THE Cagayan de Oro City Police Office (Cocpo) will receive an augmentation force from the Police Regional Office (PRO)-Northern Mindanao to address concerns over the cited presence of the New People's Army (NPA) and other armed groups in the city’s hinterland villages.
Cocpo spokesperson Chief Inspector Mardy Hortillosa II said Tuesday, February 7, that two teams from the Regional Public Safety Battalion (RPSB) will augment the strength of Police Station 8 in Lumbia village.
Hortillosa also said Cocpo has received the directive from Camp Crame to intensify minor and major internal security operation against the NPA while police stations and patrol bases of the public safety company will intensify their defense strategies to prevent harassment by the left group.
Hortillosa added the city police were ordered by the PRO-Northern Mindanao to strengthen intelligence monitoring and to prepare for possible harassment and attacks by the NPA.
"Lig-onon nato ang pwersa sa kapolisan para dili ta maharas sa mga armed group (We will strengthen our force so we won't be harassed by the armed group)," Hortillosa said.
Hortillosa said the police and the military held a joint meeting last week for the conduct of prophylactic patrolling in the areas where the rebel group is monitored.
Cocpo has also requested the Cagayan de Oro City Government through the peace and order council for additional army soldiers in the uptown villages.
"Gatabok-tabok mana ang NPA sa boundary sa CDO, Bukidnon, and Lanao del Sur so nag-request ta dugang presence sa army aside sa augmentation sa RPSB (The NPA cross borders of Cagayan de Oro, Bukidnon and Lanao del Sur so we requested additional presence of the army aside from the augmentation of RPSB)," Hortillosa said.
Over the weekend, President Rodrigo Duterte labeled the NPA rebels as terrorist following several atrocities and attacks perpetrated by the rebel group.
Hortillosa said the police are also tracking the possible whereabouts of Alfredo Mapano, one of the peace consultants of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines in the peace talks, including all others on the list of peace negotiators.
Mapano was detained at the Misamis Oriental Provincial Jail before he was freed on August 17, 2016 to attend the peace talks in Norway.
“Basi sa pronouncement ni President gi-directahan ta to arrest them like si Mapano nga diri sa ato apil na pud tong uban kung cited ilang presence diri. Gipaabot pa namo ang listahan. Mangita ta og pamaagi para maaresto si Mapano (Based on the pronouncement of the President, we were directed to arrest them like Mapano if their presence is cited here. We are still waiting for the list. We will find a way to arrest Mapano),” Hortillosa said.
Hortillosa said that they will also wait for the exact order whether the arrest will be based on arrest warrant to be issued by the court.