By Ronron
March 30, 2008
The 39th anniversary of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) on Saturday lapsed without any reported untoward incident, the police and military declared on Sunday.
According to Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesman Sr. Supt. Nicanor Bartolome, the incidents involving communist rebels actually happened days before their anniversary.
But more are expected in the coming days, or within two weeks starting last Saturday, warned Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Deputy Chief for Operations Brig. Gen. Roland Detabali.
“There was no untoward incident on their anniversary. Normally, they celebrate it two weeks before or after (their anniversary day itself),” Detabali told Manila Shimbun in a phone interview.
“There was nothing untoward during the period of March 29, during their anniversary. The situation was okay nationwide,” echoed Bartolome in a separate phone interview yesterday.
Bartolome attributed the zero NPA atrocity rate last Saturday to the joint preparations of the PNP and the AFP.
It can be recalled that the PNP went on full alert, and the AFP on blue alert at 6pm last Friday in anticipation of offensives by the communist rebels as they celebrate their founding anniversary.
“The PNP was ready. In fact, even the AFP was also prepared to meet any eventuality. Both agencies were on their guard,” Bartolome said.
Hours before the NPA anniversary, two incidents of NPA atrocities happened separately in Camarines Sur and Compostela Valley provinces, belated reports reaching the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City showed yesterday.
The first incident happened at around 2:15 pm last Friday in Compostela Valley, resulting in the death of a barangay captain.
According to the police report, six armed rebels, led by Commanders Jinggoy and Jazzy, barged inside the residence of Barangay Captain Nelson Sam-o at Purok 9, Barangay San Jose in Monkayo town.
Sam-o and his wife were having lunch then when the guerillas, wearing camouflage military uniforms, arrived, the report said.
After forcibly dragging Sam-o, the rebels shot him at close range and went on to cart away one M16 rifle, one caliber 45 pistol, and one carbine rifle. It was learned that Samo-o is a para-military personnel.
The report said the six rebels who stormed Sam-o’s house were backed up with more than 20 others who were just stationed outside.
Four hours later, or at 6:15pm, another incident involving the NPA happened in Nabua town, Camarines Sur, resulting in the death of a suspected communist rebel, another police report said.
The report said that elements of the Philippine Army’s 42nd Infantry Battalion were conducting combat patrol at Barangay Franciso of said town when they encountered around eight fully armed rebels.
Firefight lasted for about 30 minutes, resulting in the death of an unidentified rebel and the recovery from said fatality of an M16 rifle, the report said.
The report said the cadaver of the slain rebel was brought to the Bula Municipal Police Station for proper documentation.
Bartolome, meanwhile, said the PNP will maintain its full alert status nationwide even after the NPA anniversary as a matter of standard operating procedure when the President of the country leaves.
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo left for Hongkong on Sunday afternoon to speak at an investment conference there. She will be back on Tuesday./DMS
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