Kin mourn cops killed in deadly NPA ambush in Cagayan

To the eyes of their loved ones, the six policemen who were killed in an ambush by communist rebels in Cagayan province on Tuesday were heroes.

"Maiituturing ko pong isang bayani ang kapatid ko kasi binuwis po niya ang kanyang buhay," Pinky Annang, sister of PO1 Ryan Gaspar Annang, said in Chino Gaston's report on "24 Oras" on Wednesday.

"Lumaban man siya, hindi naman sa kalokohan namatay. Proud din ako," Leon Soriano, father of PO1 Julius Soriano, said.

Meanwhile, SPO1 Solito Aspiros, father of another fatality PO1 Jaypee Aspiros, said his son was about to be a father as his widow is four months pregnant.

The six fatalities were part of a convoy that was ambushed by New People's Army (NPA) rebels in  Barangay Sta. Margarita in Baggao town on Tuesday morning. Apart from them, 16 other policemen were injured while two rebels were killed.

The policemen, all members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Regional Public Safety Batallion 2, were supposed to check on the construction equipment reportedly burned by the rebels.

The rebels reportedly used an M203 grenade launcher in the ambush. The ensuing clash lasted for five hours, with the military sending choppers as reinforcement.

"To tell you honestly, medyo na-late iyong information na nakarating sa akin. Medyo mabilis ang mga pangyayari. But I am happy to note that the adjustment of the protocol worked na gumagalaw na sa baba," said Lt. Gen. Glorioso Miranda of the Armed Forces' Northern Luzon Command.

The authorities later was able to retrieve an M4 rifle, bullets, and gun magazines that the rebels allegedly took from the PNP Special Action Force (SAF) from the clash site.

Interior Secretary Mel Senen Sarmiento went to Cagayan to send his sympathies to the families of the slain policemen and to check on the injured officers. He also lauded the bravery of the cops and promised scholarships to the children of those killed. 

"Initially nasa disadvantaged position sila pero nagawa nilang makapag-maneuver to their advantage. Hindi sila na-overrun, nakakuha pa ng gamit, naka-neutralize pa sa kabila," Sarmiento said. —Trisha Macas/KBK, GMA News