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The Philippine National Police goes on a nationwide full alert
effective Friday to ensure operational readiness against possible
hostilities from the local communist movement.
The national police chief, Director General
Avelino Razon Jr., raised the nationwide alert level as a preemptive
measure against anticipated armed confrontation with the communist
New People’s Army (NPA), which celebrated its 40th founding
anniversary Friday.
“Historically, the NPA has been known to
launch armed hostilities and tactical offensives against soft
targets and other targets of opportunity as their way of
commemorating their anniversary,” Razon said in a statement.
For his part, Chief Supt. Silverio Alarcio Jr.,
the PNP Director for Operations, alerted all police regional offices
and national support units to activate their respective security and
public safety plans to prevent the movement of local communist
insurgents in their areas of responsibility.
Police units were also instructed to implement
counter-measures and precautionary plans, to intensify intelligence
operations to preempt and anticipate terrorist actions, establish
listening posts, and mobilize the Barangay Information Networks.
Regional and provincial directors were also
instructed to conduct field inspection of police stations and remote
outposts.
As police brace for possible attacks from the
NPA, the widows of peasant leaders who were recently killed in the
Bondoc Peninsula and Masbate called on the Communist Party of the
Philippines to “humanize” their protracted people’s war being
waged by the party and NPA, by sparing peasant leaders from its
attacks and respecting the freedom of choice of peasant
organizations.
Widows Roseminia Empas and Sheila Vale said
their husbands, Deolito Empas and Mark Anthony Vale, were abducted,
tortured and killed by the NPA.
Akbayan Representatives Risa Hontiveros and Etta
Rosales vowed to give support to the families of the killed peasant
leaders.
-- Maricel V. Cruz and Ira Karen Apanay
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