Tupas orders heightened police visibility
Iloilo Governor Niel D. Tupas, Sr. ordered Iloilo Provincial Police Office (IPPO) Director Senior Supt. Ricardo De la Paz to heighten police visibility in the crowded areas like churches and public markets, and along the highways to ensure the safety of the people and the commuters.
Gov. Tupas, in an interview Monday morning, said that the heightened police visibility could also prevent the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPA) from further carrying out their plans to sabotage the merriment of this Christmas season and to sow chaos as they celebrate their anniversary.
"The burning of the two units of public transport Susie Star in Miag-ao is really a threat to the peace and order situation of the province," the governor said.
The two units of Susie Star from Iloilo City and on their way to Antique province were purportedly hired by 10 men alleged to be members of the CPP-NPA last Saturday who then forcibly ordered the drivers to alight from their vehicles upon reaching Miag-ao town, also of Iloilo province, before they poured gasoline and lighted improvised explosive devise on it.
The management of Susie Star Transport claimed that it received previously an extortion threat from the rebel group, but ignored it.
Gov. Tupas said that to avoid the same incident, the IPPO director should put his policemen on alert on Christmas and New Year's Eve, and until the CPP-NPA anniversary is over. (PNA)