Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Oscar Albayalde said the Lapinig municipal police station in Northern Samar was overran and not just harassed by the New People’s Army (NPA) last Friday.

“We are also looking at why there are only five or six policemen and based on their initial report it’s just like a harassment but it shows that it’s not just a harassment. The police station was ransacked so it shows that the police station was overran,” he said.

“When you say harass they were just fired upon and then the enemies immediately left. In this case the rebels were able to enter the police station and took 10 long firearms at the locker,” he added.

Two policemen were wounded while 10 high powered firearms and three small firearms and other equipment were taken by the rebels when they attacked the Lapinig Municipal Police Station around 2 am Friday.

Albayalde said the PNP has created a Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) to look into the incident.

“In fact we have created an SITG there headed by the director of the Directorate for Integrated Police Operations (DIPO) Eastern Visayas to head the investigation to investigate thoroughly this incident so that if there are others who are need to punished will be punished and if there are others who need to be charged will be charged,” he said.

Following the incident, Albayalde also announced the relief of Lapinig Municipal Police Station in Northern Samar, including their chief of police, Inspector Noli Montebon, the commander of the 2nd Northern Samar Provincial Mobile Force Company, Chief Inspector Juan Byron Leogo, and the Northern Samar PNP Provincial Director, Senior Superintendent Romeo Campomanes and the regional director of Eastern Visayas, Chief Superintendent Mariel Magaway to give way to a thorough investigation of the incident.

In a statement Monday, Albayalde said aside from the police station, the town hall was also attacked by the rebels last Friday morning.

Albayalde said the relief of the police officers will serve as warning for other officials.

“There is also a need to emphasize our one-strike-policy against lackluster performance by our field commanders both in anti-criminality and internal security operations,” he said.

“This will serve as a warning as well as give more teeth to my earlier directive that this time we mean business not business as usual,” he added. Robina Asido/DMS