4 members of elite PNP unit die in Rizal ambush

Four members of an elite unit of the Philippine National Police were killed Tuesday in Rizal province, in what authorities later described as posturing by suspected communist rebels in time for the May elections. Col. Aurelio Baladad, commander of the Army's 202nd Infantry Brigade, said members of the PNP Special Action Force were traveling in a remote area in Antipolo City when the armed men attacked, triggering a firefight at about 6 a.m. Aside from the four fatalities, five other policemen were wounded while two others were reportedly missing as of this posting. The four fatalities were identified as PO1s Rami Baddungon, Jesus moral, Johnald Tapitan and Clifford Bacwaden. The wounded officers were PO1s Lito Babling, Indri Majaluddin, Ronnie Baroga, Alvin Infanta, and PO2 Joey Mangawit. The wounded policemen were transferred to the Camp Crame General Hospital in Quezon City for further treatment, a separate radio dzMM report said.

Senior Superintendent Ferdinand Yano, Rizal provincial police director, was quoted by a GMA Flash Report as saying that two civilians were also hurt in the ambush. Prior to the firefight, a land mine and a grenade went off in the area. Authorities said the attackers numbered between 20 and 30. The policemen are members of the 34th Special Action Company based in San Jose village in Baras, Rizal. They were on their way to Bicutan, Taguig City for a regular physical examination when the vehicular ambush happened. Baladad said it was likely that the attack was connected to the upcoming elections next month. "They want to show that they are a force to reckon with during the elections," he said. Authorities had long condemned the use of land mines as it not only violates provisions under the Geneva Convention of 1949, but it also poses threats to non-combatants or civilians in the area. The use of landmines and booby traps are prohibited under Protocol II of the the United Nations Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, which appears as an annex of the Geneva Convention. — with Mark Merueñas/RSJ/LBG, GMANews.TV