BY: FAYETTE C. RIÑEN
CEBU CITY, March 27 (PIA) – Starting today the Police
PRO-7 Regional Director Gen. Danilo Constantino said since Last Monday noon, the police is already on heightened alert status following the arrest of couple Benito and Wilma Tiamzon last Saturday in Aloguinsan town. The Tiamzons are said to be the chairman and secretary general of the CPP-NPA respectively.
The couple has a P5.6 million bounty each on their head, the PRO-7 chief said as he refused to disclose the source of the informant who tipped police and military authorities about the couple’s exact whereabouts.
Along with the couple are five others that were also arrested in Barangay Zaragosa in Aloguinsan as police is currently conducting a background check on the other individuals.
Constantino said the arrest of the Tiamzon couple would have a significant impact on the armed movement. “This could either be positive or negative; positive in the sense that this might prompt other rebels to surrender or negative because this might initiate retaliatory attacks,” bared Constantino during the monthly ‘Talakayan sa Isyung Pulis’ forum this morning at the PRO-7 Media Center.
“I have directed the maneuver units to conduct security operations in coordination with the AFP-CentCom to prevent possible attacks from the NPA,” said Constantino amid fears the apprehension of the top NPA leaders would trigger retaliation from the armed wing.
The PRO-7 chief however, said they are closely monitoring the boundary between Negros Oriental and Negros Occidental as an internal security concern due to the high presence of armed rebels in the area.
“No cause for alarm,” Constantino assured the public as target of retaliation by the NPA will be members of the police and military and not innocent civilians based on earlier pronouncements by the communist group that they will not involve civilians in their armed struggle.
In case the Tiamzon case will be heard in Cebu, Constantino said they will prepare and be ready. The Tiamzons’ defense lawyer is batting for the venue of the hearing to be held in a Cebu court as the murder charges filed against the couple were committed in Region 8.
“We will coordinate with CentCom for the security coverage in case this happens,” said Constantino.
Constantino admitted there have been moves to revive the mass base of the NPA armed movement in both Cebu and Bohol, their former strongholds.
“But they (NPA) did not succeed in their efforts due to the effective anti-communist programs implemented by the local government units, PNP and the AFP,” said the regional police chief.
Still, the PRO-7 chief appealed to the public to help them counter any possible retaliation from the NPA by helping monitor any suspicious movement or activities in their areas and immediately report this to the police. (mbcn/FCR/PIA-7)