Three policemen dead in a clash with armed rebels Friday morning in Barangay San Nicolas, Magsaysay town in Occidental Mindoro, according to a report from the Police Regional Office (PRO) in MIMAROPA.
A report shared to the media on May 28 by P/Lt. Col. Imelda Tolentino of the Regional Community Affairs and Development Division (RCADD) of PRO MIMAROPA identified the policemen killed in the encounter as P/EMS Jonathan B. Alvares, P/Cpl. Estan T. Gongora, and P/SSg. Nolito Develos Jr.
Tolentino said Alvares and Gongora died on the day of the encounter. Develos, on the other hand, expired at 2:30 a.m. Saturday, May 29, while confined and being treated for serious gunshot wounds.
Wounded in action were identified as P/SSg. Dexter King S. Sagun, P/SSg. Michael L. Enero, P/SSg. Michael D. Sualog, P/SSg. Edwin E. Vergara, P/Cpl. Kim Jason R. Dimalaluan, and P/Pat. Sonny G. Soriano.
“Walang may gusto ng nangyaring ito — nakakalungkot sa aming hanay, lalo na sa pamilya noong mga namatay. Tao namin yon. Tao namin ang namatay,” she said to Palawan News in a phone call.
The regional police report said those wounded and killed in action were personnel of the 1st Occidental Mindoro Police Mobile Force Company (OMPMFC) who provided security for three days starting on May 25 to the Ending Local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC) Serbisyo Caravan in Sitio Qui-nay, Brgy. Naibuan in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro.
Initial investigation, claimed that while on their way to return to their camp, their security convoy was ambushed by an undetermined number of armed rebels belonging to the Kilusang Larangang Gerilya Mark Anthony Velasco (KLG MAV) of the New People’s Army (NPA).
Continuous operations are being conducted by the personnel of 4IB, 203BDE, 2ID, PA, 1002nd and 1003rd SAC. Oplan Tambuli was also activated for all line units under the PPO, and the EOD of Occidental Mindoro was dispatched to conduct paneling and disposal of recovered IEDs.
“Mula pa noong kahapon (May 28) after nang incident, continuous naman po yon,” said Tolentino.
