BACOLOD CITY – Two visiting foreigners and a Negrense were wounded in an ambush staged by suspected New People’s Army (NPA) rebels on Tuesday afternoon along the national highway of Sitio Buta, Barangay Caliling, Cauayan town in Negros Occidental. Authorities identified the victims as Karl Christer Arvidson, 48, and Juliana Eeiko Palmero,42, both Swedish, and their Filipino driver, Jason Tumayao, of Bacolod City. The incident occurred at about 1:15 p.m. Lt. Col. Antonio Tumnog, commanding officer of the 1st Negros Island Geographical Battalion (1NIGB), said he believed that the targets of the suspected NPA rebels were the Cauayan policemen, who responded to a reported robbery incident in the area. Read more: 3 hurt in Negros Occidental ambush
Looks like they survived. One shot in the shoulder the other on the hand, the local driver took the most damage but looks like he survived well. The NPA need to be careful with picking their targets. I wouldn't want to be them. I bet their commander is f*cking livid.
As a famous journalist once said, "and now for the rest of the story". What happened was pure bad luck. The ambush was set for the police and just as it began the Filipino driver of the van began to overtake the police vehicle. Wrong place at the wrong time. Just glad no one was killed. Won't help the country's image for tourism I imagine.
The wife got it from some friends that had just passed the police some minutes before and off of her local news on her computer. We are happy for our friends, both Filipinos from Bacolod that run a transport service.
