MANILA, Philippines - The former members of the notorious hit squad Alex Boncayao Brigade (ABB) have tied up with the so-called Balik Islam groups, prompting security forces to raise alarm in Metro Manila, a top police official revealed yesterday.
National Capital Region Police Office chief Director Oscar Albayalde said intelligence reports revealed the new alignments between the ABB and the Balik Islam, a group of supposed converts to the Islamic faith.
“(They are) continuously being monitored by our intelligence operatives, both from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP),” Albayalde said in a briefing at Malacañang.
Albayalde identified the Maharlika Village in Taguig and Baseco Compound in Manila as the possible lairs of the groups.
“That is a possibility, although there is nothing we have monitored so far. But then again, we have to conduct these target-hardening measures to prevent any untoward incident for this ASEAN meeting,” he said, referring to the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations’ ministerial meetings in Manila.
“Yes, we have monitored a few of them who converted into Balik Islam,” he said.
Albayalde made the revelation in the process of outlining the security measures being prepared by the PNP for the Aug. 2 to 8 ASEAN ministerial meetings in Manila.
Albayalde, however, downplayed the possibility that the groups are going to attack the ASEAN ministerial meetings. He also doubted the groups are capable of assassinating President Duterte.
“We are monitoring some groups who are actually present here in Metro Manila, who are Balik Islam and other former members of the ABB who suspectedly joined Islam. So these are all being monitored in relation to this meeting,” he said, noting the potent threat posed by the emerging group which has came back onto the radar of the police intelligence community.
Albayalde said the strength of the ABB has been declining in the past years.
Formed in 1984 by the former New People’s Army (NPA) leader Felimon “Popoy” Lagman, the ABB was originally the faction of the Manila Rizal Committee of the NPA.
It espoused urban terrorism and liquidation efforts against their enemies. In 1997, the group’s leadership was turned over to the faction of Nilo dela Cruz.
Albayalde added that the ABB members are “probably looking for another group that would support them.”
“As of this time, we cannot divulge their identities. So, these are all being monitored by our intelligence operatives,” he said.
He recognized that many ABB leaders have surrendered during the past administration. Some surrendered while others went back to the fold of the law, Albayalde said.
Noting the members of the Maute group which seized Marawi City were Balik Islam practitioners, Albayalde assured the public the martial law declaration will not be forcibly used against the rebels as a result of the recent intelligence information.
Albayalde said they have “no confirmation whatsoever” if the Islamic extremists and the Communist Party of the Philippines-NPA have joined forces.
Elsewhere, the NPA owned up to the killing of six policemen in Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental last week.
A certain Ka JB Regalado, spokesman of the NPA’s Leonardo Panaligan Command, said the six policemen were legitimate targets.
Regalado, however, denied claims that the policemen were also divested of valuable items, except for four cellular phones, which he said the rebels could get valuable information.
The police, on the other hand, figured in a firefight with NPA rebels in Agusan del Norte yesterday.
Troops from the PNP-Caraga Regional Public Safety Command intercepted some 20 heavily armed NPA rebels near a military checkpoint in Barangay Tagcatong, Carmen town.
The rebels withdrew after almost an hour of battle with government troops, dragging their wounded comrades to the mountains of Agusan del Norte and Misamis Oriental provinces, officials said. – Christina Mendez, Gilbert Bayoran, Ben Serrano