DAVAO City Police Office (DCPO) said that the suspected New People's Army (NPA) members whom they engaged in a firefight last week and managed to escape are still at large.

DCPO director Police Senior Superintendent Alexander Tagum said their intelligence gathering is still on going to apprehend the communist rebels.

The NPA members were able to escape after a firefight with authorities last November 26 in the abandoned Victorio Beach Resort located at Purok 10, Talomo Cemento, Talomo District, Davao City.

The target of the joint operation was the NPA commander whom they identified as alias Jeffrey, leader of the NPA's Pulang Bagani Command 1 (PBC), operating in the city together with his companions believed to be members of the NPA Special Partisan Unit (Sparu).

The operation was a service of warrant of arrest against Jeffrey who has a standing warrant of arrest for two counts of murder, serious illegal detention, robbery in band, and attempted murder.

Tagum refused to divulge more details in hunting down the NPA members but he assured they will soon apprehend them because they may still be in Davao City.

“They can run and hide but they cannot forever evade the long arm of the law,” Tagum said.