PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) Chief Guillermo Eleazar on Sunday October 31, put all police units on heightened alert over possible retaliation attacks of the New People’s Army (NPA) following the death of its top leader Jorge Madlos.
“The PNP is one with our brothers in the Armed Forces of the Philippines in curbing the lawless activities and atrocities of the communist rebels that bring fear and terror to our communities. The entire PNP hails this successful operation as a big blow to the CPP/NPA/NDF (National Democratic Front of the Philippines,” Eleazar said.
“Kasabay nito, ipinag-utos ko sa ating kapulisan na mas maging alerto sa posibleng retaliatory attacks ng mga rebelde upang ipaghiganti ang pagkamatay ng isa sa kanilang matataas na pinuno. Tinitiyak ko sa publiko na hindi namin ito hahayaan. Patuloy ang pakikipagugnayan namin sa AFP upang siguruhin ang kaligtasan ng ating mga kababayan,” he added.
(Along with this, I ordered the police units to be on alert for possible retaliatory attacks of the rebels, who may avenge the death of their top leader. I assure you that we will not let it happen. We are coordinating with the AFP to ensure the public’s safety.)
Madlos and another communist rebel were killed in a gunfight with soldiers in the mountains of Impasugong, Bukidnon on Saturday morning, October 30, 2021.
Eleazar said may Madlos’s death serves as a warning to remaining communist rebels that the government will not stop its efforts to finish the armed movement.
He urged the rebels to surrender to authorities and mend their ways.
“Nawa’y magsilbing eye-opener ito sa ating mga natitirang kababayang rebelde na hindi sagot ang pag-alsa at karahasan sa mga suliranin sa ating lipunan. Ang kailangan ay ang ating pagkakaisa at pagtutulungan bilang isang lahi, at bilang mga Pilipinong nagmamahal sa ating Inang Bayan,” Eleazar said.
(This may serve as an eye-opener to rebels that revolting and violence are not answers to problems in our society. What is needed is our unity as Filipinos who love our country.)
“Matagal na at patuloy ang ating pagkukumbinsi sa ating mga rebeldeng kababayan na magbalik-loob na sa pamahalaan at sa katunayan ay makailang beses na ipinaabot ng Armed Forces of the Philippines ang kagustuhang maipagamot si Ginoong Madlos matapos malaman na meron siyang iniindang problema sa kalusugan,” he added.
(We have been convincing the rebels to return to the fold of the law and in fact, the Armed Forces of the Philippines have expressed several times their willingness to have Mr. Madlos treated after learning that he has health problems.)
Madlos was the commander and spokesperson of the NPA’s national operations command and spokesperson of the National Democratic Front in Mindanao who has standing criminal charges for murder, multiple murders with double frustrated murder, robbery with double homicide and damage to properties. (SunStar Philippines)