2 cops killed, 5 others hurt in NPA ambush in Bukidnon

Two policemen were killed while five others were injured in an attack perpetrated by suspected New People’s Army (NPA) rebels in Bukidnon on Sunday, police said. The policemen were on their way to Barangay Magsaysay in Malaybalay city to respond to a reported killing incident when they were ambushed by more or less 30 rebels at 11:15 a.m., Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesman Agrimero Cruz Jr. said. Cruz identified the fatalities as PO1 Ronel Bayta and PO1 Jaime Natil, and the injured as PO3 Joumar Cahig, PO3 Glenn Pamisa, P03 Zandrex Llido, PO1 Angelo Libanan and P01 Xerxes Bon Palasol. Pursuit operations have already been launched by the Bukidnon provincial police to track down the suspects, Cruz said. The NPA, armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), has been waging armed struggle for 41 years to establish a Marxist state in the Philippines. The National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), an alliance of underground organizations supporting the CPP-NPA's armed struggle, resumed peace negotiations with the Philippine government in Oslo last month. - Andreo Calonzo/KBK, GMA News