The New People’s Army Mt. Cansermon Command issued a statement Feb.14 claiming responsibility for the ambush of policemen in Brgy. Biao, Binalbagan, Negros Occidental, the day before.
The roadside bombing resulted in slight injuries to three policemen, from the initial two reported earlier, who are all assigned at the Binalbagan Police Station and were responding to a shooting incident in Sitio Nursery in the barangay, when they were ambushed.
Ka Dionesio Magbuelas, spokesman of the Mt. Cansermon Command, said “this action points to the heightened capacity of MCC to covertly gather armed units and launch surprise offensive action in exterior lines or near barangay and town centers”.
Brig. Gen. Inocencio Pasaporte, 303rd Infantry Brigade commander, has condemned the NPA for its continued use of landmines, which is contrary to protocols under the Geneva Convention, of which the Philippine government is a signatory.
P/Brig. Gen. Flynn Dongbo, regional police director of Western Visayas, also strongly denounced what he called the deceitful and cowardly act of the local communist terrorist group.
“They have the intention to kill our personnel, who are lawfully performing their mandated duties. And they disturbed the tranquility of the place and the whole community of Brgy. Biao by unleashing their evil and unlawful intentions,” Dongbo added.
Magbuelas said the ambush was in relation to what he called a “resounding cry” of the people for justice for all victims of state-sanctioned murders against unarmed civilians and activists, and hors de combat (out of action due to injury) NPA fighters and defenseless cadres, including Kerima Lorena Tariman, Marilyn Badayos, and Floreta Seballos, among other revolutionaries.
Tariman and Badayos were tagged by the military as top leaders of the dismantled Northern Negros Front, while Seballos was secretary of the NPA guerilla front in central Negros. — GB
