‘The Reds are coming! Reds are coming!’ warns military
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE military yesterday said the Communist Party of the Philippines/New People’s Army is planning to sabotage President Arroyo’s state of the nation address on Monday.
"We have been receiving general threats like the CPP/NPA will disturb the peaceful execution or peaceful holding of the SONA," Brig. Gen. Jose Angel Honrado, AFP spokesman, told a briefing in Camp Aguinaldo.
Honrado did not give details of the supposed communist plan but gave the assurance the military intelligence community is working double time to ensure that the communist plot is pre-empted.
"Aside from that (general information), there are no specific information like targeting specific targets or establishments or facilities… On the specifics (of the plan) there are none," he said.
He said intelligence gathering agencies and units of the military are "working seven times a week, 24 hours a day, making sure that all information being received will be validated and pursued."
Honrado also said the military, particularly the National Capital Region Command under Lt. Gen. Allan Cabalquinto, is playing a supporting role to the PNP in maintaining peace and order during the SONA.
Soldiers will be deployed in the streets if the PNP so requests so "or as the situation may require," he said.
Police authorities expect massive protests when Arroyo delivers her SONA at the House of Representatives at the Batasan Complex in Quezon City.
Director Vidal Querol, Metro Manila police chief, said he is fielding up to 15,000 policemen for the mass actions, including 1,000 anti-riot personnel from the AFP’s NCR Command.
Honrado, asked if the AFP has monitored any Abu Sayyaf plan to disrupt the SONA, said: "Whether they have plans or not, we are prepared for them. As I’ve said, we are engaging them in Mindanao decisively, especially in Maguindanao."
Government forces last week launched an offensive against Abu Sayyaf leader Khadaffy Janjalani in Upi, Maguindanao.
The PNP said it was ready to employ "reasonable force" against protesters if they become unruly, like the group that stormed the Department of Agriculture building in Quezon City last week.
The incident left a couple of protesters and a guard injured.
PNP chief Arturo Lomibao said although maximum tolerance is required of members of civil disturbance management units, the PNP will not allow anarchy to prevail during the SONA.
He said Querol is making the final arrangements for Monday’s event to ensure the safety of those who wish to attend the SONA.
He said that should the NCRPO need more troops, they would tap forces from the Central Luzon and Southern Tagalog regions as reinforcements.
Lomibao asked rally organizers to secure not only rally permits but also travel permits.
He said the "out of line" rules for public utility vehicles of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board will be strictly implemented.
He said some protesters had asked permits to "attend" special occasions in Metro Manila but when their vehicles were inspected, they yielded rally materials.
"They don’t seem to be honest with their application. They were going out of line, we are just upholding the rule of law," Lomibao said.
Lomibao also said the PNP is not taking lightly the threat of a breakaway communist group to liquidate all personalities involved in the "Hello Garci" recordings, including President Arroyo.
The threat was issued by a man who identified himself as Simeon Olivar and claimed to be the spokesman of the "Partido Marxista Leninista"
Based on intelligence reports, Lomibao said the PML is a breakaway group of the Alex Boncayao Brigade. He said it has a few members.
Querol said the PNP will "not tolerate unrest, violence or vandalism" during the SONA.
He also said he was more concerned with rally infiltrators.
PNP and AFP authorities, during the anti-Arroyo last Friday in Makati, warned of disturbance that they said might be created by communist and Abu Sayyaf rebels. The police assessed the Makati rally as peaceful.
Gabriel Claudio, presidential adviser for political affairs, said the pro-Arroyo rally last Saturday at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila should show that the people still support Arroyo and any protest actions in the business district was only affecting businesses and the country’s economy.
Claudio reiterated that Arroyo’s detractors should sallow due process to take its course.
The Makati city administrator disputed the claim of the head of the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) that businesses in the city have been adversely affected by the rallies calling for the Arroyo’s resignation.
Nicanor Santiago Jr. said on the contrary, fast food restaurants, coffee shops and "jollijeeps" even reported brisk business during rallies.
"Jollijeeps" are street food stalls authorized to sell within the Central Business District near the rally site at Paseo de Roxas.
Santiago said reports from the city’s business monitoring teams showed that restaurants and entertainment established have not registered a major drop in sales as claimed by ECOP president Rene Soriano. The business monitoring office checks the receipts of these Makati establishments on a daily basis.
"We would like to know the basis of Mr. Soriano for saying that businesses were affected. He cannot conclude that businesses in Makati were adversely affected by simply basing it on information he got that some restaurants and cafes reported a drop in sales. Restaurants and cafes are not the principal business establishment in Makati and I assume do not comprise the bulk of the membership of ECOP," he said. — Victor Reyes, Raymond Africa, Jocelyn Montemayor and Ashzel Hachero
Military using the "RED scare" and "Abu Sayaff scare" to discourage rallies
Reply With Quote
Posting Permissions
