Monday, May 05, 2008 Police chief debunks claims over presence of NPA's sparrow unit
THE Dumaguete City police chief does not believe that members of a sparrow unit, the urban hit group of the New People's Army (NPA), now inhabit the city.
Chief Inspector Leopoldo Cabanag said he deployed some policemen to check on the veracity of the report.
Based on their investigation, he said, they have found no evidence backing claims that alleged sparrow unit members are in the city.
"Amo pa nang tinuon pag-ayo kung tinuod ba nang ilang giingon nga presensiya sa mga sparrow units diri sa Dumaguete (We will investigate the so-called presence of sparrow units in the city)," stressed Cabanag, as he expressed doubts on the veracity of the intelligence report believed to have come from the Military Intelligence Group (MIG) of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
The same intelligence report also had the provincial police office ordering stations in the whole province to tighten security.
Provincial Police Director Melvin Ramon Buenafe earlier ordered heightened security in all police stations amid reports that members of the communist group's urban hit wing have been sighted in urban centers in the province.
Buenafe's order was made shortly after the police command conference held recently at Camp Fernandez in Barangay Agan-an of Sibulan town.
Cabanag said that while they do not believe that the NPA's urban hit squad is in the city, they will continue to be vigilant to deter crimes and other lawless activities.
"Sayon ra man gud nang maggamagama ug estorya, pero wala lang mi mokumpiyansa kay basin ug tinuod diay," said Cabanag in the same interview. (While we know that it’s easy to make up stories, we do not totally ignore the report because it might be true.)
But Buenafe stressed that reports saying the NPA was fielding sparrow units throughout urban areas in the province were from police field commanders.
Moves to intensify security in the province also came several days after the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) ordered its armed wing, the NPA, to step up attacks on military personalities, government installations, and other vital links.
The province is host to a geothermal plant and field situated in Valencia town. There is also an ammonium nitrate plant, the Dyno Nobel, in Bacong town. Several communication towers of Globe, Smart, and Sun Cellular can also be found in the province.
To augment and enhance security, Buenafe urged Cabanag to activate linkages with the barangay intelligence network.
Until now, Buenafe has not revealed the areas where the alleged sparrow units are present.
He clarified that his order does not mean there is a peace and order problem in the province. (EBS)
