Police Colonel Engelbert Soriano. | CDN Digital Photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines –Police Colonel Engelbert Soriano, the director of the Cebu Police Provincial Office (CPPO), said that he is not discounting the possibility that there is presence of members of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Cebu province.
Soriano issued the statement after a member of the Citizen Armed Forces Geographical Unit (Cafgu) was killed in Quezon province last June 5, 2021 by members of the NPA.
He said that Cebu province is considered as a White Area opposite to Negros Oriental and Bohol provinces, which are categorized as Red Areas. But he is not taking any chances.
“A ‘White Area’ is a town, city, province or region where there’s no record or report of any armed conflict or confrontations between the government forces and the CPP NPA NDF but it does not mean their absence in the area. They may be engaged in recruitment, propaganda, agitation, and similar activities except that of armed encounters with the PNP or AFP,” Soriano said.
Withholding the specific directives they follow in monitoring the possible presence of NPAs in the Cebu province, Soriano assured the public that they are addressing this concern.
“We are very much monitoring the situation,” he said.
He said the provincial police is constantly monitoring their presence with the help of the community, and that their anti-communist terrorists campaign has been active since.
Soriano said they are overwhelmed with the support they are receiving from the community in their programs against criminality and terrorism. He was referring to the Kabataan Kontra Droga at Terorismo (KKDAT), a program allowing the youth to take part in their campaign and take them away from the possible involvement in any illegal activities.
READ: CPPO hopes KKDAT will be a vital sidekick in the fight against crime
According to Soriano, the two main purposes of this program is to encourage the youth to participate in their activities and insulate them from the radicalization efforts of the communist groups and to influence others in their communities to support the objectives of the program.
“Inemphasize ko na hindi lang ito ginagawa ng kabataan natin para sa PNP. Ginagawa din ito para sa kanilang sarili, sa kanilang pamilya, at sa community kung saan sila na bayan o barangay na nakatira,” Soriano said.
(I just want to emphasize that the youth is not doing this for the PNP. They are doing this for their own good, for their families, and the community where they belong.)
Soriano said they are pushing their efforts in expanding their recruitment for the KKDAT. He also said that the civilian communities and other sectors in Cebu have been backing their programs against all forms of criminalities, including terrorism.
/bmjo