Two cops killed, four hurt in Catanduanes town NPA attack

Wounded policemen were Senior Inspector Ernesto Montes Jr., Viga town police chief, Senior Police Officer 1 Marwin de Vera and two still unidentified drug surenderers, the report said. (PNA PHOTO)

LEGAZPI CITY, Aug. 10— Two policemen were killed while four others were wounded including a chief of police in two separate attacks staged by suspected New People’s Army (NPA) on Thursday in Barangay (village) Sagrada, Viga town in Catanduanes, report reaching the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Bicol said today.

Killed were Police Officer 1 Eva Torcilino and Police Officer 3 Joseph Tupue assigned at the Viga police station, said Senior Inspector Maria Luisa Calubaquib, PNP Bicol spokesperson.

Wounded policemen were Senior Inspector Ernesto Montes Jr., Viga town police chief, Senior Police Officer 1 Marwin de Vera and two still unidentified drug surenderers, the report said.

The first NPA attack occurred at about 11:20 a.m. Thursday. Two police patrol vans carrying 10 drug surenderers with four police escorts were negotiating a road at Sitio Pinarayan bound for Virac town when the police convoy was hit by an improvised explosive devise planted by NPA rebels. The explosion was followed by a volley of gunfire by at least 20 NPA rebels, Calubaquib said.

The blast wounded a policeman and two drug surrenderers.

The second attack happened at 1:40 p.m. also today when responding policemen led by Montes went to the scene of explosion where the same group of NPA rebels were waiting and opened fire at the police convoy.

A fierce firefight ensued that led to the death of two policemen and the wounding of the town police chief. The suspected NPA rebels fled toward neighboring villages.

Montes who sustained a bullet wound at his back was rushed to the Viga District Hospital for treatment while the three wounded by the IED blast were brought to the Immaculate Hospital in Virac town.