21 suspects in Panabo attack identified

POLICE have identified 21 communist rebels who attacked the Panabo City police station on March 19, killed one policeman, and wounded four others, including a civilian.

Senior Superintendent Jose Jorge E. Corpuz, officer-in-charge of Police Regional Office (PRO)-Davao, said the suspects were identified through their community tax certificate, photos, identification cards, and t-shirts, including a medical kit.

Corpuz, however, did not divulge the suspects' names so as not to preempt police operations.

He said Eliseo Mariano, who was arrested on March 22 after he was left by his comrades in a barangay where their get-away vehicle fell off a canal, admitted how their group planned the attack.

Corpuz said some banana plantation workers in the area complained of being harassed to cook food for the communist rebels.

"We only come to realize, they are not the army of the new people, but are playing simply criminals. They are there to burn the station, kill the policemen, after that burn the city hall. What? Did they get sympathy from the people?" he said.

At the police station on Saturday night were 11 policemen, three of them are women. Corpuz proudly said everybody repulsed the attack.

Much as the policemen wanted to confront the New People's Army (NPA), Corpuz said they honor the peace process.

"Kung ano yung na pag-usapan doon, we comply on the letter they gave us. So ano ang punto? We recommend a ceasefire to achieve peace. Pero ano? It seems they don't want to," Corpuz said.

"Our job is not yet over. We are now working on the ground, as we were able to confirm their group. Pera lang man habol nila led by their tatay, who's that tatay? Paragu," he added.

Corpuz assured the public that the police will continue to hunt down the perpetrators and file appropriate charges against them.