A large band of suspected communist rebels killed on Saturday morning the deputy chief of police of Catarman City in Northern Samar and seven of his men in an ambush staged three hours after they liquidated a barangay official, a regional police official said.

Chief Supt. Arnold Revilla, director of the Eastern Visayas regional police, said the rebels fled with the police officers’ service firearms and police uniforms they were wearing at the time.

Revilla said one of the fatalities is Senior Insp. Necasio San Antonio, deputy chief of police of Catarman City, whose body was mangled as a result of a landmine explosions.

“There were actually two landmine explosions, the patrol car of our personnel was directly hit. All of our personnel on board died, the cadaver of the deputy chief of police was almost burned beyond recognition,” said Revilla in a phone interview.

Senior Supt. Agrimero Cruz, Jr., PNP spokesman, said the eight-man team of the Catarman City Police headed by San Antonio was heading towards the house of Barangay Imelda councilor Rolando de Guia to investigate his killing by 10 suspected rebels when the ambush occurred at around 8:30 a.m. on Saturday in the same barangay.

Cruz said the cops were on board a Toyota Hi-Lux which was a total wrecked as a result of the two powerful landmine blasts.

Barangay Imelda, a remote village, is one kilometer away from the Catarman City proper.

“While they were approximately 500 meters away from the house of the barangay councilor, the landmines planted by the rebels exploded,” said Revilla.