BAYBAY CITY, Leyte -- A top military official has cautioned businessmen in Leyte province not to fall victim to a group introducing themselves as members of a liquidation squad or a vigilante group.
Brig. Gen. Francisco Mendoza, Philippine Army 802nd Brigade commander, denied the existence of vigilante groups in Leyte.
The official made the statement in a media interview Tuesday after a businessman from Ormoc City reported having received death threats through phone calls.
“These are all scams. I urge those who received this call to ignore this and if they feel that they are threatened, they must call security agencies like the Philippine National Police and the Philippine Army to report the incident,” Mendoza said.
Mendoza added that even members of the New People’s Army in Leyte province have “no capability to impose active threats” to businessmen.
“With development comes peace. We cannot achieve peace and development if there are extortionists bringing disorder to our business community,” Mendoza added.
Mendoza also added that people should also be cautious in spreading text messages or information on social media pertaining to existence of vigilante groups if not validated by law enforcers.
“These are just false information meant to create panic in the people’s mind,” Mendoza added.
The army official noted that all similar reports received by the military turned out to be false. (PNA)
