The three fatalities were identified as clerk Melitor Fortin, SPO3 Edgar Cataque and Army Cpl. Joselito Otero. Wounded was PO3 Edgar Terre.
Police said the four were on their way to Barangay Bagumbayan to investigate a holdup there when they were waylaid in Barangay Cabiawan, which was two villages away.
Fortin volunteered to drive the jeep for Cataque and Terre after the holdup victims, a certain Marjorie Magbanua and Jomar Operio, refused to return to the scene because of fear. A third policeman, PO2 Kenneth Carbo, joined them on board his motorcycle.
Along the way, they passed by the detachment of the 302nd Reconnaissance Company in the town proper and Otero joined them. Learning about this, Sgt. Ronilo Zonio took off and followed them aboard a motorcycle.
Cerbo said he was 500 meters ahead of the jeep when he heard gunshots and a loud explosion. He contacted Terre via handheld radio but the latter did not respond.
Cerbo said he instead proceeded to Bagumbayan and investigated the holdup. After 15 minutes, he drove back and found Fortin’s group bloodied at the ambush site.
Zonio, for his part, said he was trailing the group by about 150 meters when he heard the gunshots. Reaching the site, he said he saw about 15 to 20 rebels firing at the victims’ jeep from different directions.
Zonio said he shot it out with the rebels until his four magazines got depleted. By then, the guerrillas had fled. — Leo Solinap