MANILA, Philippines—The latest raid by communist rebels on a provincial police outpost where a junior officer was taken hostage has prompted the Philippine National Police (PNP) to go on the offensive against the New People’s Army (NPA).
PNP chief Director General Nicanor Bartolome said that since the military was responsible for counter-insurgency operations, police forces had taken on a “passive” role even though they have been targets of NPA raids like the one in Tigbao, Zamboanga Del Sur, last April 9.
In his command conferences this week with top police commanders in the Visayas and Mindanao, Bartolome directed the police to go on “law enforcement-driven operations” against NPA rebels engaged in extortion, robbery, kidnapping, homicide or murder.
“We agreed among the different regional directors to be on the offensive and not just be passive and react to situations. And therefore we will concentrate on the activities on the NPA particularly on extortion,” Bartolome told reporters in Camp Crame on Friday.
He stressed that they would “concentrate on law enforcement” as against the military’s combat operations.
“We want to be active and not just passive. (Currently) we’re just reacting,” Bartolome admitted.
The PNP chief issued the directive after he flew to Tigbao, Zamboanga Del Sur, following the April 9 raid on the remote police station.
Rebels caught the policemen on duty by surprise by posing as soldiers. The rebels seized eight long firearms and a handgun and took captive Police Officer 2 Juhali Faisal as a human shield for their escape.
“We want to get him safe. So that’s the primary consideration now although we are doing offensives against (the rebels),” Bartolome said.
He said the raid could have been avoided “if only we can have a closer discussion with the Armed Forces especially, since most of the attacks are done by (the rebels’) disguising themselves as members of security forces.”
He instructed all police units especially those in the hinterlands to coordinate with the military to ensure mutual support in case of a rebel attack, and to intensify their intelligence network.
He said they would rely on security “maneuver units” to patrol police detachments in the hinterlands, while local police would focus on securing urban or developed areas from rebel harassment.
“That’s why we’re trying to strengthen the capability of our maneuver units because they are our first-line of defense when it comes to insurgency. Our maneuver units will be patrolling areas where there are reports of NPA buildup,” Bartolome said.