PNP, AFP starting talks on Duterte’s specialized unit vs NPA

The Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) have started discussions on the specialized unit that will target members of the New People’s Army (NPA).

PNP Chief Director General Oscar Albayalde said on Thursday that talks are already ongoing between the two agencies so they can readily launch the unit when President Rodrigo Duterte officially gives his green light.

“Actually we have acted on it because we are starting to talk with the Armed Forces of the Philippines so that if we have the go signal, then we can launch this,” he said in an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel.

Albayalde maintained that members of the specialized unit will only be composed of qualified members.

“As I have said we will be strict in [the] vetting [process],” he said.

READ: PNP: Members of Duterte ‘death squad’ should be qualified

He said, however, that they have not received a directive yet from the President.

He also said the PNP and the AFP still have to identify which of the two agencies will have control over the said group.

Duterte earlier said he might be forced to create his own Sparrow unit, referring to the hit squad of the NPA that became notorious for assassinating policemen and soldiers during the term of former President Ferdinand Marcos.

He said the unit, which he dubbed as “Duterte Death Squad,” would be composed of armed civilians who would be posted in public places including transport terminals to target prospective members of the NPA. /je

READ: Duterte says he’ll form death squads vs Reds