2 cops dead in Samar NPA attack

CATBALOGAN, Samar — Communist rebels raided at dawn yesterday the police station in Motiong town, some 20 kilometers east of this capital town, killing two policemen and wounding another and carting away at least 15 high-powered firearms, authorities said.

Inspector Isidro Acaylar, Motiong police chief, said some 70 New People’s Army (NPA) guerrillas, led by one Commander Buktot, swooped down on their outpost, located at the ground floor of the old town hall, at about 5:10 a.m., triggering an hour-long gunbattle.

Acaylar identified his slain men as SPO3 Jaime Roldan and PO3 Domingo Matados and the wounded as SPO3 Casimiro Pegtuan. They were among eight policemen manning the outpost during the NPA raid.

Lt. Col. Jose Mabanta, Army spokesman, said Motiong is a small, secluded town and "the rebels took advantage of the seclusion."

"I think this is the most high-profile raid conducted by the NPA this year in the sense that so many firearms were lost," he said.

The NPA attack came a day after exiled communist leader Jose Ma. Sison accused the Arroyo administration of working to permanently scuttle the suspended peace negotiations by linking the NPA to kidnappings for ransom.

Last Monday, the military disclosed that at least 32 rebels have been executed by their comrades on suspicion that they were "deep penetration agents."

Talks with the National Democratic Front remain stalled since the government suspended negotiations following the assassination of Cagayan Rep. Rodolfo Aguinaldo last year.

Brig. Gen. Edilberto Adan, Armed Forces’ spokesman, bared yesterday figures of rising cases of NPA-related incidents since 1997. He did not say whether the incidents were rebel-initiated or not.

Adan said there was an average of 38 NPA-related incidents in 1997; 44 in 1998; 53 in 1999; 63 in 2000; and 67 last year.

In January this year, he said 27 NPA-related incidents were recorded.

In 1999, a total of 630 NPA-related incidents were recorded; in 2000, 751; and in 2001, 802, Adan said.

"This (increase in NPA-related incidents) is because of the standing order of (Sison) for intensified operations," he said. — Paolo Romero, Ricky Bautista, Miriam Garcia Desacada and Christina Mendez