PNP chief: NPA’s Sparrow Unit is nonexistent for three years now

Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Oscar Albayalde on Saturday said there are no more activities coming from the Sparrow Unit of the New People’s Army (NPA) and claimed that the hit squad’s last monitored existence was three years ago.

“Wala na po tayong namomonitor. Although, may mga incidents the past three years kung di ako magkamali, may mga killings naitatalaga mga 136 accordingly. Pero monitored po yan [at] talagang matagal ng wala ang Sparrow Unit,” Albayalde told local radio station, DZBB.

(We have not seen any incidents of Sparrow Units anymore. Although, there are incidents in the past three years, if I am not mistaken, there were almost 136 killings recorded accordingly. But we monitor them and they no longer exist.)

This reaction came after President Rodrigo Duterte planned to create a “death squad” that would match NPA’s Sparrow Unit, which were active during the Marcos regime.

When asked what prompted Duterte to initiate the death squad, Albayalde claimed that the violent incidents in various provinces has triggered the President to create such plan.

“Meron pong mga pinanggagalingan ang ating Presidente. Yung mga series of incidents like yung sa Bicol [region] […] yung Sagay massacre. Sa Bicol yung ambush ng PNP. Ito po yung nagtrigger most probably sa ating Pangulo,” he said.

(We understand where the President is coming from. The series of incidents like what happened in the Bicol region and the Sagay massacre. In Bicol, the ambush of PNP. These incidents most probably have triggered the President.)

Albayalde was referring to the killings of nine sugar cane farmers in Sagay City, Negros Occidental and the ambush of a convoy carrying Food and Drug Administration Director General Nela Charade Puno in Camarines Sur.

Albayalde added that they still need to communicate with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on the plan to create a death squad.

“Unang una wala pa tayong nakuhang direktiba diyan. Magusap kami ng AFP kung matutuloy yan. Kailangan pa natin pagusapan kung yan ay sa sundalo o PNP,” he said.

(First of all, we have not yet received any directives regarding that plan. We still need to talk with the AFP if it would be pursued. We need to decide if it would be managed by the soldiers or the PNP.)