CHIEF Superintendent Cesar Binag, director of Police Office – Wstern Visayas (PRO-6), urged the police stations in Western Visayas to conduct personal threat and risk assessment to determine their risks for a possible attack.
Binag said through the assessment, policemen will be able to identify their risk factors.
He also said that they should always tap the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) for an intensified intelligence monitoring.
Binag appealed to the community to be vigilant and immediately report to the authorities any suspicious persons or incidents in their respective areas.
In Negros Occidental, two incidents involving suspected Special Partisan Unit (Sparu) happened in the municipalities of Cauayan and Isabela.
A suspected Sparu member of the New People’s Army (NPA) was killed in an encounter with members of Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit (Cafgu) at Sitio Cabalbalan in Barangay Camalandaan, Cauayan on April 8.
George Ylanan, 20, of the said village, a drug surrenderer, fired at them but missed, prompting the Cafgu members to retaliate that resulted in his death.
Ylanan was located together with his three other companions when the authorities received information about the unidentified man wearing a green t-shirt with an “Army” print, who fired at Cafgu member Wilson Geresola, 30, and Staff Sergeant Jose Jessie Parreño, commander of Narra Detachment in the said village on April 7.
A certain Jeryn Palermo, 20, of the same village, surrendered and was brought to the police station for questioning.
On April 9, Jose Joerito Amable, 50, of Moises Padilla town, a retired soldier and member of Civil Security Group of Moises Padilla Mayor Magdaleno Peña; Alejandro Borres, 70, of Moises Padilla town, a retired policeman; and Federico Bitgue III, 29, of Isabela town, were attending a wake when unidentified assailants fired at them and escaped on board two motorcycles in Isabela town.
Also wounded were Alquin Genterula Jr., 34, of Moises Padilla town, a teacher; and a 10-year- old boy. They were hit by stray bullets.
The Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (Nocppo) is looking into the possibility that the shooting incident was an alleged “test mission” of the suspected rebels. However, it is still subject to verification.
Binag said, “They were just trying to make themselves relevant.”
The Western Visayas top cop also encouraged rebels to surrender and take the offer of the government for a livelihood program and assistance.
“They will have benefits from the government if they only choose to go down,” Binag added.