THE Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO) has reported that some residents in Mandaue City posted placards in various places in the city criticizing the New People’s Army (NPA), the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines.
MCPO director PCol. Jonathan Abella told SunStar Cebu that they did not detect any armed forces present in the city.
However, Mandaue City is tagged as a white area. This means there is a tendency for the recruitment of new NPA fighters in the area.
The placards are reportedly posted in barangays Cubacub, Guizo, Subangdaku, Tabok and Tingub.
Although the placards have been sighted in these barangays, Abella clarified that recruitment happens not only in those areas but in all barangays in Mandaue City, particularly where the urban poor are present.
Considering that Mandaue City is an industrial city, Abella said these recruiters usually recruit workers in the industries and look for loopholes in the management.
With that, they initiate rallies against the management and eventually recruit these workers, said Abella.
“Especially now that many have lost their jobs, they’re taking advantage of that,” said Abella.
He is grateful that some residents expressed their opposition to local terrorism, which shows they are one with the Duterte administration in preventing the NPA from taking hold in communities nationwide.
Abella said they have reported this incident to their higher office and are waiting for its directive.
He also said it is up to the residents if they want to remove the placards or not.
“Anyway, it’s not against the government. It’s against the NPA,” said Abella.
He said the presence of the placards is okay so long as they don’t obstruct passageways. (KFD)