Monday, April 09, 2007
 

NPA raids Davao prison

Ransack facility’s armory

By Anthony Vargas, Reporter

Communist rebels posing as soldiers on Sunday stormed the Davao Penal Colony prison facility and took off with about a hundred guns, police said.

The raiders, believed to be guerrillas of the New People’s Army, were wearing camouflage uniforms with shoulder patches identifying them as members of “Task Force Davao,” the Caraga police director, Chief Supt. Andres Caro II, said in a report to Camp Crame.

Caro said the rebels arrived in a truck at the penal colony, a minimum-security facility in Dujali town, about 1:30 a.m.

“The rebels approached the duty guard at gate 1 of Dapecol [the prison’s acronym] and requested for assistance since their vehicle has some mechanical trouble,” Caro said.

While the guard and the suspects were talking, one of them pulled out an M-16 rifle and pointed it at him.

The rebels ordered the guard to open the prison gate.

Once inside several of the rebels quickly disarmed the guard of his M-16 rifle, a .45-caliber pistol and an M4 rifle, while the rest proceeded to the armory.

They overpowered the armory’s duty personnel, Prison Guard 1 Romeo Estero Bustillo, and ransacked the armory.

Caro said the rebels carted away 45 carbine rifles, three M-16 rifles, five .38-caliber revolvers, 46 shotguns, five handcuffs and assorted ammunition.

The raid lasted only 20 minutes.

Caro said joint elements of the Davao Provincial Police Office and 73rd Infantry Battalion were tracking down the rebels.

The 7,400-strong NPA is the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines.

Early this year, the military has embarked on a new battle plan that aims to reduce the NPA’s strength by half before President Arroyo’s term expires in 2010.