Suspected New People’s Army gunmen killed the police chief and five others in an ambush Friday morning in Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental.

The fatalities were Guihulngan police chief Superintendent Arnel Arpon, Senior Police Officer 2 Necasio Tabion, Police Officer 3 Jordan Balderas, Police Officers 2 Alvin Paul Bulandres and Alfred Dungue, and Police Officer 1 Abines Silvano.

The incident happened around 9:50 a.m. in Barangay Magsaysay, around 140 kilometers north of Dumaguete City, the capital of Negros Oriental.

Arpon and 12 police officers responded to a call Sangguniang Bayan member Edison Dela Rita was ambushed by suspected communist rebels.

Senior Police Officer 4 Jerome De Lara and Police Officer 2 Jorie Maribao. It is unclear if there were are casualties among the rebels. DMS