Military, police confirm some local officials support NPA rebels

Military and police officials yesterday confirmed that some local officials are "wittingly or unwittingly" helping the communist rebels operating in the province of Cebu.

Senior Supt. Lani-O Nerez, Police Regional Office-7 deputy regional director for operations, revealed the information during a meeting with Governor Gwendolyn Garcia at the Capitol to discuss the insurgency problem in the province following the recent rebel offensive in Tuburan which claimed the lives of three military men.

Lt. Col. Jesus Alvarez, commanding officer of the 78th Infantry Battalion, said that some local officials are forced to help the New People's Army for fear of their lives because of threats.

Some local officials admitted they received demands from the NPA to pay revolutionary tax and payment for a permit to campaign during election time.

Argao Mayor Wilfredo Caminero said that the NPA demanded from him during the last elections payment for permit to be able to campaign in areas the NPA claimed to be under its control.

Garcia herself admitted for the first time that the NPA also demanded a huge amount of money from her during the campaign. Both Garcia and Caminero said they did not give in to the demand. Garcia yesterday asked for the names of the local officials supporting the NPA, but the police and the military requested for an executive session, which the governor immediately scheduled last night.

Further, Garcia said they need to know who the people in government are supporting the insurgents to be able to fight the problem effectively. Garcia pointed out that the fight against insurgency would never succeed if the enemy is from within.

Garcia called the chiefs of police and the mayors from the municipalities, mostly in the mid-north area and a component city identified to be infiltrated by the NPA, to a meeting at the Capitol yesterday to discuss the problem.

Cebu Provincial Police chief Vicente Loot requested the different municipalities to pass an ordinance regulating the seminars and teach-in activities conducted by identified front organizations of the NPA in the barangays. - Fred P. Languido