Cagayan politician reviving hit squads?

TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan — Military authorities in this province are investigating reports that a politician in Cagayan province has revived a hit squad formed two years ago allegedly from the ranks of the New People’s Army (NPA) in preparation for the 2004 elections.

A reliable source from the Army’s 5th infantry division based in Gumi town, this province cited reports that the NPA has activated "sparrow units" particularly in this city.

"I think it has something to do with preparations for the next local elections and we are looking into reports that a politician in the region could be behind it," said the source who asked not to be named. He also said that the Cagayan politician is known to have links with the NPA.

Earlier, the NPA in Calumpit, Bulacan issued a statement also confirming that a politician in Cagayan has been maintaining a hit squad, even as it admitted having meted the "death penalty" on its former Luis Reyes alias Ka Allan or Ka Kulit on Jan. 24 for his alleged involvement in the hit squad. The source also said that military investigators are still looking into the involvement of the same Cagayan politician in the killing of Gov. Rodolfo Aguinaldo two years ago. "The NPA admitted responsibility for the killing of Aguinaldo for his alleged crimes against the people, but we believe that the politician could have been involved," the source said.

The NPA’s killing of Reyes in Calumpit has led military authorities to believe that the politician has again activated his hit squad. "We have reports that sparrow units of the NPA have been activated again in Tuguegarao City and this could have something to do with the nearing elections," the source said.

The NPA, however, has denied involvement in any gun-for-hire activities. In its statement issued from Calumpit, the NPA said that the "people’s court" meted the death penalty against Reyes for his alleged "involvement in a liquidation squad under a Cagayan politician as well as for other criminal activities."

"A team of red warriors of the NPA meted the death penalty to Luis Reyes, alias Ka Allan or Ka Kulit, last Jan. 24, in accordance with the judgment and order of the People’s Court," said the statement furnished The Star by the operational command of the NPA in the southern part of Bulacan. The statement was written in Filipino.

But the military source insisted that Reyes was an active NPA member when he was killed. "He could have been moonlighting that’s why he was killed," the source also said.

The NPA clarified reports that Reyes used to be a top rebel leader. He was "a former simple NPA member in Bulacan in the mid-1980’s, contrary to published reports that he was a top NPA leader in Central Luzon."