The possible involvement of a special armed partisan unit of the New People's Army in the recent ambush of Mayor-elect Magdaleno Peña in Pulupandan, is not likely, as the suspects involved were six to eight armed men, the police said yesterday.

Senior Supt. Rosendo Franco, provincial police director, said it could not be a Sparrow-type of operation of the NPA, although they are looking into all angles for a lead in their investigations.

The assessment of Franco was shared by Lt. Col. Jess Manangquil, 11th Infantry Battalion commander, who said that they have not monitored the presence of rebel assassins in Pulupandan. Soldiers of the 11th IB assisted the 612nd Proviincial Mobile Group troopers in the maintenance of peace and order in Pulupandan during the May 14 synchronized elections.

Franco said rebel hitmen usually operate through three to four persons, and are only armed with pistols.

Police investigations show that the ambushers of Peña were armed with M-16 and M-14 assault rifles, and also handguns.

The involvement of the New People's Army and a drug syndicate which allegedly uses Pulupandan port as the entry point of prohibited drugs in Negros Occidental are among the possibilities in the ambush of Peña.

Supt. Rolen Balquin, regional director of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, yesterday said they have not received reports that Pulupandan is being used as a transshipment point of drugs, although they cannot set aside the possibility.

While they have made some apprehensions of drug peddlers in Pulupandan in previous years, Balquin said the drug problem in the town is not alarming.

Peña survived the ambush with slight injuries in his left arm and other parts of the body. His driver and bodyguard were killed.

His nephew, Councilor-elect Gerany Suatengco, and three others in his three-car convoy were also wounded, police said.

Franco said it was a "planned ambush".*GPB

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