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Monday, March 01, 2004
Army raises alert in Igbaras areas
By Ruby P. Silubrico
* Lt. Raul Vigo, commander of the Igbaras-based 31st Reconnaissance Company, says their troops are prepared to thwart any rebel attack
* He says, however, they have yet to identify the new NPA leader
THE Philippine Army is now on alert status in several villages Igbaras,
Iloilo, in wake of reports that the New People's Army (NPA) changed leadership in southern Iloilo after they failed to attack government forces.
This was disclosed by Lt. Raul Vigo, commander of the Igbaras-based 31st Reconnaissance Company, who said their troops are prepared to thwart any rebel attack.
Vigo said he received reports that Rogelio Sabares, commander of the Southern Front Committee, has been replaced by another leader but they have to identify him yet.
"We are now on alert status and we're prepared for possible counter attack," Vigo said.
Sources said Sabares was pulled out from Igbaras after he "failed to score" against the government troups.
Vigo said the operations of their Special Operations Team (SOT) in areas considered highly-influenced by the NPA frustrated rebel attacks.
The military stepped up anti-insurgency operations in the wake of the killing of Cafgu Napoleon Estacio in Barangay Igtalungon last Friday.
Estacio was reportedly "very active" in his campaign against the NPA operations in the area. He was the one who provided intelligence information to the military on the rebels' operations.
Earlier, Jeffrey Celiz, chairman of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan)-Panay, said the military continue to be desperate in their anti-insurgency campaign as they are no longer capable of breaking the backbone of the revolutionary movement in Panay.
Teddy Casiño, national secretary general of Bayan, also said the pronouncement of the military linking militant leaders to the NPA atrocities is a sign of incompetence and cowardice.
The military cannot go after the NPA so they go after the people in the communities who are unarmed, he added.
Celiz further said the killings of Bayan Muna leaders in Oriental Mindoro could also happen in Panay as the military, "no longer distinguish between combatants and non-combatants."
(February 28, 2004 issue)
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