From the Manila Bulletin (Jun 29): Ambushed police trainees mostly women
Communist rebels were aiming for a big hit during an ambush in Mt. Province on Friday, targeting a large group of police trainees who later turned out to be mostly women.
Supt. Davy Vicente Limmong, spokesman of the Cordillera regional police, said follow-up investigation revealed that the attacking communist rebels camped in the ambush site during the previous night prior to the attack that left one police trainee dead and nine others wounded.
"Initial investigation at the ambush site showed that the NPA (New People's Army) have been in the area prior to the ambush based on the recovered items such as assorted food, two pieces super kalan and disturbances in the area where they hide which is approximately 50 meters above the road," said Limmong, quoting initial results of the probe.
Other recovered items were materials for improvised explosive devices such as assorted dry and wet cell batteries, suspected emulite (commercial explosive), a meter of detonating cord and a plastic pipe fragment.
Limmong said initial investigation also revealed that the rebels used IEDs before they shot the group of police trainees using a grenade launcher and high-powered rifles.
The attack left PO1 Denver Balabag dead and nine others injured, one of them is an officer.
They were identified as Insp. Mellinium Bantas and PO1s Alexander Dulnuan, Junete Ngalawen, Jasmine Salve, Jefferson Sari, Edison Waguis, Mitchell Malubon, Pawas Daketan, Robin Benito.
"The method used by the NPA shows that they don’t select their target. Even unarmed personnel can be a target," said Limmong.
"Seventy out of the 95 trainees are female who all came from ordinary families and most, if not all, are sole bread winner in their respective family," he added.
Limmong said the first volley of explosions and gunfire sent some of the victims injured. He said almost all of those present were rendered helpless as they were not armed.
Only a handful of police escorts were armed and were the ones who engaged and protected the ambushed cops.
The trainees, it was recalled, were having their morning jog when they were ambushed.
All of them are already policemen undergoing further training for a course required to become members of the elite Regional Public Safety Battalion.
The attackers are reported rebels under Leonardo Pacsi Command.
The Mt. Province attack was one of the series of attacks by the rebels against government troops, the most recent was the attack on a group of the police's Special Action Force in Cagayan that left more than 10 policemen dead.
Communist rebels were aiming for a big hit during an ambush in Mt. Province on Friday, targeting a large group of police trainees who later turned out to be mostly women.
Supt. Davy Vicente Limmong, spokesman of the Cordillera regional police, said follow-up investigation revealed that the attacking communist rebels camped in the ambush site during the previous night prior to the attack that left one police trainee dead and nine others wounded.
"Initial investigation at the ambush site showed that the NPA (New People's Army) have been in the area prior to the ambush based on the recovered items such as assorted food, two pieces super kalan and disturbances in the area where they hide which is approximately 50 meters above the road," said Limmong, quoting initial results of the probe.
Other recovered items were materials for improvised explosive devices such as assorted dry and wet cell batteries, suspected emulite (commercial explosive), a meter of detonating cord and a plastic pipe fragment.
Limmong said initial investigation also revealed that the rebels used IEDs before they shot the group of police trainees using a grenade launcher and high-powered rifles.
The attack left PO1 Denver Balabag dead and nine others injured, one of them is an officer.
They were identified as Insp. Mellinium Bantas and PO1s Alexander Dulnuan, Junete Ngalawen, Jasmine Salve, Jefferson Sari, Edison Waguis, Mitchell Malubon, Pawas Daketan, Robin Benito.
"The method used by the NPA shows that they don’t select their target. Even unarmed personnel can be a target," said Limmong.
"Seventy out of the 95 trainees are female who all came from ordinary families and most, if not all, are sole bread winner in their respective family," he added.
Limmong said the first volley of explosions and gunfire sent some of the victims injured. He said almost all of those present were rendered helpless as they were not armed.
Only a handful of police escorts were armed and were the ones who engaged and protected the ambushed cops.
The trainees, it was recalled, were having their morning jog when they were ambushed.
All of them are already policemen undergoing further training for a course required to become members of the elite Regional Public Safety Battalion.
The attackers are reported rebels under Leonardo Pacsi Command.
The Mt. Province attack was one of the series of attacks by the rebels against government troops, the most recent was the attack on a group of the police's Special Action Force in Cagayan that left more than 10 policemen dead.