Police on alert vs. NPA rebels, Mautes
TIGHT SECURITY IN PLACE
THE Pangasinan Police Provincial Office has tightened security in the border areas in eastern Pangasinan following the recent sighting of suspected members of the New People’s Army (NPA) in the tri-boundaries of Pangasinan, Nueva Ecija and Nueva Ecija.
P/Chief Inspector Norman Florentino, chief of the police-community relations, confirmed reports of the sighting and the police stations in those areas are on full alert and ready to thwart any attempt of the group to launch an attack.
He said the police and AFP have tightened security in and around vital installations like the San Roque Multi-Purpose Dam project, the Sual Coal-fired Power Plant and facilities of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) and other public utilities that may be targeted for attack.
He said they do not want to be caught flatfooted as what had happened in other areas that were attacked by armed groups, which is why the police are not relaxing their guard.
Meanwhile, Florentino revealed that in a dialogue with members of the Pangasinan Muslim Academy last week, the Moro residents in Pangasinan have agreed to police their own ranks in order to ward off potential troublemakers.
In that dialogue, they assured that no one among them is sympathizing with the Mautes and in fact they have been denouncing the group’s barbaric acts that have displaced thousands of their fellow Muslims and Christians.
They agreed to issue identification cards signed by the police chiefs in their towns to screen new faces who might enter their communities in order to prevent Maute fighters from Marawi fleeing to Pangasinan.
Datu Mangontawar Zultan, secretary-general of the Pangasinan Muslim Assembly, said his members are saddened by the war in Marawi City and will not allow the conflict to spill over to Pangasinan where they now live.
The Muslim leaders signed a commitment of peace and vowed to report to the authorities any trouble-makers entering their communities.
Under the arrangement agreed to during the dialogue, any new face in the communities will be reported to the nearest police station.
There are an estimated 50,000 Muslims now living and co-existing with the people of Pangasinan to date. (Leonardo Micua)
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