Army claims rebels take advantage of home quarantine to ‘recruit, extort’

By Jennifer P. Rendon

In this time of pandemic, staying at home or “home quarantine” is one way to flatten the curve.

And for the New People’s Army, home quarantine is also an opportune time to recruit members and carry on with extortion activities, a military official in Panay Island claimed.

Lieutenant Colonel Joel Benedict Batara, commander of the Philippine Army’s 61st Infantry Battalion, said that they continue to conduct security patrol operations in upland villages where there are reports of alleged NPA recruitment and extortion activities.

“Dahil nasa bahay ‘yung mga tao, nagbabahay-bahay din ang NPA,” Batara claimed.

On March 18, the Philippine government declared a ceasefire with the communist rebels due to the threat of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the country.

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) on March 25 declared a nationwide ceasefire from March 26 until April 15.

Batara said they are doing security patrol, sans offensive operations, to protect military camps and communities.

“Binabantayan din namin mga vital installations, lalo na ‘yung mga nasa malalayong lugar,” he said.

Batara said that their troops are on alert despite the truce.

“We have been telling our troops, especially those assigned at CAFGU (Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit) detachments because they are more prone to attacks,” he said.

A soldier and a rebel were killed following an encounter between Army troops and NPA members in Rodriguez, Rizal on Saturday.

It happened three days after the NPAs declared a ceasefire in a bid to ensure the continuous delivery of assistance to people affected by COVID-19.

Meanwhile, Batara said they have also deployed personnel to at least 25 quarantine control points (QCPs) in Panay Island.

Most of them are assigned at QCPs in areas known to have NPA sightings.

On top of that, Batara said they have personnel deployed to do border control patrols, especially in boundaries between provinces.

“This is to ensure that people won’t cross from one province to another because of the ongoing enhanced community quarantine implemented by different provinces,” he said.