At least 2 cops hurt in NPA attack on Masbate police station

At least two policemen were reported injured in an attack by communist New People's Army insurgents on a police station in Masbate province before dawn Sunday. Mobo town mayor Percival Castillo cited initial information indicating bullets may have grazed two policemen during the predawn firefight. “Dalawa ang nadaplisan... may dugo sa pinwestuhan nila (At least two people were reported wounded. There were traces of blood at the site)," he said in an interview on dzBB radio. He said the rebels may have fled towards the hills for refuge. A separate dzBB report said the attack took place at 3 a.m., and that the firefight lasted for an hour. Castillo said the rebels attacked the town hall where the police station was located. Pursuit operations are ongoing against the rebels, the report said. In a later text message to media, Philippine National Police spokesman Chief Supt. Agrimero Cruz Jr. indicated three cops were wounded who he identified as SPO1 Arturo Mendoza, PO1 Judy Villamor, and Marwin Marcellana. He said the NPA rebels pretended to be Philippine Army soldiers who went to the place for coordination purposes. A separate report on Bombo Radyo said some 50 rebels rushed towards the town police station during the attack. — LBG, GMA News