BUTUAN CITY, Philippines – Some 60 communist rebels overran the police station in Alegria, Surigao del Norte yesterday afternoon, seizing four policemen as they withdrew from the site.
The rebels arrived on a cargo truck and engaged the policemen in a 30-minute firefight until they managed to take over the station. The gun battle left two guerrillas dead and two police officers and a civilian applying for a police clearance wounded.
Taken by the insurgents as hostages were PO3 Vic Concon and PO1s Rey Morales, Joen Zabala and Edito Roquiño.
The rebels carted away four M-16 Armalite rifles, one M-14 rifle, and a shotgun. – Ben Serrano, Jaime Laude