Top cop in Cordillera warns public against NPA’s deceptive recruitment

From the Manila Bulletin (Jul 19): Top cop in Cordillera warns public against NPA’s deceptive recruitment

The Police Regional Office-Cordillera (PRO-Cor) has warned the public against the deceptive method of recruitment being employed by the New People’s Army (NPA) in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) and the nearby provinces of Pangasinan, Ilocos, Isabela, and Cagayan.

Chief Superintendent Rolando Z. Nana, PRO-Cor director, made the revelation as he appealed to the public to be responsive by providing information to the police on the location and movements of NPA rebels recruiting new members.

Nana said that five victims of recruitment by the NPA have narrated their experience as they surrendered recently to government authorities.

“Beware the armed men who seek your help to carry their things. If you do, you may never be able to return home to your family,” Nana quoted one of the five surrenderers as having testified.

Speaking in their native Isneg dialect, three of five the five young men from Pudtol, Apayao appealed to their town mates to avoid being fooled by the NPA, said Nana.

They said they were working in the fields or cutting wood in the forests or fishing in the river when approached by armed men seeking their help to carry sacks of rice to Paco Valley.

They helped in carrying the food items to the NPA camp. However, they found themselves not allowed to leave and forced to undergo rudimentary training while being threatened not to disclose to anybody about the NPA activities.

The regional director (RD) recalled that the three NPA members had sought the help of Barangay Captain Fontanilla Melad, of Malibang in Pudtol in surrendering to authorities last July 4.

“With our collective efforts, we can make a difference in securing our people from any terror acts. That is the Filipino spirit of bayanihan,” said Nana as he vowed that government forces would act swiftly once information on NPA activities is relayed to them.

https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/07/19/top-cop-in-cordillera-warns-public-against-npas-deceptive-recruitment/