Top AFP official bares ambush plot
"I am always on guard and with the grace of God, I will be able to fight the evils of terrorism perpetuated by the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)."
Such were the words of Captain Lowen Gil Marquez, commanding officer of the 3rd Civil Relations Group of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). This, as confirmation was made on the planned hit on his life with the supposed culprits, fighters of the New People's Army (NPA).
Initial liquidation date, he told The News Today (TNT), was Christmas Day. Yet December 25 went by with Captain Marquez all safe and sound.
"They plan to kill me by ambush," he added. "It is my continued campaign against their atrocities and senseless killings that got me to their hit list. But I am always on guard with God on my side."
Meantime, it was the season to be jolly for the AFP here even under threat. Recent AFP news made public the planned threats on at least 16 Western Visayas towns particularly those holding army camps.
"The Armed Forces of the Philippines in Western Visayas celebrated Christmas in their respective installations and detachments to commemorate the birth of our Saviour Lord Jesus Christ," the news statement went. "Our soldiers were on alert and defensive mode to any possible terrorist CPP/NPA/NDF atrocities... yet in their own little way, Christmas was felt all throughout army camps."