BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — Military and police authorities on Negros Island yesterday denied the creation of “death squads” to hunt down and neutralize the special partisan unit (SPARU) assassins of the New People’s Army (NPA).
Col. Benedict Arevalo, commander of the Army’s 303rd Infantry Brigade, said they are only closely monitoring the movement of suspected NPA assassins.
Senior Inspector Aireen Cordua, spokesperson for the Negros Occidental police, said they have not created any unit to run after suspected NPA assassins.
She said the intelligence unit of the provincial police was ordered to monitor the movement of the SPARU and other armed groups.
In the past several months, the NPA has launched attacks on suspected military informants including barangay captains and civilians, aside from state security agents in central Negros.
Arevalo admitted that stopping the NPA’s assassination activities is a major challenge to the military’s capability.
Earlier, President Duterte said he was planning to field death squads to kill NPA assassins.