CAMP DANGWA, Benguet — A policeman was killed while nine other cops were wounded during an encounteer with members of the New People Army (NPA) in Sagada, Mountain Province before noon on Tuesday, according to the Police Regional Office-Cordillera (PROCOR).
PROCOR Director Chief Supt. Rolando Nana identified the fatality as Police Officer (PO2) 2 Henry Dion.
The wounded were identified as Supt. Joseph Cayat, PO3 Wilfred Manacnis, PO2 Regie Palome, and PO1s Aldrin Bocalan, Clarence Abuan, Antolin Potpoten, Xander Depnag, Jake Paat, and Yasser Guzman. They were brought to the medical facility for treatment.
Nana said that personnel from the Regional Mobile Force Battalion 15 and Mountain Province Provincial Mobile Force Company were conducting peacekeeping operations when they chanced upon undetermined number of terrorist rebels at Mt. Sipitan, Barangay Aguid in Sagada town.
The area is considered by the local resident as “Peace Zone”.
The police were conducting operations to prevent the reported extortion and other criminal activities by members of the armed group when the incident happened.
Nana directed all police commanders to coordinate with the heads of government hospitals and private clinics within the immediate and nearby areas of Sagada and Bontoc and check on any person with gunshot wound and to block all possible exit points within their area of responsibility.
PROCOR strongly condemned the criminal acts of the terrorists against the police officers who were conducting routine peacekeeping efforts in Sagada. (Primo Agatep/PNA)
