Cagayan town police chief, 4 others killed in ambush

(Updated 1:51 p.m.) TUGUEGARAO CITY — A municipal police chief in Cagayan province, his wife and three other police officers were killed following an ambush by suspected communist rebels in Rizal town Sunday afternoon. Chief Superintendent Francisco Jose Villaroman, Cagayan Valley regional police director, identified the fatalities as: Inspector Antonio Rueco, Rizal police chief; his wife, SPO2 Mary Jane Rueco; his brother PO2 Herminio Rueco; PO2 Jose Baquiran; and PO1 Joven Jimenez. Wounded in the incident was PO1 Valiant Bustamante. A police report said SPO4 Edison Lagua, who was earlier reported as missing, was found and is currently undergoing debriefing at the Rizal Police Station. Villaroman said the victims were on their way home to this city when their vehicle hit a land mine planted by the suspected New People's Army (NPA) rebels. After the explosion, the rebels then fired at the policemen. The Philippine Army decried the use of land mines by the communist insurgents. "The use of landmines has long been banned by the Convention on the Prohibition, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personal Mines and on their Destruction (Ottawa Treaty) realizing its devastating effects on human lives. The NPA does not only violate international laws, they destroy lives as well," said Army spokesman Col. Antonio Parlade. "This incident proves that the CPP-NPA has no intentions to follow the agreements stipulated on CARHRIHL, signed between GRP and the CPP-NPA-NDF, where it was clearly stipulated that both parties must avoid the use of landmines in observance of human rights. Clearly, respect for human rights is not a part of the values of the rebels," Parlade added. (CARHRIHL - Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law) The ambush came even as the government and the National Democratic Front are preparing for the resumption of peace talks next month. Peace negotiations have been stalled since August 2004 when the NDF blamed the government of not exerting enough efforts in convincing the US and its allies of removing the CPP-NPA-NDF from the list of terrorist organizations. — RSJ, GMANews.TV