'Make me your No. 1 target,' Marquez chides CPP-NPA
Marquez
Captain Lowen Gil Marquez, Commanding Officer of the 3rdCivil Relations Group of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) here is undaunted of publicized threats on his life.
In fact, for Captain Marquez, the purported number 4 spot in the top ten hitlist is not fitting to his persona. If his staunch advocacy against the communists and communist terrorists are to be considered, Captain Marquez said he should get the number one spot.
"Yes, I should be the top man for them in their hitlist. Why only the fourth spot for me?," Captain Marquez began in a The News Today (TNT) interview. "I am not in any way threatened on it though. Then and now, I remain steadfast to the AFP's campaign for peace and order in our barangays, for justice to reign in our communities."
Captain Marquez in issuing his reaction further called on all legal fronts of the Communist Party of the Philippines –New People's Army – National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF).
"We in the AFP strongly condemn any and all forms of harassments and violence. We are in the forefront of the protection for human rights so I extend the same message to the CPP-NPA-NDF. Stop the political killings and stop perpetuating violence and senseless persecutions. The legal fronts and militant groups backing the communist terrorists should also do the same," he stressed.
Since his assumption as 3rdCRG commanding officer, Captain Marquez has easily gained public acceptance and was most visible and accessible to the local media. He has since been consistent with his drive against CPP-NPA-NDF atrocities in Iloilo towns and Western Visayas provinces.
The NPAs, armed wing of the CPP are believed to have eyed Captain Marquez and had issued repeated press releases cum threats on his life and that of other AFP officials.
Legal front members in trying to put Marquez off the track have employed propaganda that attempted to discredit the AFP drive. Recent strategy had the communist group worked on the media's attention in purported threats to legal front organization leaders.
"Wala 'yan..lumang tugtugin na 'yan. Sila ang nagsu-surveillance sa kanilang mga targets at hindi sila ang sinu-surveillance (That's nothing. That's old news. They are the ones conducting surveillance on their perceived targets)," Captain Marquez ended.