Army officials, non-commissioned personnel told to be extra careful
The chief of the Task Force Panay recently issued a directive reminding its officers and and non-commissioned personnel to be extra careful in the wake of killings initiated by the New People's Army, the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines.
Col. John Bonafos issued such directive after the recent assassination of Lt. Abelardo Motia of the 12th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army based in the town of Miag-ao Saturday last week.
Bonafos said his men should take extra precautions especially those who are usually alone. They should initiate safety measures especially when they are waiting for a vehicle to ride, when inside a restaurant or they are just hanging around.
Bonafos made such reminder as a preventative measure after Motia's death. Motia was gunned down by alleged members of the NPA hit squad in the town of Dumarao, Capiz. The victim sustained ten gunshot wounds.
Motia was alone and helpless when peppered with bullets by armed men. He was in Dumarao to attend the town's fiesta. It was the town mayor who invited Motia to visit him. Motia was formerly assigned in Dumarao before he was transferred to Miag-ao.
According to Bonafos, the pattern by which Motia was killed is a handiwork of the New Peoples Army liquidation squad. He added that a team from the 47th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army and the Philippine National Police are conducting a joint investigation to identify and pin down the suspects.
Though the 47th Infantry Battalion is based in Banga, Aklan, they will take part in the investigation. The area is still under the 47th IB. It was also learned that the 6th Criminal Investigation and Detection Group also takes part in the investigation aside from the Dumarao municipal police station and 47th IB, PA.
Motia is the first army officer which was added in the list of military, police and civilian agents killed by New Peoples Army. The killings were relative to the order of CPP-NPA founding chairman Jose Ma. Sison who is based in The Netherlands.
The NPA's atrocities also heightened after President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo issued a statement to launch an offensive in all fronts. The President even ordered the budget department to release P1 billion to finance police and military operations against communist insurgents. The President wanted the problem wiped out in two years.