The Philippine National Police (PNP) guaranteed that police operations against individuals, including National Democratic Front (NDF) consultants and personalities with links to the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) are “legitimate and have basis.”
In a statement, PNP Chief Police General Guillermo Eleazar made the assurance dismissing the “NDF’s warning that attacks against their members and government dissenters would continue after the group was tagged by the Anti-Terrorism Council as a terrorist organization being an integral part of the CPP-NPA.”
“Laging may basehan ang aming operasyon at hindi kailanman dahil lang sa pagbatikos sa administrasyon. Mataas ang respeto natin sa mga karapatan sa malayang pananalita at pagpapahayag,” he asserted.
He further assured that the target of their operations are “personalities against whom courts have issued warrants or those suspected to have committed criminal acts based on validated information and collected evidence.”
He added that the previous arrests made against a number of NDF consultants were “legitimate” since charges were filed against them in various courts.
“They were released from detention for the peace talks but once negotiations failed, the NDF consultants went into hiding and refused to face the charges filed against them,” he said.
“Takot silang harapin ang mga kaso dahil alam nilang matibay ang ebidensiya laban sa kanila at tiyak ang kanilang mahabang panahon na pagkakakulong,” he claimed.
PNP-PIO/NGS-rir
