NPA claims growing numbers in Benguet

BENGUET, Philippines — New People's Army guerrillas in Benguet claim Tuesday evening’s ‘bloodless raid’ on a police sub-station in Buguias, which police say did not happen, proves its growing numbers in the province.

 

“This is proof that the New People’s Army is growing ever stronger. It is growing ever stronger in Benguet,” Ka Greg, commander of the NPA in Benguet said after the Cordillera police’s insistence that what happened was “pure robbery and intimidation” by armed men.

 

The NPA commander, however, did not disclose how many rebels are presently under his command.

 

Chief Superintendent Elmo Sarona, regional police chief, in refuting the Benguet NPAs said, (it) “was a plain robbery with intimidation as the PNP personnel was robbed of his belongings by unidentified persons who were aboard a UV express van while in the company of two unarmed [barangay watchmen] during implementation of municipal ordinance on Curfew and Liquor Ban in the area.”

 

Ka Greg said it was "laughable that the police force which is supposed to protect citizens from crime admits to being unable to protect its own police station from crime?" He said Sarona's claim is a "flimsy excuse ... to cover up his police force’s rottenness and corruption that is the true reason why the raid was conducted."

 

The guerrillas claim that the Jennifer Cariño Command-New People’s Army-Benguet barged into the police sub-station on Tuesday evening and took a pistol, ammunition magazines, a hand grenade, two radios and uniforms.

 

Sarona, who denied the raid happened, acknowledged that armed men took P15,000 in cash, a police-issued Beretta pistol, four pistol magazines and 61 bullets. 

 

The NPA in Benguet claimed it “was a punitive action for the crimes committed by the Philippine National Police against the people and the revolutionary movement.”

 

Last month, rebels overran the remote Malibcong town police station in Abra, held four on duty policemen for an hour and carted away their high-powered firearms and equipment.  Reinforcing policemen including the provincial police director, Sr. Supt. Alexander Tagum, now Davao police director, were ambushed on their way to the police station, wounding two police officers.

 

The NPA, through the National Democratic Front of the Philippines, is in peace talks with the government.

 

Both sides have agreed on a ceasefire but have yet to finalize guidelines to implement the truce.