Eleazar: PNP drive vs persons with CPP-NPA links legitimate
PHILIPPINE National Police chief General Guillermo Lorenzo T. Eleazar on Saturday emphasized anew that police operations against individuals including National Democratic Front (NDF) consultants and personalities with links to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA), are all legitimate and have basis.
The top cop made the assurance as he dismissed the NDF warning that attacks against their members and government dissenters would continue after the group was tagged by the Anti-Terrorism Council as a terrorist organization being an integral part of the CPP/NPA.
“I would like to point out that our operations are not against activists or critics of the administration, but against persons who have committed crimes and those responsible for atrocities as part of the CPP/NPA/NDF,” Eleazar said.
“Laging may basehan ang aming operasyon at hindi kailanman dahil lang sa pagbatikos sa administrasyon. Mataas ang respeto natin sa mga karapatan sa malayang pananalita at pagpapahayag,” he stressed.
“The targets of our operations are personalities against whom courts have issued warrants or those suspected to have committed criminal acts based on validated information and collected evidence,” he added.
Eleazar also dismissed allegations by the NDF that previous arrests of its consultants and other personalities linked to the CPP/NPA were made on fabricated charges.
“The previous arrests made against a number of NDF consultants were legitimate because of the charges filed against them in various courts. They were released from detention for the peace talks but once negotiations failed, the NDF consultants went into hiding and refused to face the charges filed against them,” he explained.
“Takot silang harapin ang mga kaso dahil alam nilang matibay ang ebidensiya laban sa kanila at tiyak ang kanilang mahabang panahon na pagkakakulong,” he said.
