Palawan police on alert vs possible NPA retaliation after arrest of top leader

From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 13): Palawan police on alert vs possible NPA retaliation after arrest of top leader

The Palawan Provincial Police Office (PPO) has placed on heightened alert all its municipal police stations (MPS) in 23 towns against the remaining armed members of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPA) for possible retaliation following the arrest of its top leader during the weekend.

Police Senior Superintendent David Martinez, head of the provincial police, said Wednesday that he issued a directive placing all MPS to be on heightened alert after the capture of Sonny Gonzales, alias Gilbert Silagan, Ka Marlon and Ka Glenn, the provincial commander of the leftist movement in the province, and his wife Alma Moreno, alias Ka Carol in Bataraza town last weekend.

"All our municipal police stations are now on heightened alert because I immediately issued a directive to them after the arrest of Gonzales. We have a directive for them to be extra vigilant against any possible retaliation considering Gonzales' position as provincial commander of the CPP-NPA," he said.

Martinez also added that he has ordered the strengthening of intelligence monitoring all over Palawan to ensure that the remaining CPP-NPA armed members would not to destabilize the peace and order situation in the province.

The provincial police chief also called on residents of Palawan to help authorities to stop the insurgency problem by reporting any movement of the armed members, who remain to be in hiding.

"In this situation, the support of the people of Palawan is very important. They are in the areas and they can see who are new faces moving around," he said.

On Sunday morning, police authorities captured Gonzales and Moreno in Barangay Inogbong, Bataraza after more than 13 years in hiding. Martinez said they did not put up fights.

A total of 20 cases will be filed against them for murder, arson, robbery and others, including failed roadside ambushes staged against troops of the Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) and elements of the PPO stationed in the province.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=615604