MANILA, Philippines — The two “high-ranking” communist rebel leaders killed in a recent encounter with government forces in Quezon City were allegedly part of communist “special teams” tasked to liquidate President Rodrigo Duterte and other officials.
Interior Secretary Eduardo Año made this claim Saturday, two days after Eleuterio Agmaliw and Freddie Daileg figured in a shootout with policemen and soldiers who were to serve warrants of arrest against the two for destructive arson, murder, frustrated murder, and rebellion in their supposed safe house in Novaliches.
Authorities said Agmaliw and Daileg engaged arresting personnel in a gunfight. Also killed in the operation was Lucio Carbonel, owner of the safe house and the alleged contact of the New People’s Army (NPA) leaders in Metro Manila. Recovered from the scene of the encounter were three firearms, including an M16 rifle, and a grenade.
NPA is the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).
READ: 3 alleged NPA rebels die in shootout with cops, soldiers in QC
“These NPA leaders are part of the special teams directed by the CPP leadership to assassinate senior government officials that include the President. But we got to them first and we will not stop until every one of them is arrested and brought before the bar of justice,” Año said in a statement.
To recall, Maj. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr., deputy chief of staff for civil-military operations of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, earlier revealed that the CPP has launched a plot to kill government officials leading the Duterte administration’s anti-insurgency campaign.
Also among those in the alleged NPA hit list were Parlade, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr., National Commission on Indigenous People’s chairman Allen Capuyan, and Año himself.
READ: Sison: So-called NPA hit list with Duterte on it ‘psy war’ of anti-peace talks execs
According to Año, special composite teams of state forces have been deployed to hunt down members of NPA’s Special Partisan Unit that were reportedly instructed by CPP to kill those in the hit list ahead of the communist group’s 51st founding anniversary on December 26.
“As I promised, we will get you first even before you get near us. There is no safe place for you in Metro Manila and in any urban center around the country. Kaya kung ako sa inyo, sumuko na kayo habang hindi pa huli ang lahat (If I were you, just surrender before everything gets too late),” he said.
READ: Año to NPA assassins: We will get you first