PNP: Two cops hurt in Sorsogon attack

Two police officers were hurt in an attack by a group of unidentified armed men in the island province of Sorsogon in the Bicol Region Friday night, the Philippine National Police said. PNP spokesman Chief Superintendent Agrimero Cruz Jr identified the wounded lawmen as PO3 Joel Encinares and PO1 Jessie Doloiras. Authorities said around 30 armed men attacked the Sorsogon provincial police office in Barcelona town at about 11:15 of Thursday. The cops engaged the attackers in an hour-long firefight, forcing the armed group to retreat, Cruz said. Recovered from the scene was a live ammunition for an M203 grenade launcher. In a statement, PNP chief Director General Nicanor Bartolome lauded the provincial police headed by Police Inspector Edgar Azotea for defending their station. Two cops were wounded in the incident. "I am cognizant of the painstaking efforts and sheer dedication to duty that you have demonstrated and even risked your very own lives to ensure that our communities will be a safe place to live in," he said. — Mark Merueñas/LBG, GMA News