TACLOBAN CITY: Three police officers were killed and four of their comrades were wounded in a gun battle Tuesday between an armed criminal group and operatives serving warrants of arrest in Santa Margarita, Samar.
Initial reports reaching the Philippine National Police (PNP) Eastern Visayas office said 1st Samar Provincial Mobile Force Company (SPMFC) and Regional Mobile Force Battalion (RMFB) agents headed to remote Mahayag village early in the day to arrest the leader and members of the Ampoan criminal group.
The subject of the warrants of arrest are murder suspects Edito Ampoan, Jr., the gang leader; and gang members Jojo Altarejos and Rogelio Macorol.
‘Operating units were engaged in a firefight against the abovementioned suspects during the implementation of the warrant of arrest,’ the PNP regional office said, citing reports.
Killed during the encounter were Staff Sgt. Christian Tallo and Corporal Eliazar Estrelles, Jr. of SPMFC; and M/Sgt. Paul Terence Paclibar of RFMB.
Wounded were Corporals Rann
el Pedamato and Mark Jason Sixta, and Patrolmen Ham Kritnere Capalis and Mark Redoblado.
The operation resulted in the arrest of four unidentified suspects and recovery of an M-16 rifle, caliber .45 pistol, and several ammunitions.
As of posting time, there was no information if any of the gang members were killed or wounded or if the subjects of the warrants were among those arrested.
‘The PNP directed the Northern Samar police provincial office and RMFB to provide additional platoons for deployment and augmentation. Hot pursuit operation is being conducted against the other suspects,’ the PNP regional office added.
Residents displaced by the gun battle evacuated to the town’s gymnasium.
Source: Philippines News Agency
Hanoi: A nighttime tourism programme to discover the Ngoc Son temple on Hoan Kiem Lake, downtown Hanoi, debuted at a ceremony on January 31.
As a blend of the ancient architecture of the special national relic site and its associated rituals and folklore, it utilises sound, light, and modern projection technology to showcase Vietnam’s traditional cultural values.
Organised on evenings of the first four days of the week starting February, each tour under the experimental programme lasts for 60 minutes and serves between 60 and 70 visitors.
At the launch ceremony, head of the municipal heritage management board Nguyen Doan Van hoped that with the programme, the special national relic site of Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son temple is no longer just “resources” but will become products of the cultural industry, capable of attracting a wide range of tourists both domestically and internationally.
The capital city is striving to achieve the goal of the cultural industry contributing about 5% to its GRDP by 2025 and
8% by 2030./.
Source: Vietnam News Agency