MANILA, Philippines — Communist rebels seized two police officers from a village outpost in Placer town, Surigao del Norte Monday afternoon, November 13, the Army said.
The 30th Infantry Battalion based in Placer reported that Police Officers 2 John Paul Dovert and Alfredo Degamon Jr. were manning the outpost in Barangay Bad-as when the guerrillas, disguised as agents of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, arrived in two vans.
Aside from being taken by surprise, the two policemen were unable to react because “the area is densely populated,” according to the battalion’s statement.
Dovert and Degamon were disarmed and handcuffed then forced into the vans, which sped off.
The vehicles were later monitored passing through Barangay Mabini and heading towards “the mountainous part of Sitio Limatok.”
