LOOK: Suspected NPA

rebels raid Northern Samar

town police station
Two cops of the Lapinig Municipal Police Station are hurt in the pre-dawn 'looting and
shooting rampage'

Jazmin Bonifacio and Rambo Talabong

Published 1:05 PM, August 10, 2018
Updated 1:16 PM, August 10, 2018

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RANSACKED. The Lapinig Municipal Police Station is looted by suspected members of the New People's
Army rebels on August 10,2018. All photos from Northern Samar PNP

NORTHERN SAMAR, Philippines – Suspected communist rebels raided a police station

in Lapinig town in this province early Friday morning, August 10, leaving two cops
injured.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) described the pre-dawn attack on the Lapinig
Municipal Police Station as a "looting and shooting rampage."

Based on a sketchy report from local cops, about 100 alleged communist rebels with
high-powered firearms attacked the station at around 1:44 am on Friday. There were
only 6 cops on duty at the time.

Army Captain Francis Agno, 8th Infantry Division spokesperson, told Rappler that the
exchange between the police and suspected rebels lasted for 15 minutes. Police Officer
2 Jerry Quilicol and Police Officer 1 Edizon Aguirre were hurt in the encounter.

Agno said the suspected rebels fled under cover of darkness, carting away 10 high
powered firearms, 3 handguns, an undertermined number of ammunition and
magazines, a desktop, a laptop and the mobile phone of Lapinig police.

As of this writing, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but recent similar
incidents were carried out by the NPA, which has a stronghold in this province.

"Tinitingnan namin ngayon na baka may connection ang pag-atake sa naunang

pagkadakip nang isang top NPA commander, Tayang (We are now looking into the
possible connection of the attack with the earlier arrest of a top NPA coomander,
Tayang," Agno said.

He was referring to Marieta Bartolo, secretary of an NPA unit operating in Northern

Samar, who was arrested in a joint police and military operation with 4 other rebels last
month. Agno said the military and the police had anticipated a possible NPA rescue
operation for their detained members.