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Saturday, March 24, 2007
Communist rebels to revive hit squad: military
MANILA -- The military on Friday bared a plan by the communist New People's Army (NPA) to establish in the National Capital Region a base for its sparrow units similar to the communist hit squad that carried out a number of liquidations in the metropolis in the 1990s.
Army Chief Romeo Tolentino said the rebel plan is one of the reasons why the military establishment decided to deploy hundreds of soldiers in the urban poor barangays since November last year.
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"We have intelligence reports that the enemy of state is trying again to have a foothold here in Metro Manila," said Tolentino, referring to the NPA's plan to revive its staging point in the metropolis.
"In the past, we had sparrows here, the partisan units. We do not want that to happen," said Tolentino in justifying the deployment of the soldiers of the National Capital Region Command headed by Major General Ben Mohammad Dolorfino.
The Army chief said the Philippine National Police is capable of addressing the rebel plan of the communists.
However, he said the police force is undermanned and cannot deploy personnel to the areas, prompting the military to act.
In the 1990s, the NPA's Alex Boncayao Brigade (ABB) carried out a number of liquidations that includes Colonel Rolando Abadilla, police officers Joe Pring and Timeteo Zarcal, and businessmen who supposedly maltreated their workers.
Tolentino said the NPA is trying to infiltrate the Metro Manila barangays "to establish their area, staging point if possible and that is what we are trying to prevent. They have been saying that they want to surround the city from the countryside."
However, he said the NPA has decided to enter the metropolis because they have been having difficulty in the rural areas.
Tolentino added that the NPA thinks it is easy to infiltrate the metropolis because people in the area are secluded from their neighbors.
He said the rebels are also planning similar strategies in other urban areas like Cebu City. He said Central Command (Centcom) Chief Cardoso Luna is requesting training for his men for deployment in Cebu City barangays.
When asked if there is an immediate plan to deploy soldiers in Cebu City, Tolentino said, "In Cebu, there is. Maybe those who will come from (peacekeeping units) abroad will be deployed there because of their training." (VR/Sunnex)For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Zamboanga. (March 24, 2007 issue)
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