WITH the series of atrocities perpetrated by the communist group in Davao Region, the Police Regional Office (PRO-Davao) is calling the New People’s Army (NPA) an “organized criminal group” as they no longer “adhere to their cause as a pro-people movement.”
PRO Davao regional director Police Brigadier General Filmore Escobal said Thursday, December 26, that the communist group has stooped to the level of criminals after being engaged in the series of alleged criminal offenses like murder, arson, harassment, robbery, extortion, and other organized criminal activities.
NPA, the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), celebrated its 51st founding anniversary yesterday, December 26. To counter the celebration, an indignation rally was conducted at the Freedom Park against the rebel group.
As a policeman, Escobal said they have witnessed the crimes perpetrated by the group and how they carry out their extortion activities that have long been hurting the business sector, affecting the source of livelihood of some Filipinos.
He said the purpose of the rally was to raise awareness and educate the public on the true color of the NPA.
Asked on his opinion on the recent statement of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio to exclude the city from the ceasefire noting that the rebels will only take advantage of the holiday truce, he said that he supports the request of the local chief executive.
Duterte-Carpio said the looming truce hinted by President Rodrigo Duterte will only threaten the gains of the government in the areas that are previously NPA-infested.
“For these terrorist organizations, sincerity is a strange word. To believe that they desire a peaceful end to the insurgency problem would be playing ignorant of their bloody habit — how they slaughtered countless civilians in the past and made many countryside communities suffer from poverty and underdevelopment, and blaming the government for it,” Duterte-Carpio said in a statement.
She added, “These groups manipulate and turn communities to rise against the government, propagate fear, inflict abuses, extort, and execute and murder civilians through its deranged brand of revolutionary justice.”
For his part, Escobal said the government should not negotiate with the “terrorist”, but since the national government has a different approach, he will adhere to the directive coming from the national headquarters.
He added that authorities have observed that although ceasefire has been in place, the NPAs continue to carry out atrocities against the people and the men in uniform, showing their lack of sincerity in the peace negotiation. (JCR)