NOCPPO in full alert; 31 Negros Occidental police stations under threat of rebels attacks

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines —  All the 31 police stations in Negros Occidental are deemed under threat of possible New People’s Army attacks, prompting the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (NOCPPO) to be under full alert status.

This was the assessment of Senior Superintendent Rodolfo Castil, director of NOCPPO, as he confirmed the reports that some persons, upon orders of the NPA, have conducted surveillance on some police stations in the province.

Castil said a person, who was recently caught in the act of taking pictures inside the Cadiz City Police Station, admitted to have been tasked by the NPA to do it. He said the NPA may have been waiting an opportunity to hit any of the Negros Occidental police stations

In the past several months, policemen had been the favorite targets of a series of ambushes by the NPA, including those assigned in Guihulngan City of Negros Oriental, and Cauayan town of Negros Occidental.

Late last week, Army soldiers seized two NPA camps in two remote barangays of Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental, after a series of armed skirmishes with the rebel group.

Castil shared the assessment of the Philippine Army that the two NPA camps seized may have been the staging areas for the tactical offensives of communist rebels in Negros island.

The Communist Party of the Philippines, political wing of the NPA, is marking its 49th founding anniversary on December 26, which is usually being celebrated by the rebel movement through tactical offensives.

Lieutenant Colonel Darryl Bañes, 62nd Infantry Battalion commander, said he believed that they were able to foil terroristic plans of the CPP-NPA in Negros.

There were indications that Frank Fernandez, secretary of the Komiteng Rehiyonal-Negros, and Juanito Magbanua, regional commander of the NPA, may have been among those who fled from the seized rebel camps, Bañes added. (FREEMAN)