Hunt on for CPP-NPAs with arrest warrants

Gen. Rey Leonardo Guerrero, Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff, (right with flag) leads the turnover of command ceremony at the Central Command (Centcom) headquarters with Maj. Gen. Paul Atal (left) as the new acting Centcom chief, replacing Lt. Gen. Oscar Lactao, (center) who is set to retire this month.
CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA

New Centcom chief appeals to rebs: Return to folds of law

The hunt is on.

Chief Supt. Jose Mario Espino, Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) chief, said on Friday that the police would conduct manhunt operations against members of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA), who have existing warrants of arrest.

This developed amid recent move of the government to brand the CPP-NPA as a terrorist organization.

Espino clarified on Friday that the PNP has the power to arrest CPP-NPA members with arrest warrants and not the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

“Those CPP-NPA members with existing warrants of arrest will be subjects of our man-hunt operations,” said Espino.

All PNP units are expected to conduct and implement an operation if there are persons with existing warrants of arrest in the area.

Col. Medel Aguilar, Centcom spokesman, agreed with Espino.

Aguilar said that the AFP-Central Command (AFP-Centcom) would support the PRO-7 once they would serve the warrants of arrest against the members of the CPP-NPA.

Medel told Cebu Daily News in an interview that they could give assistance to the police in arresting the rebels especially since the rebels are armed groups usually hiding in forests.

“Maibibigay natin sa kanila (police) is number one yung intelligence information, and pangalawa is yung force. Kung kinakailangan nila (police) to suppress yung resisting force (of the NPAs). We can expect some of them (rebels) to fight back, ” Aguilar said.

“(We can provide police with intelligence information and the force needed to suppress resisting force of the NPAs. We can expect them (rebels) to fight back.)”

New Centcom chief

Meanwhile, Maj. Gen. Paul Atal, the newly installed AFP-Centcom acting commander, called on members of the CPP-NPA to return to the folds of the law and become law-abiding citizens so that the country could achieve true and lasting peace.

Atal made his appeal during the turnover ceremony at the Centcom headquarters on Friday.

Atal took over the helm of Centcom, replacing Lt. Gen. Oscar Lactao, who is set to retire from nearly four decades of military service.

He said he would make suppressing insurgency as his priority by strengthening the counter-insurgency programs and operations in the region.

He also said that he would maintain peace and development in the region through constant communication with local government units, state agencies, non-government organizations and other stakeholders.

“Our goal is to (synchronize) LGUs with the campaigns of the AFP. The military cannot do it alone (when it comes to) territorial defense,” said Atal.

He also called on law enforcers and soldiers to step up in fighting cybercrime.

“Our armed forces must thrive to be responsive, and adaptive to technological changes with emerging major threats on cybersecurity,” he said.

Gen. Rey Leonardo Guerrero, AFP Chief of Staff, who lauded Lactao for his nearly four decades of serving the military, also assured Centcom soldiers and employees that they were in good hands with Atal at the helm./With Reporter Nestle L. Semilla