PNP: 2 of 7 missing cops in Quezon accounted for

Two out of at least seven police personnel ambushed by communist New People’s Army (NPA) members in Quezon province Sunday have been accounted for, the Philippine National Police said Monday. In a radio interview PNP chief Director General Raul Bacalzo also said that while they consider the ambush an election-related incident, the polls in the town will still push through. "Kanina nakuha ang dalawang pulis, lima pa ang nawawala (We managed to recover two of the ambushed policemen. Five are still missing)," Bacalzo said in an interview on dzBB radio. He identified the "recovered" policemen as PO1 Arvin Sayson and PO1 Christopher Icaro. He said the two were separated from the main group during the ambush. But he said they still could not determine whether San Andres town police head Chief Inspector Glenn Miralles, one of those ambushed, was captured, wounded, or killed in Sunday’s ambush. (See: Town police chief in Quezon feared captured by NPA) For now, Bacalzo said reinforcements led by Quezon provincial police chief Senior Superintendent Erickson Velasquez are searching for the missing policemen. He also said they consider Sunday’s ambush an election-related incident since the policemen were about to perform an election-related duty when they were waylaid. Bacalzo said the policemen were going to Talisay village to secure the polling centers there but were ambushed by "40 to 50" NPAs. A resulting running gunbattle wounded two policemen. "Ang ating kapulisan papunta sa election duty, masasabi nating election-related (violence) perpetrated by the NPA (The policemen were on their way to perform an election duty when they were ambushed so this is an election-related violent incident perpetrated by the NPA)," he said. Voting to push through Despite Sunday’s incident, Bacalzo said the elections for Monday would still push through. "Sa ngayon tuloy ayon sa report ng Comelec. Nagdagdag tayo ng additional troops (For now the Comelec said the polls will push through. We have added troops in the area)," he said. He also insisted the polls started on a generally peaceful note. "Sa kabuuan maayos ang takbo. Walang inulat sa ating masamang pangyayari (Generally the elections started peacefully. There were no reports of untoward incidents)," he said. — RSJ, GMANews.TV