Albayalde: NPA hit squad still exists

National police chief Director General Oscar Albayalde clarified yesterday that the New People’s Army (NPA) still maintains a group of hitmen.

The hitmen, according to Albayalde, are responsible for the death of 136 soldiers, policemen, local officials and even rebel returnees in the past three years.

“These hit squads are now popularly referred to as the Sparrows. But they are not based in urban areas like the former Sparrow Unit, but only gets out from the red area (normally rural area) to do special partisan operations like liquidation, murder or assassination, as directed by the Regional Party Committee,” said Albayalde.

The latest assassinations carried out by the NPA hit squad, according to Albayalde, was the killing of two Army soldiers at the Las Navas public market in Northern Samar last Nov 27, the assassination of Philippine Navy Sr. Chief Petty Officer Jesus Zaavedra in Pio Duran, Albay and the botched assassination in Catbalogan City of ex-Mayor Aran Boller of Matuginao, Samar.

Over the weekend, Albayalde had said that the Special Partisan Unit or SPARU of the NPA has long been gone.

But Albayalde, in yesterday’s press briefing, clarified that he was referring to the notorious hit squad, which is the defunct Alex Boncayao Brigade (ABB) of the Manila-Rizal Regional Party Committee of Filemon Lagman, belonging to the rejectionist wing of the CPP/NPA/NDF (Communist Party of the Philippines/New People’s Army/ National Democratic Front) led by Arturo Tabara and Romulo Kintanar.

He said that it was disbanded by the pro-Sison wing of the CPP/NPA/NDF in early 1990’s during its second Rectification period.

“But since then, the pro-Sison reaffirmist wing also adopted its Sparrow-like operations against perceived enemies reportedly including the assassinations of Popoy Lagman, Arturo Tabara and Romulo Kintanar in early 2000,” said Albayalde.

“There is strong possibility that it will stage more hits depending on how the communist movement would want to utilize the Special Partisan Unit/Special Operations Group specialized capability for small unit missions against vulnerable targets,” he added.

The issue about the NPA squad was revived after President Duterte was quoted as saying that he wants to create a government version of hit squad targeting communist rebels.