NPAs raid Samar jail, seize firearms

MANILA, Philippines - Suspected members of the New People’s Army (NPA) raided a provincial jail in Oras town in Eastern Samar yesterday morning.

Senior Superintendent Emmanuel Cubillo, Eastern Samar provincial police director said about 30 fully armed rebels carried out the raid at around 8:30 a.m. when only three jail guards were securing the jail facility.

 The NPA rebels took a caliber .45 pistol, a caliber .38 revolver, a shotgun, a Garand rifle, a laptop and the personal belongings of the jail guards.

Cubillo said the jail guards failed to put up a fight. He said some of the rebels also raided the home of Oras town policeman PO2 Vicente Pajanustan, just 50 meters from the jail, and took his M16 rifle.

Chief Inspector Apolonio Borata, Oras police chief, said the raid lasted about 10 to 20 minutes.

The raid occurred while government forces nationwide were on a high security alert in preparation for the observance of All Saints’ Day.

Cubillo said members of the Philippine National Police’s Provincial Public Safety Company and Philippine Army, who have an outpost near the jail, have been deployed to pursue the NPA rebels.