PNP on high alert for CPP anniversary

The Philippine National Police high command has alerted all police regional offices and national operating units for possible attacks by the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), which will celebrate its 53rd founding anniversary on Sunday.

“The CPP and its armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA) are known to stage armed offensive actions to drumbeat commemoration of significant dates in the underground communist organization,” Gen. Dionardo Carlos, chief of the PNP, said in a statement on Saturday.

Historically, Carlos said, communist rebels mount “high-profile tactical engagements” against government forces every Dec. 26 and March 26, which are the CPP and NPA’s founding anniversaries respectively.

The Special Action Force, the PNP’s national maneuver force and all 17 regional mobile force battalions nationwide were put on the highest alert. —Dexter Cabalza