DILG: No crackdown vs militant groups

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said Wednesday that there’s no crackdown against militant groups whose members were recently arrested during police raids.

“There is no crackdown [or] bagong kampanya [not a new campaign] this is just a warrant of arrest issued by a competent court in this case, the [Regional] Trial Court,” DILG Undersecretary and Spokesperson Jonathan Malaya told reporters in Manila City Hall.

“The arrests that were conducted in Bacolod were all by virtue of search warrants, and warrants of regional trial court so this is what they do all the time,” he added.

On Oct. 31, 40 persons were arrested while 14 children were “rescued” in a series of raids on 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 in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental.

On Nov. 5, police went to Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) office in Tondo, Manila and arrested three activists for alleged possession of illegal firearms and explosives.

Malaya added that the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) monitoring of communist leaders is part of the government’s mandate.

“Trabaho naman yun ng police na bantayan kaya nga may intelligence group ang police to monitor communist groups. [It is the police’s job to monitor, that is why they have an intelligence group to monitor communist groups.] These groups are out to overthrow the government yun yung gusto nila (that’s their goal) it would be difficult for the DILG not to monitor them,” Malaya said.

NCRPO previously said they are monitoring leaders of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) in the National Capital Region. NCRPO chief Brig. Gen. Debold Sinas, however, refused to disclose the identity of these leaders.

READ: Police monitoring communist leaders in Metro Manila