NPA- Maute alignment denied

From the Visayan Daily Star (Jun 5): NPA- Maute alignment denied

The 303rd Infantry Brigade yesterday said there is no truth to reports of an alleged alignment between a group of New People's Army and the Maute terror group in the Negros Island Region.

Capt. Eduardo Precioso, 303rd Infantry Brigade Civil Military Operations officer,said yesterday “The current security situation in Negros Island Region is manageable”.

“We do not have reports of terror groups in the NIR, nor an alliance of NPA and terror groups”, Precioso stressed.

“However, as part of our additional preemptive security measures in the region against terror attacks, we have been enhancing our security patrols, particularly in the coastal and maritime areas,” he said.

Senior Supt. Henry Biñas, provincial police director of Negros Oriental, described as “false” a report noted to have circulated during the first and second weeks of May.

Binas said it was further verified by the municipal officials of Basay City in Negros Oriental, that the alleged group of NPA and the personalities mentioned, did not exist.

Meanwhile, Precioso said that, coordinating conferences with the different security sectors, local government units, and government agencies, as well as civil organizations are being conducted to further enhance the preemptive measures against terrorism and lawless activities in the region.

At the same time, Precioso also said he was not the source of the information, that was published in a local newspaper,quoting him as saying that the NPA faction had pledged allegiance to a faction of the Maute Group under a certain Commander Ayman Salaam in Basay City, Negros Oriental.

“These statements are not true, nor are they being confirmed by the Army,” he said.

Precioso lamented that the statements attributed to him had brought confusion and alarm in Negros.

He also said that the state security forces in Negros are only confronting NPA groups.

But with the ongoing government actions against terror groups in Mindanao, Precioso said “ We cannot discount the possibility that terrorism might spillover to the region or they might create a scenario to divert the attention of the government”.

We are appealing to the public to take part in monitoring any unusual activities in the region as part of their social responsibility.

http://www.visayandailystar.com/2017/June/05/topstory7.htm