2 slain in Masbate blast

MANILA, Philippines — A former football player of the Far Eastern University (FEU) and his cousin were killed when an improvised explosive device (IED) allegedly planted by the New People’s Army (NPA) went off in Masbate City, Masbate yesterday morning.

Kieth Absalon, 21, former member of the FEU Men‘s Football Team, and his cousin Nolven Absalon, 40, were on bicycles along with their relatives when the IED exploded at around 6:35 a.m. in Purok 4, Barangay Anas.

Nolven‘s son Chrisbin Daniel, 16, was rushed to the Masbate Provincial Hospital for treatment of injuries, according to the Bicol police.

The Bicol police said the attack was perpetrated by the NPA.

The Communist Party of the Philippines has yet to confirm whether the NPA, its armed wing, was responsible for the attack.

“The whole police force of Bicol condemns the merciless detonation that killed helpless civilians. This incident is clear proof of the selfish philosophy of the NPA – violence that minds no person, place or age,” the Bicol police said.

The FEU community mourned the death of Absalon.

“The FEU Tamaraw Community is deeply saddened by the passing away of Kieth Absalon of the FEU Men’s Football Team. Kieth started his football journey with FEU as a 13-year-old seventh-grader in 2013 and became one of the best high school players in UAAP football history,” FEU said in a statement.

Ambush

More than three hours after the Masbate explosion, three persons were wounded when armed men believed to be NPA guerrillas ambushed a police special weapons and tactics (SWAT) team in Legazpi, Albay.

Visitacion Mariscotes, 38; her daughter Clara Fay, 11, and lawyer Myrna Patterson were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Mariscotes and her daughter were hit by pieces of broken glass when a stray bullet struck their tricycle, driven by her husband Romeo, 38.

Patterson was driving her car when she was hit by a sharp object in the arm.

The victims’ vehicles were tailing the SWAT‘s car when the ambush occurred in Sitio Tico-Tico, Barangay Homapon, according to village chief Beejay Ariola.

The SWAT team returned fire, prompting the armed men to retreat toward the jungle.

Authorities expressed belief the armed men were the same people who attacked and torched a cell site located more than a kilometer away from the scene of the ambush.

The SWAT team escorted a fire truck to the cell site and was returning to the barracks when the NPA fired at them.

Meanwhile, in Quezon province, a militiaman was killed and two Army troopers were wounded in another ambush by NPA guerrillas in the town of Buenavista on Saturday.

The troopers were on their way back to the barracks from a joint gift-giving activity of the police and military when seven rebels attacked them in Barangay Del Rosario.– Cet Dematera, Ed Amoroso, Michelle Zoleta