Palawan police verifies claim NPA launched assault on U.S. Army veteran's home

From the Philippine News Agency (Jan 27): Palawan police verifies claim NPA launched assault on U.S. Army veteran's home

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY --Police and military authorities in Palawan are currently evaluating and verifying a letter that was supposedly sent by members of the New People’s Army (NPA) claiming they are responsible for the assault on the home of a U.S. Army veteran, who now resides in Brooke’s Point in the southern part of the province.

According to Provincial Police Office (PPO) Senior Superintendent David Martinez, they cannot just accept the letter as “reliable” even if the sender claimed he is from the Bienvenido Valleber Command of the NPA.

He did not say when the letter was sent.

Martinez said they are now verifying the source of the letter sent following the assault on the home of ex U.S. Army veteran Bob Violett in Barangay Maasin, Brooke’s Point last week.

“The Bienvenido Valleber Command came out with a letter of the NPA acknowledging the assault and ransacking of Mr. Violett’s home. We are continuously evaluating and validating if the letter is authentic, if it really came from them,” he said.

The provincial police chief said that if they can prove the letter’s authenticity, they will use it as evidence to file a case against the leadership of the Bienvenido Valleber Command.

As of press time, Martinez said the pursuit operation of the PNP and the Marine Battalion Landing Team 12 in southern Palawan remains in Brooke’s Point, and the town of Sofronio Española, where an armed group was also reportedly sighted following the incident.

On January 22, police and military authorities here launched a pursuit operation against 18 suspected armed members of the NPA for assaulting and ransacking the house of Violett, a 78-yr. old U.S. Army veteran.

The armed men reportedly introduced themselves as members of the NPA in Palawan. They carted away a .45 caliber gun, light vision goggles, Swiss knives, cellular phones, and other appliances. They escaped towards the mountainous areas of Maasin.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=609899