Cordillera top cop warns public of NPA’s deceptive recruitment

DAGUPAN CITY, Pangasinan — The Police Regional Office-Cordillera (PRO-Cor) warned the public recently against the deceptive method of recruitment being employed by the New People’s Army (NPA) in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) and other Northern Luzon provinces of Pangasinan, Ilocos, Isabela, and Cagayan.

Chief Superintendent Rolando Z. Nana, PRO-Cor director, also appealed to the public to report to the police the location and movements of NPA rebels recruiting new members as they are dangerous.

“Beware of the armed men who seek your help to carry their things. If you do, you may never be able to return home to your family,” Nana said as he cited the experience of peasants recruited by the NPA who surrendered recently to government authorities.

Speaking in their native Isneg dialect, three of the five young men from Pudtol, Apayao revealed how they had been fooled by the NPA, he said.

They said they were working in the fields or cutting wood in the forests or fishing in the river when approached by armed men seeking their help to carry sacks of rice to Paco Valley.

They helped in carrying the food items to the NPA camp. However, they found themselves not allowed to leave and forced to undergo rudimentary training while being threatened not to disclose to anybody about the NPA activities, said Nana.

The regional director (RD) recalled that the three NPA members had sought the help of Barangay Captain Fontanilla Melad, of Malibang in Pudtol in surrendering to authorities last July 4.

“With our collective efforts, we can make a difference in securing our people from any terror acts. That is the Filipino spirit of bayanihan,” said Nana as he vowed that government forces would act swiftly once information on NPA activities is relayed to them.