PALO, Leyte- Just like their counterparts in the Armed Forces, soldiers in the region are also in full alert for any possible attack coming from the rebel group, the New People’s Army.
This was disclosed by Chief Supt. Elmer Beltejar, police regional director, who said that he had already directed all police stations to be on alert.
He also said that local police forces were augmented to ensure that in case of a rebel attack, police forces would not be outnumbered or at a disadvantage situation.
“We have strengthened our different police stations by augmenting them of personnel from the Police Public Safety Company and at the same time, support system of the Army,” Beltejar said.
The full red alert came in the wake of the declaration of President Rodrigo Duterte to end the peace talks with the communist group after the NPA attacked soldiers in Mindanao despite of the then ongoing peace talks.
Beltejar instructed his men that in case their station is being raided by the rebels, they should stand their grounds and fight back and ensure their safety as well.
“I always remind them to always carry their guns and by all means defend their police stations,” he said.
He recalled an incident at the policed station in Balangkayan, Eastern Samar in 2016 wherein 17 service firearms were carted away by the rebels during a raid.
Meantime, Colonel Francisco Mendoza, commanding officer of the 802nd Infantry Brigade, in a separate interview, said that police stations and military camps are considered as soft targets by the NPA members.
The army official said that rebels in Leyte are no longer capable of staging a massive attack but could attack vital facilities of law enforcement groups.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
