Tuesday, August 10, 2004 Police probe report on Reds' disarming of 2 cops By Jun Feliciano
POLICE Regional Office (PRO) 9 director Servando Hizon said he is looking into the report on the alleged disarming of two cops by New People's Army (NPA) guerrillas in Kumalarang, Zamboanga del Sur.
"I am personally looking into this incident," adding he (suspected) something strange going on in the area that needs his immediate attention, Hizon, when interviewed by Sun.Star Zamboanga declared.
"Ako muna ang bahala dito (I'll take charge of this first), as I smell something suspicious," Hizon stressed.
A military source from Southcom also confirmed receiving similar report on the incident, but that their troops in the area are still verifying the said report.
Hizon said the incident was reported some four days ago, stating that about 15 communist rebels operating in the area overwhelmed the police force deployed in the place and disarmed two policemen of their service firearms, consisting of two M-16 rifles, two .9mm pistols and their ammunitions.
It further stated that after disarming the two police officers, they fled to the village of Matutinag in the said town.
According to a source in the area, the insurgents in the place mounted the so-called "agaw-armas" campaign, as they ran short of weapons after their disgruntled comrades turned over their firearms to the military when they opted to return to the folds of the law this year.
Hizon suspected otherwise, as he doubted the incident could have been concocted, knowing for a fact that when the insurgents stage their offensive, they usually leave the place in disarray and claimed even lives of their enemies.
The Southern Command recently reported a big number of NPA surrenderees recorded this year here in Mindanao.
But their "Agaw-Armas" activities at present could not be confirmed, according to a military source when inquired by Sun.Star.
The CPP-NDF, whose arm wing is the New People Army (NPA), has presently stalled its latest peace talks with the national government when both peace panels disagreed on some contentious issues they discussed last July in Oslo, Norway.
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