Pangasinan attack: 5 Victory Liner buses torched; 6 policemen, civilian wounded

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan – At least 10 armed men torched five buses parked at the terminal of Victory Liner here Wednesday night and shot and wounded six patrolling policemen, while a civilian suffered third-degree burns. 

Superintendent Harris Fama, Lingayen police chief, told The STAR that the wounded police officers – PO3s Daniel Sison and Alex de Guzman, PO2 Reynaldo Domalanta, and PO1s Herman Camba, Armeno Abarabar and Ramon Valencerina – were on patrol aboard a Toyota pick-up when they were shot as they stopped near the bus terminal on Avenida street.

Fama said the policemen, though hit, were able to shoot back, wounding some of their attackers who fled on board two vans.

Scene of the crime operatives found caliber .45 shells at the scene. The policemen were armed with caliber 9-mm pistols.

In critical condition was civilian Villaflor Moyano who was inside one of the buses when they were torched at around 11:40 p.m. Wednesday.

“We are looking at all angles,” said Senior Superintendent Percival Barba, provincial police director.

He noted though that another Victory Liner bus was torched in the company’s terminal in Cubao, Quezon City recently as well as a unit of its sister company, Five Star, in San Fabian town several months ago.

Based on reports, the attackers approached a security guard, politely asking permission if they could make an inquiry, but instead disarmed him.

There were no passengers at the terminal, as the first trip was at 1 a.m. yet.

The torched buses were estimated to be worth P20 million.

Gov. Amado Espino condemned the incident, saying it was an “unconscionable and arrogant display of terrorism, destabilizing the normal flow of economic activities.”

Espino commended the wounded policemen and vowed to extend assistance to them.

Barba and Chief Superintendent Luizo Ticman, Region 1 police director, visited them at the hospital yesterday and awarded them the Medalya ng Sugatang Magiting.

In a text message, a lawyer of Victory Liner said the company would wait for the police to finish their investigation. – With Cesar Ramirez and Cecille Suerte Felipe