Mandaue steps up monitoring vs NPA
CEBU, Philippines — The Mandaue City government has heightened its monitoring and surveillance activities in the grassroots level following the arrest of six suspected communist rebels, among them a 17-year-old resident of the city, in Mabinay town, Negros Oriental last March 3.
Mayor Gabriel Luis Quisumbing said the security assets have been mobilized to protect the city’s constituents, especially the young ones, from the recruitment and exploitation of rebel groups.
"We hope that we will be able to identify, and we will be able to intercept those who are trying to use, trying to recruit minors as combatants," he said.
Of the six suspected members of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPA), two of them are minors, both male and both 17 years old. One is a resident of Barangay Labogon in Mandaue City, Cebu and the other is from Kabankalan City in Negros Occidental.
The other one was 21-year-old Myles Albasin, a fresh Mass Communication graduate of the University of the Philippines in Cebu and a native of Cagayan de Oro.
The mayor is “extremely concerned” that the arrested “militant” from his city might have recruited minors to join radical causes.
"It is especially bothersome if minors are being called upon as combatants," Quisumbing said.
Moreover, the mayor said the city remains safe from terrorists.
He said there is no imminent threat in the city based on police reports, but said it would be unwise for the city not to be cautious enough.
He urged the public to be vigilant and report any suspicious activities to authorities.
"Be that as it may, it’s imprudent for the city to let its guard down. Just because there is no current threat, it does not mean there is no threat," he said.
Quisumbing added that they will continue gathering intelligence information and continue preparing the communities for possible terror attacks.
"We will make sure that we are able to exhaust every effort to make sure that no attack can happen in the City of Mandaue," he said. (FREEMAN)
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