Department of National Defense to Bring to Justice NPAs Who Continue Doing Atrocities

Any member of the New People’s Army (NPA) who persists on doing terroristic actions will be apprehended and brought to justice by military forces.

This was bared by Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Delfin Lorenzana Monday when sought for a reaction on the NPA attack against a police station in Maasin, Iloilo which resulted in the rebels stealing an undetermined number of firearms and bullets last June 18.

“Thus, any member of the NPA who continues to commit terroristic acts such as extortion, burning of property, kidnapping, roaming around with firearms to intimidate people, and attacks on government forces will be pursued, apprehended, and brought to justice,” he added.

Recent events have shown that the upper echelons of the communist movement do not have actual control of NPA units on the ground, which continue to commit atrocities even while their comrades talk peace with the government, Lorenzana pointed out.

“Notwithstanding the statement of (GPH panel chair) Secretary Silvestre Bello III that the Government will not undertake offensive operations against the NPA to set the ground for a bilateral ceasefire, the Armed Forces of the Philippines will continue to fulfill its mandate and conduct support to law enforcement operations all over the Philippines,” the DND chief stressed. (Priam F. Nepomuceno/PNA)