SIX members of the Philippine National Police- Special Action Force were wounded while two other commandos were reported missing after they were ambushed by suspected communist rebels in the hinterlands of Antipolo City early Sunday morning.
Initial reports reaching the office of Chief Supt. Ma-o Aplasca, Southern Tagalog police chief, said the police commandos, all members of the 33rd Special Action Company, were traversing the vicinity of the public cemetery in Sitio San Josef, San Jose village, when they were attacked by the armed men around 6:30 a.m.
It was reported that the SAF troopers were overwhelmed by the volleys fired by the rebels, but they managed to fire back although outnumbered.
A team of SAF reinforcements arrived at the ambush site and traded shots with the rebels that lasted for an hour, after which the rebels withdrew.
The responding SAF troopers took their comrades to the Rizal Provincial Hospital System in Padilla, Antipolo City, where the medical condition of the four wounded SAF commandos were still to be determined.
It was reported that five other SAF troopers “cannot be located” after the firefight, but SAF spokesman Jonalyn Malnat said the supposed missing SAF personnel were all accounted for eight hours after the incident.
“They were all accounted for due to the immediate reinforcement of our troops,” Malnat said.
However, the authorities said two SAF members were still missing.
The incident was the first since Communist Party of the Philippines’ founding chairman, Jose Maria Sison, threatened to kill one soldier a day even and warned of more attacks against the military and the police.
President Rodrigo Duterte replied by saying he had ordered the military to kill five communist rebels a day.
