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Sunday, September 16, 2007
PNP prepares for possible NPA attacks after Sison’s release
MANILA -- The Philippine National Police (PNP) is bracing for attacks that may be launched by the New People’s Army (NPA) guerillas following a Dutch court’s order last Thursday releasing from detention the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founding chairman Jose Maria Sison.
Director Wilfredo Garcia, PNP directorate for operations, said Sison, who was arrested by the same court last month for murder charges, may order the NPA –- the CPP’s armed wing, to launch attacks.
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Sison was facing charges before the Dutch court based on the complaint filed by the family of former CPP leaders Romulo Kintanar and Arturo Tabara who had been killed by NPA rebels on orders of the CPP leadership.
In ordering the release of Sison, the Dutch court said there was strong evidence to indicate that the CPP was involved in the killing. However, it said that there was insufficient evidence to link Sison to the killing.
Security officials in the Philippines have said that Sison is still the CPP chairman, but Sison on the other hand said he has severed his ties with the CPP decades ago. He said he is a mere chief political consultant of the National Democratic Front (NDF).
The NDF represented the CPP and the NPA in the aborted peace negotiations with the government. The negotiations bogged down in 2004 when the NDF pulled out from the talks to protest the inclusion of the CPP and the NPA in the US list of foreign terrorist organizations.
“Its (Sison’s release) possible impact is that he might order a wide scale offensive against police and Armed Forces targets and that is what we are preparing for,” Garcia said.
“What we are giving due preparations are our police stations,” said Garcia, adding that they are also securing cell sites and power plants, which had been previously targeted by the rebels.
Asked on the PNP’s evidence against Sison in connection with the murder of Kintanar and Tabara, Garcia said: “We are confident as far as our evidence against Joma is concerned.”
“However, the standard of evidence of the Dutch is different from the standard we are using in the Philippines,” said Garcia.
He added: “We are respecting the decision of the Dutch government in ordering the release of Joma Sison because they were saying that there was insufficient evidence to continue holding him in detention.”
Garcia said the PNP would be helping in the gathering of more evidence to prove the involvement of Sison in the killings.
“On the part of the Philippine government, if they (Dutch authorities) want additional evidence to further strengthen the case, then we will try to help,” he said.
On whether the PNP will directly coordinate with the Dutch government in the gathering of evidence against Sison, Garcia said: “We have people attending to that. Our National Security Adviser (Norberto Gonzales) will be in charge of that.” (VR/Sunnex)For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star General Santos. (September 16, 2007 issue)
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