KIDAPAWAN CITY, July 19 — A militiaman was killed while five members of President Duterte’s security personnel were wounded in an ambush staged by the New peoples’ Army in Arakan, North Cotabato early Wednesday.
A police asset was also abducted by the communist rebels, police said.
Senior Supt. Emmanuel Peralta, North Cotabato police director, said members of the Presidential Security Group (PSG), led by T/Sgt. Ferbello Galleno, and nine others were on board two vehicles heading for Cagayan de Oro City when they noticed a checkpoint manned by men in military uniform.
Sensing something wrong, the two-vehicle convoy stopped but was fired upon by armed men at around 6:16 a.m. The men in fatigue had displayed Task Force Davao road signage and later turned out to be NPA guerillas at a checkpoint in Barangay Katipunan, Arakan.
Peralta said the NPA rebels, numbering about 100, traded shots with the elite presidential guards, triggering an hour gunbattle until government reinforcements from 7th Infantry Battalion and Arakan municipal police office came.
Peralta identified the injured PSG personnel as S/SGT Matumhay, Cpl Ayam Alia, S/SGT Lisondor, CPL Rodel Ledesma and SSGT Gerry Tursal.
The slain Cafgu member was identified as Ben Padia. The rebels fled toward the hinterlands of Barangay Gambudes, Arakan, bringing with them, Rogelio Magno, reportedly an agent of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group of Arakan police.
Pursuit operations are still on going.
The wounded PSG personnel are now safe and were brought to Davao City after receiving first aid from a village clinic. (EOF/PNA)
