibility of an injured rebel brought for treatment.
“So far, negative. Although we believe that they would prefer to bring their wounded comrades to their safe haven in the mountains,” he said.
As this developed, Mariano said they’re still investigating other details surrounding the clash.
