LINGAYEN, Pangasinan — A policeman was killed and three others were wounded in a firefight with the New People’s Army (NPA) rebels in the mountain boundaries of Pangasinan-Benguet and Nueva Vizcaya.
The victims were all members of the Regional Public Safety Battalion who were conducting combat operations in the tri-provincial boundaries when the firefight happened at 9:00 a.m. today (Friday).
Chief Inspector Norman Florenino, chief of the police-community relations of the Pangasinan Police Provincial Office (PPO), said the firefight happened in the boundary of Barangay Sta. Maria and Malico, San Nicolas.
There was no mention of casualties from the enemy side.
Florentino said the combat operations actually started Thursday but the firefight occurred only today (Friday).
At press time, fighting is still going on.
Florentino earlier confirmed to newsmen there were sightings of NPA rebels in the tri-boundaries of Pangasinan, Benguet and Nueva Vizcaya.
He said the rebels could be from other provinces who may have encroached on some mountainous portions of Pangasinan.
The sightings of rebels could be the reason for the combat operations by elements of the Regional Public Safety Battalion. Leonardo V. Micua/PNA-northboundasia.com