President Duterte Visits Four Cops Killed in Ayungon Ambush
President Rodrigo Duterte gave his condolences to the families of the four police officers who were killed in Ayungon, Negros Oriental. He was accompanied by Education Secretary Leonor Briones, Interior, and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año, Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, and Philippine National Police chief General Oscar Albayalde during his visit last Saturday, July 20, 2019.
Cops Killed in Ayungon Ambush
The tragic death of four cops in Ayungon was believed to be led by Communist Party of the Philippines’ New People’s Army r simply NPA. The four police were killed on July 18, 2019, at Barangay Mabato of Ayungon. The cop victims were intelligence personnel of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion in Region VII. They were identified as Cpl. Relebert Beronio, Pat. Raffy Callao, Pat. Ruel Cabellon, and Pat. Marquino de Leon.
They were supposed to meet their contact, identified as Victoriano Anadon, who was later found to have an alleged link with the New People’s Army. Police Brigadier General Debold Sinas, director of Police Regional Office in Central Visayas, who went to the ambush site at Barangay Mabato in Ayungon town on Friday, said the 4 cops disguised themselves as foresters on board 3 motorcycles. They were waylaid by the 30 to 40 armed suspects on their way to Anadon’s house and were quickly disarmed.
“In a sense, it was an ambush, but there was no exchange. They were overpowered,” Police Brigadier General Sinas said.
“They were either sitting down or kneeling when they were shot at the back. The trajectory of the bullet was from above. It was cold-blooded,” he added.
Financial Aid, Educational Support & Jobs
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte visited and honored the slain policemen on Saturday around 9:00 pm at the multi-purpose hall of the Negros Oriental Provincial Police Office (NOPPO) at Camp Francisco Fernandez in Sibulan. He gave the award of the Order of Lapu-Lapu with the Rank of Kalasag to each of the slain police. He promised to give financial aid for the families, educational support to the siblings and jobs for the rest of the families of the slain cops.
The president then called for a closed-door meeting where only DILG Secretary Eduardo Año, Presidential Adviser for the Visayas Secretary Michael Dino, Albayalde, and other AFP and PNP officials were present.
Php 1 Million Reward for Cop Killer
According to the Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo, Php 1 million will be rewarded for the “capture, whether dead or alive, of the masterminds, perpetrators, and main shooters” of the policemen who were ambushed Thursday. A Php 50,000 reward will be given for the capture of all conspirators in the crime.
“The Office of the President expresses its condolences to all the loved ones of the slain policemen even as we condemn in the strongest terms their treacherous slaying,” spokesperson Salvador Panelo said.
“We will ensure that justice will be served to those behind this condemnable offense against our peace enforcers. The full force of the law will come crushing down on the perpetrators,” he added.
