6 ‘rebels’ face raps
CEBU BEEFS UP BORDER PATROL
Criminal complaints have been filed yesterday against six suspected members of the New People’s Army, including an amazon alumna of the University of the Philippines-Cebu, who were arrested Saturday dawn after an armed encounter with government troops in Mabinay town, Negros Oriental.
Negros Oriental Provincial Police Office filed the complaints for violations of Republic Act 9516 or illegal possession of explosives and R.A. 10591 or illegal possession of firearms and ammunition before the provincial prosecutor’s office against MylesAlbasin, 21, from Cagayan de Oro; Jomar Indico, 29, resident of Barangay Buenavista, Himamaylan City, Negros Oriental; Joey Vailoces, 18, resident of Barangay Luyang, Mabinay town; Randel Hermino, 19, also of Himamaylan City; and two minors, including a resident of Barangay Labogon, Mandaue City, whose names withheld by The FREEMAN.
All suspects signed a waiver of detention to avail of preliminary investigation. They are temporarily detained at the Negros Oriental Detention and Rehabilitation Center.
Brigadier General Eliezer Lozañes, commander of the 303rd Brigade of the Philippine Army, said they have started to monitor the presence of the rebels sometime in the middle of last year.
He said the presence of the suspects in Sitio Tumonon, Barangay Luyang in Mabinay last Saturday was reported to them by the civilians prompting the deployment of troops from the 62nd Infantry Battalion and a contingent from the police.
The joint police and military operation resulted in the encounter and the arrest of the suspects.
Each of the arresting officers will get P100,000 cash reward and a pistol from President Rodrigo Duterte.
Lozañes said the rebels under the Regional Security Force of Komiteng Rehiyun Negros (KRN) of the CPP/ NPA are allegedly trying to expand their mass base in the towns of Bindoy, Ayungon, Tayasan, and Manjuyod.
The suspects were allegedly conducting “guerilla zone preparation” to create another front. The activities include coercing and threatening civilians in the area.
Indico, the allegedly squad leader, said there were about 27 of them and were divided into three groups. He told the military during interrogation at Camp Leon Kilat in Tanjay that the firearms recovered from them were left behind by persons they allegedly do not know.
CEBU BRACES FOR NPA
INFILTRATION
Police Regional Office-7 director Chief Supt. Robert Quenery has ordered all provincial and city directors to intensify police visibility and checkpoints as preventive measures for possible retaliatory attacks from the rebels.
Quenery said border patrols should be intensified to prevent the rebels from infiltrating the mainland Cebu.
"We just have to increase our preventive patrols in the mainland especially border control. Checkpoints will be enhanced through our enhanced management of police operations," Quenery told The FREEMAN.
Cebu Provincial Police Office director Senior Supt. Edgar Allan Okubo identified the towns of Dumanjug and Tuburan as critical entry points.
"May naka-deploy naman sa mga ports di lang sa Dumanjug pati na sa Tuburan at lahat ng port. We just assume na hindi sila makapasok dito," Okubo said.
He also assured that they are coordinating with the Task Force Cebu of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to discuss how to prevent insurgency as well as counter-insurgency strategies. Okubo is confident that the rebels will not gain sympathizers in Cebu because the province had long been declared insurgency free.
"We are confident on that ( no community sympathizers), ibig sabihin mahina yung support nila pero meron pa rin, rest assured, the province is prepared," Okubo said.