The Department of the Interior and Local Government on Tuesday condemned the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front for the ambush in Samar of a convoy of local health workers escorted by police on their way to Leyte to fetch COVID-19 vaccines last week.
“The CPP-NPA-NDF’s height of insensitivity, callousness, and opportunism knows no bounds. They no longer choose the people, places, or situations to kill and sow terrorism. This is proof that they are enemies of the people and do not care about them because even our medical frontliners who were supposed to get the vaccine were ambushed, ” said DILG Secretary Eduardo Año.
Calbayog City Health Office staff escorted by Calbayog City Police Station (CPS) personnel were on their way to the Department of Health Regional Office 8 in Palo, Leyte when they were suddenly attacked by the Communist terrorists last July 27.
According to PNP Samar, the team heard a burst of gunfire and a loud explosion from an improvised explosive device 20 meters behind their convoy while traversing the Maharlika Highway, Barangay Lale, Pinabacdao, Samar.
After ensuring the safety of the health workers, the escorts from the Calbayog PNP immediately engaged the terrorists who immediately retreated and fled toward the mountainous area of the barangay.
To ensure the smooth and efficient rollout of the vaccines in the communities, the DILG chief directed the PNP to assign additional police personnel to COVID-19 vaccination operations to maintain the peace and order situation in the community.
Meanwhile, DILG Undersecretary and NTF ELCAC Spokesperson Jonathan Malaya called on the public to immediately report sightings of CTGs in their localities to local authorities.
Malaya expressed dismay that the CTGs still continue to spread senseless violence in the far-flung areas even as we fight the COVID-19 pandemic.