PCOO Secretary Martin Andanar (File photo)
MANILA -- There was no one harmed during joint operations conducted by police and military personnel in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental which resulted in the arrest of suspected militants, Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar said on Tuesday.
PCOO Secretary Marin Andanar made this remark after human rights group Karapatan, in a column published in Sun Star, described the raids and mass arrests as “Gestapoesque” or similar to raids conducted during World War II by the secret state police in Nazi Germany noted for its brutal methods of interrogation.
“The baseless allegations and cries of harassment of Karapatan are already expected as they have no weapons to fight with versus the clean, legitimate, and precise raid of communist terrorists in Bacolod last week,” Andanar said in a statement.
“In no way was it handled Gestapo-like, as no individuals were harmed during the operation. Karapatan’s unsubstantiated claims prove nothing but their desperation,” he added.
Andanar pointed out that military and police secured search warrants before conducting joint operations on October 31.
He condemned anew allegations made by Karapatan that evidence was planted in their underground offices, noting that the government strictly adheres to the rule of law.
Police and military not only confirmed the identities of communist terrorists using alleged fronts, but also confirmed their illegal possession of firearms, explosives, and subversive documents, he added.
The PCOO chief also said authorities also found proof of child recruitment with the discovery of minors in the target locations.
Andanar said an alleged Karapatan member named Proceso Quiatzon was even found in the underground “safe house” in Bacolod.
He said Quiatzon is only one of about 60 individuals arrested and that suggests the supposed progressive groups are alleged fronts of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA).
Won’t tolerate terrorism
Meanwhile, Andanar said the Duterte administration remains open to critics that encourage public service for national security and development.
However, he said the administration will not tolerate acts of abuse, terrorism, and subversion by communist terrorist groups which endanger the peace and security of the Filipino people.
Andanar stressed the importance of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) which institutionalizes the “whole-of-nation approach” wherein local government units and members of the community can initiate localized peace engagements with rebels.
Executive Order No. 70 institutionalizes the whole-of-nation approach in addressing the root causes of insurgencies, internal disturbances and other threats by prioritizing and harmonizing the delivery of basic services and the government’s social development packages, facilitating societal inclusivity, and ensuring active participation of all sectors of the society in the pursuit of the country's peace agenda.
“A safe and comfortable life for all Filipinos is what President Rodrigo Roa Duterte aspires for,” Andanar said.
To date, the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) has filed cases for illegal possession of firearms and explosives against 42 suspected CPP-NPA members arrested in operations in Bacolod City on Oct. 31.
The CPP-NPA, which has been waging armed struggle against the government for over 50 years, is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines. (PNA)
