Police monitoring communist leaders in Metro Manila

NCRPO director Brig. Gen. Debold Sinas answers questions from members of the media during a press briefing on Tuesday, November 5, 2019, at the Kamuning Police Station in Quezon City. INQUIRER.net photo / Noy Morcoso

MANILA, Philippines — The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) has been monitoring leaders of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) in Metro Manila.

This was revealed Tuesday by NCRPO Acting Director Brig. Gen. Debold Sinas, but he refused to identify who these alleged communist leaders are.

According to Sinas, even units from the Philippine National Police (PNP) headquarters are monitoring these personalities in coordination with the military’s Joint Task Force-NCR. He also said NCRPO has a “special unit” for this task.

“We are monitoring them. Once we know that they are here for something or bringing illegal firearms, then we serve [a search warrant],” he said in a press briefing at the Kamuning Police Station in Quezon City.

Sinas likewise disclosed that monitoring of alleged CPP leaders in Metro Manila has been going on even before he was designated to NCRPO in October.

“Alam niyo na kung saan ‘yung mga leaders (You know where the leaders are). You know it,” he said when asked for clues on the personalities he was referring to.

Sinas claimed communist leaders would normally go to Metro Manila instead of hiding in the mountains with New People’s Army (NPA) fighters.

“Since it’s the center, ‘yung mga leaders ay nandito. We are expecting it naman. Wala naman sa bundok ‘yung mga leaders. Nasa city ang mga leaders. Takot lang n’yan pumunta sa bundok,” he said.

(Since it’s the center, the leaders are here. We are expecting it. The leaders are not in the mountains. They are in the city. They are afraid of going to the mountains.)

On October 31, 40 persons were arrested while 14 children were “rescued” in a series of raids in the offices of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan), Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), Anakpawis, and Gabriela in Barangay Bata, as well the National Federation of Sugarcane Workers (NFSW) office in Barangay Taculing, and at a house in Barangay 33, all in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental.

PNP officer-in-charge Lt. Gen. Archie Gamboa said the police will build a case to prove that these groups are supporting the communist movement.

Three more activists were arrested for alleged possession of guns and an explosive in a raid in a Bayan office in Tondo, Manila.

Progressive groups have condemned state forces for red-tagging activists and legitimate non-government organizations, calling it a retaliatory attack for their criticism of the Duterte administration. /kga