Cop chief killed, 2 others wounded in Surigao attack

SURIGAO DEL SUR – A police and military convoy came under fire Saturday afternoon in the hinterland village of Lianga town, leaving a town police chief dead and three others wounded.

Suspected members of the New People’s Army (NPA) attacked the convoy around 1 p.m. in Sitio Danao, Buhisan village in Lianga.

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Caraga police director Lino Calingasan identified the fatality as Insp. Christopher Mazo, the newly assumed police chief of Lianga.

Calingasan said Mazo was leading a police team and two Army teams from the 75th Infantry Battalion onboard two trucks on their way to Lianga police station when fired upon by an undetermined number of NPA rebels.

Mazo was hit in the head and was pronounced dead on arrival at a hospital.

Two personnel of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources who were onboard the two vehicles were also wounded. They were identified as Joel Caluya of Talacogon town and Flaviano Bahian of Bayugan City, both of Agusan del Sur province.

The government troops were tapped to secure the 30 DENR personnel who were conducting inventory, verification and scaling of the seized forest products in the area when they were attacked.

Reports said the attackers, who are believed to be members of the communist Front Committee 19-A of the Communist Party of the Philippines Northeastern Mindanao Regional Command, are working for illegal loggers in the province.

Calingasan said he received reports the enemies also suffered an undetermined number of casualties, as evidenced by bloodstains at the attack site.

However, Calingasan said they are still verifying the report.

“We are investigating the incident, the motive and identity of the armed men,” he said.

The remains of Mazo will be brought to the Caraga Police Regional Office in Butuan City after the local government officials of Lianga give him funeral honors for his bravery.

As this developed, soldiers and police forces are conducting a manhunt for the fleeing armed men.

Environment Secretary Ramon J.P. Paje said the field personnel in Caraga region have been advised to secure themselves while enforcing the forestry laws.

Currently, the DENR in the region is conducting all-out forest protection drives in “hot spot” areas to preserve the remaining Caraga forest cover. (PNA/Sunnex)