2 cops hurt in NPA clash: Gov’t choppers bomb, strafe Sagada villages

By Gina Dizon

SAGADA, Mountain Province – Two policemen were injured in a clash with New People’s Army rebels in this tourist town starting around 8 a.m. Thursday even as government helicopters were bombing and strafing areas near the clash at press time to flush out communist guerillas.

Police sources did not identify the wounded, pending notification of their relatives, although they said thery were from the Regional Public  Safety Batallion  of  the Cordillera Philippine National Police.

The two cops were reportedly airlifted to Baguio City for treatment 2 noon of  August 29 and are now at the Baguio General Hospital.

Clashes reportedly started at Bandung Hill in the northern part of the town.

Mountain Province police director William Viteno  said  Philippine National Police forces from nearby towns of Sagada, Bontoc, Tadian,Bauko and Sabangan were dispatched to the site.

Residents said bombings started 10 a.m., Friday, terrifying folks  of nearby barangays Bangaan, Madongo, Pide, Aguid and Tanulong.

The choppers reportedly scoured the forested Datakan and Buasaw areas in northern part of Sagada in search of the rebels who could have left or are still in the area.

Police said it was not known if there were casualties among the rebels.

Local officials reportedly stopped tourists from going to the Bomod-ok Falls which was near the encounter site.

Since Thursday, residents said helicopters were passing Sagada poblacion towards these areas.

Following the bombings, residents urged authorities to restrain lawmen from bombing areas near civilians in their anti-insurgency activities.

In Baguio City, regional police director Chief Supt. Benjamin Magalong told newsmen the encounter was a police operation as police had been trying to locate rebels who ambushed at least 100 cops and led to the death of some in Tadian, Mountain Province a few months ago.    

This, as Gov. Leonard Mayaen told newsmen the NPAs figured in the encounter to exact revenge for the death of Artus Talastas, former Ifugao NPA commander who was slain in another with government troops.