ILOILO City – Fifteen New People’s Army (NPA) rebels disarmed a policeman in Barangay Bancal, Alimodian, Iloilo on Saturday.
They took Police Corporal John John Anaya’s government-issued M16 armalite rifle (serial number 162499) and 9mm Taurus pistol, bullets, two handheld radios, and a mobile phone.
Anaya, 37, was conducting “visibility patrol” with barangay kagawad Lemuel Almendral, barangay tanods Willy Brancia and Javier Cadao and tricycle driver Ernesto Cajilo when they were stopped by the rebels around 4:50 p.m.
After disarming Anaya, a member of the Alimodian police station, the rebels moved the cop and his companions to a nearby police outpost.
Before leaving Anaya and company unharmed, there rebels tied them up, said Police Colonel Marlon Tayaba, director of the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO).
There were three other policemen assigned at the outpost but on Saturday, two were on leave and the other one went out to pee at the time the rebels brought Anaya and companions there.
Tayaba ordered an investigation.
“If our police officer was really alert, hindi s’ya madidisarmahan,” said Tayaba.
The Philippine Army condemned the rebels.
“They were getting desperate. We were able to seize many high-powered guns from them in a series of recent encounters,” said Lieutenant Colonel Joel Benedict Batara, commander of the 61st Infantry Battalion./PN
