PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) chief, General Guillermo Lorenzo T. Eleazar yesterday commended personnel of the Police Regional Office 5 (PRO5) for dealing another major blow to the New People’s Army movement with the killing of five rebels in a gunbattle in Masbate last Sunday.

The top cop said the PRO5 headed by Brigadier Gen. Jonnel C. Estomo’s latest success in the campaign against insurgency in Bicol would be a major factor in their effort to ensure a peaceful and credible national and local elections in May 2022.

“I commend our personnel at PRO-5, headed by PBGen Jonnel C Estomo, for their successful operation last Sunday (October 24) that resulted in the neutralization of five members of the CPP/NPA/NDF in Masbate,” he said in a statement.

According to the PNP chief, members of the PRO5 at around 5:30 a.m. last Sunday were about to serve a warrant of arrest for five counts of murder and attempted murder against the suspects in their hiding place in Barangay Bugtong, Mandaon when they were met with gunfire from the guerrillas.

Gen. Eleazar said the heavily-armed members of the NPA’s Larangay 1 Guerrilla Front led by Eddie Rosero alias ‘Arnold Rosero’ /Ka Star’ exchanged fire with police commandos and were killed in the process.

Recovered from the possession of the slain gunmen were two caliber .45 semi-automatic pistols, three M-16 Armalite rifles, an M-14 automatic rifle, several loaded magazines and improvised explosive devices.

“This operation is also part of our elections security preparations in order to deny all armed groups which include the CPP/NPA/NDF from undermining our democratic process for the 2022 local and national elections especially in Masbate which has a long history of election violence and the presence of the enemy in the province,” Gen. Eleazar pointed out.

“Bukod sa Masbate, mahigpit na tinututukan na din ang mga ibang lugar sa ating bansa upang matiyak na payapa, maayos at tapat ang resulta ng eleksyon sa susunod na taon,” he added.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Alfred P. Dalizon