In wake of recent extortion, highway robbery, kidnapping, and homicide incidents involving members of the New People's Army (NPA), Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Nicanor Bartolome on Friday said that police will conduct a "law enforcement offensive" against the communist rebels nationwide.
Bartolome said the move was in line with the PNP's peace and order mission, which calls for the neutralization of lawless groups that threaten the country's security and stability.
"We will no longer take a defensive stance against them. This time we will go on the offensive against the NPA," Bartolome said.
He said the PNP would utilize its provincial security companies in its campaign against the rebels, especially in their build-up areas in the hinterlands while local police would be tasked to secure and protect urban or developed areas from NPA depredation.
"The provincial security companies will act as our first of defense while our local police will defend the developed communities," Bartolome said.
The PNP chief also said that the PNP would initiate an intense intelligence gathering program to prevent the NPA from conducting any surprise attacks.
He also said that they were looking at the possibility of coordinating their operations with the Armed Forces of the Philippines to make their moves more crushing to the rebel forces.
As this develops, Bartolome also instructed all police units in the country, especially those located in the hinterlands to coordinate, beef up security and coordinate with the military closely to ensure that their mutual support in case of rebel attack.
The PNP chief strongly emphasized this reminder, adding that the attack on the Tigbao police station in Zamboanga Del Sur last April 9, could have been prevented had the local police properly coordinated with the military.
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