MOUNTAIN PROVINCE– One police officer was killed while nine others were wounded during an encounter with an armed group in Sagada, Mountain Province around 9:40 am of June 5, 2018.
Personnel from the Regional Mobile Force Battalion 15 and Mountain Province Provincial Mobile Force Company were conducting peacekeeping operations when they encountered an armed group at Mount Sipitan, Barangay Aguid, Sagada.
The combined team of security forces were conducting operations to prevent the reported extortion and other criminal activities of the armed group when the incident happened.
The encounter resulted in the killing of PO2 Henry Tay-ew Dion, 30, single, native and resident of Guisguisa-an, Mount Data, Bauko, Mtn. Prov. and wounding of PSupt. Joseph Bangcawayan Cayat, 48, single, resident of Puliwes, Kennon, Baguio City; PO3 Wilfred Wallang Manacnis, Jr., 35, married, resident of Besao, Mt. Prov.; POI Aldrin Cawayan Bocalan, 26, single, resident of Lias, Kanluran, Barlig, Mtn. Prov.; POI Clarence Dolipas Abuan, 31, married, resident of Namatec, Sabangan, Mt. Prov.; SPOI Antolin Aglayan Potpoten, 36, married, native of Bauko, Mtn. Prov., resident of Samoki, Bontoc, Mtn. Prov.; POI Xander Marcelo Depnag, 27, resident of Macabenga, Dupax del Norte, Nueva Vizcaya; POI Jake Betong Pa-at, 24, single, resident of Lenga, Tadian, Mtn. Prov.; POI Yasser Lingbanan Guzman, 26, single, resident of Bagnen Oriente, Bauko, Mtn. Prov. and PO2 Regie Adaclog Palome, 37, married, resident of Lagawa, Bauko, Mtn. Prov.
At about 2:23 pm to 3:50 pm, eight of the wounded were all brought to St. Theodore’s Hospital in Sagada for initial medical treatment and later brought to Luis Hora Regional Memorial Hospital in Abatan, Bauko, Mountain Province.
Palome was extricated from the site at about 5:30 pm and brought to St. Theodore’s Hospital for medical treatment and later discharged and proceeded to Mountain Province Police Provincial Office.
At around 4:30 pm of the same date, the remains of Dion was brought to the morgue of Bontoc General Hospital where his remains were attended to by the hospital personnel with the presence of PSI Faith Igualdo, chief of Bontoc Municipal Police Station and PCI Bernard Wong from the MPPP0-PCR branch together with the other cops from Bontoc MPS and the mobile force.
PNP provincial director PSSupt. Allen Ocden came to the hospital and personally took care of what’s needed and coordinated with Dr. Tannao Kanongkong, chief of the hospital.
At around 7:05 pm, the remains of Dion was brought home on board the emergency vehicle of LGU Bontoc with PNP escorts and family members. Governor Bonifacio Lacwasan, Jr. arrived at the hospital to express his sympathy to the members of the bereaved family who arrived to bring home their loved one.
Meanwhile, Police Regional Office-Cordillera strongly condemns the criminal acts of the armed group against the police officers who were conducting routine peacekeeping efforts in Sagada, which was declared a peace zone.
Such action is considered an act of cowardice and a desperate move to pursue their selfish motives and prevent the police force who have been aggressive in its peacekeeping efforts to secure the civilian populace especially in the remote areas according to the region’s top cop.
Newly installed PRO-Cor Regional Director, PCSupt. Rolando Zambale Nana directed all chiefs of police to coordinate with the heads of government hospitals and private clinics within the immediate and nearby areas of Sagada and Bontoc and check on any person with gunshot wounds and to block all possible exit points within their areas of responsibility.
He ordered all chiefs of police to intensify their crime prevention efforts and strengthen security in their areas of responsibility and further step up their anti-criminality strategies.
Nana said that the ultimate sacrifice of PO2 Henry Dion will not deter, but will instead motivate PRO-Cor personnel to enhance law enforcement activities to ensure peace and development in the region.
The public is further encouraged to join hands with the authorities and provide relevant and timely information on similar incidents to the nearest police station or through social media.
The PRO-Cor leadership is appealing to the all stakeholders to assist authorities by providing information to be used in filing criminal charges against the perpetrators, in order to give justice to the killed and wounded PNP personnel.
In the morning of June 7, 2018 at Luis Hora Regional Memorial Hospital, Nana in behalf of Police Director General Oscar David Agbayalde who was not able to come due to weather condition, awarded the Medalya ng Sugatang Magiting together with the financial assistance coming from PNP chief to the wounded cops.
“Kasta met kenni PNP, ti puso na adda kadatayo, iso nga inpaw-it dagitoy medalya ken dagitoy cash assisstace na. Dagiyay benefits yo on processen, dagiyay hospital expenses yo, awan ti probproblemaen yo. Ti kuwaen yo latta ket agpapigsa ta makasubli tau manen ti serbisyo.” Nana said.
The wounded cops in an interview with this writer said that they are thankful and appreciative of the visit of their regional director and for the financial assistance.
The following wounded cops have this to say, Bocalan, “Salamat ta ada assistance nga naited kanyami ken pasalamat mi ti Apo ta kastoy lang nangyari kanyami.” Potpoten, “Inmay da piman suportaran da kami.” Manacnis, “Agpasalamat kami ta at least ada suporta da ken ti financial.” Cayat, “Para ma high morale dagiti tropa.”
Cayat whose team was hardly hit mentioned in the interview that their lead scout Dion and Pa-at were hit in an open area, “Awan paglemengam iso nga dyay lead scout ket talaga nga naporowan. Dyay naalaan ni Pa-at ken dyay natay ket open ngem dyay ayan mi adda dagiyay bush, oray dagiyay naglelemeng ti kaykayo ket natamaan ti saka da, nagpigsa met lang armas da. Once nga pumutok ka, agsasarunon ti putok diyay ayan mi, haan mo mailisiyan ta awan ngarod paglemengan. Talaga nga inor-oray dakami.”
He added that gunshots were coming from more than two directions. “Ti ekspekaren da siguro ket mangna kami ket suroten mi diyay tubo ket open diyay, na wallop kami ah ta awan sabali aglemmengan no haan ka agtinnag idiyay falls.”
Cayat commended the bravery of Dion, “Haan na kayat piman agpasukat, sobra ti tured na.”
As to the rescue, Cayat mentioned “Dakami met lang nangrescue kadkadwa mi ta ti balak da idiyay alan da ti armas dagiti na pin down ngem haan mi intulok. Idi narikna mi inmatras, adda pay lang gayam nagbabantay nga sniper nga nang last minute pay lang kenni Depnag, apan ko inayaban kakadwa nga apan yo irescue dagiyay ta awan metten agsasa-o. Nalaing met ti kakadwa ta kuna da sang-atan tau diyay (sniper), ket tinmaray met, ngem ada pay lang naala na nga maysa (Depnag).”
Pa-at who was reportedly critically wounded stated in an interview that one bullet hit him through and through while the other bullet was removed via operation. He is now in a stable condition.
The wounded cops who are still confined at Luis Hora Regional Memorial Hospital as of June 7 are Cayat, Manacnis, Bocalan, Potpoten, Depnag and Pa-at while Abuan, Guzman and Palome were discharged.
Earlier on the same day, Nana and company together with Ocden visited the wake of Dion where the Medalya ng Kadakilaan and financial assistance were given to the bereaved family. Dion’s internment is scheduled a day before Independence Day. **Ferdie Cariño Castañeda
