Zambo Sur police chief, another sacked over station's NPA raid Monday

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InterAksyon.com
The online news portal of TV5

MANILA, Philippines -- The provincial police chief of Zamboanga del Sur and the police chief of Tigbao town were ordered relieved following the raid of around 80 New People's Army rebels at the police station Monday night.

Philippine National Police chief Nicanor Bartolome has ordered the regional director of Zamboanga Peninsula to relieve Sr. Supt. Jose Bayani Gucela, the provincial director, and the police chief of Tigbao as an investigation is underway to determine how such a big NPA group was able to penetrate and raid the police station despite the full alert status of the PNP.

The rebels posed as soldiers and entered the police station 7 p.m. Monday, disarmed the policemen, and took PO2 Faisal Juhaili hostage.

Gucela, in an earlier phone interview, said only four policemen were at the station during that time as other policemen were responding to a traffic accident some 10 kilometers away. The chief of police of Tigbao, meanwhile, was out buying "office supplies" in Pagadian City.

"Aalamin kung ano ang mga lapses and why a big formation of insurgents was able to penetrate yung bayan na yun despite the alert status," Bartolome told reporters.

He said he will fly out to Zamboanga del Sur on Wednesday to personally investigate the matter.

The town of Tigbao has the second smallest number of police force in the province with only 23 personnel.

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