Nagkasa ang gobyerno ng all-out war laban sa New People’s Army (NPA) na malinaw na isa nang banta sa pambansang seguridad, ayon kay Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana.
Sinabi ni Lorenzana na pupuntiryahin ng opensiba ng militar ang “armed component” ng Communist Party of the Philippines-National Democratic Front (CPP-NDF).
“It is an all-out war kasi they are considered by the President already as terrorists. We also consider them as terrorists,” sabi ni Lorenzana. “Malaking banta sila sa seguridad ng Pilipinas, ‘yung New People’s Army.”
Sinabi pa ng kalihim na walang kaibahan ang NPA sa Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) na naghahasik ng takot at nagsasagawa ng mga krimen laban sa mga inosente.
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“Ano bang pagkakaiba nila sa Abu Sayyaf? The Abu Sayyaf kidnap people and then they get money. The NPA will threaten those businessmen and also get money. There’s no difference at all,” paliwanag ni Lorenzana. “They are there to terrorize people, to giving them money, that’s extortion. So we will hunt them down and maybe stop them from doing what they are doing.”
NDF CONSULTANTS AARESTUHIN
Nilinaw naman kahapon ng Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) na dahil sinuspinde na ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte ang negosasyon sa CPP-NDF, wala nang bisa ang immunity sa pag-aresto sa lahat ng consultant ng komunistang grupo, alinsunod sa Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees or (JASIG).
Sa kabila nito, aminado si Lorenzana na posible pa ring ituloy ang usapang pangkapayapaan sa CPP-NDF, iginiit na:
“The government is open. That’s what I see in the pronouncement of the President when he said, ‘If there is compelling reason to go back to the negotiating table, then we’ll go back.”
HANDA SA SABAYANG GIYERA
Kasabay nito, nilinaw ng AFP-Public Affairs Office (PAO) na hindi maaapektuhan ng giyera laban sa NPA ang opensiba ng militar kontra ASG, Maute terror group at iba pang grupong terorista sa Mindanao.
“As of the moment we don’t see this (all-out-war kontra NPA) having any effect in our ongoing operations against the Abu Sayyaf in Sulu, Basilan and Tawi-Tawi and other terrorist groups in Central Mindanao,” sabi ni Marine Colonel Edgard Arevalo.
“Because we have sufficient personnel, equipment and units in these areas where the NPAs operate. It has also been part of our plans to have contingencies, I mean to plan for contingencies in the event that the peace process doesn’t succeed,” dagdag ni Arevalo.
ALERTO SA METRO MANILA
Isinailalim na rin ang National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) sa pinakamataas na security alert at defense status kaugnay ng posibleng pag-atake ng NPA sa Metro Manila.
Sinabi ni NCRPO Chief Director Oscar Albayalde na ipinag-utosn na niya ang mas masusing intelligence gathering upang mapigilan ang anumang pag-atake sa Metro Manila. (GENALYN D. KABILING, FRANCIS T. WAKEFIELD at AARON B. RECUENCO)
