Cop, suspected rebel killed in Misamis Oriental clash

A policeman and a suspected communist rebel were killed while two other law enforcers were wounded in an attack by suspected New People's Army rebels on a police station in Medina town in Misamis Oriental province Thursday. Police and military forces are now tracking down the suspected communist rebels who fled after the attack, radio dzBB's Benjie Liwanag Jr. reported early Friday. The dzBB report quoted Police Regional Office 10 head Chief Superintendent Conrado Laza as saying the rebels attacked the Medina town police station late afternoon. In a phone interview with GMA News Online, Laza said policemen manning the police station repulsed the NPA attack after nearly two hours of firefight. "They (NPA) attacked our police station past 4 p.m. and the NPA withdrew around 6 p.m. One of the attackers was killed while we suspected many of them were wounded or either killed as they fled the area on board [the] same vehicles they boarded," Laza said. Laza identified the police fatality as SPO4 Editho Baylon. The identities of the wounded policemen, however, were not immediately available. Police recovered an M16 rifle from the rebels, even as pursuit operations by the police and the Army's 8th Infantry Division are ongoing. Latest assault The latest assault came more than three weeks after a similar attack by communist rebels at a police station in Trento town in Agusan del Sur. Three civilians were killed including a former Citizens Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU) member, while a policeman was wounded in the July 30 attack. Police said the rebels numbered to 200, but the military placed the number of attackers at 40. The hour-long firefight ended when the rebels left their Isuzu trucks and fled on foot, bringing with them several dead and at least two wounded. The wounded rebels were later found seeking medical treatment at the Bislig City district hospital and subsequently arrested. The rebels failed to overrun the police station with the help of 30 police and civilian personnel who stood their ground. The police authorities were led by newly installed police chief Charity Galvez, a teacher-turned-policewoman. President Benigno Aquino III earlier said he would be conferring the Medalya ng Katapangan (Philippine National Police Bravery Medal) to Galvez. — with Ben Serrano and Mark Merueñas/RSJ, GMA News