The Philippine National Police (PNP) has deployed more than 850 policemen in Masbate to secure schools and other areas following the series of clashes that include detonation of an improvised bomb by suspected communist rebels in three towns of the province last week.
PNP chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin, Jr. said the deployment is in compliance with the order of President Marcos to mobilize police forces that would run after communist rebels in Masbate and other areas of Bicol region.
“The PNP mustered police forces in the Bicol region for a police-military offensive against communist terrorists operating in the region especially in the island province of Masbate where NPA terrorists detonated anti-personnel landmines near the immediate vicinity of public schools in Placer and Dimasalang towns,” said Azurin.
“We will strengthen our deployment of personnel in these areas as the CPP-NPA's continued use of anti-personnel landmines long outlawed by international conventions on warfare constitute a flagrant disregard by the local communist movement of international humanitarian law,” he added.
Azurin said a total of 859 PNP personnel were deployed to safeguard schools in the Masbate province, 659 of which are organic personnel from the stations and an additional 200 augmented personnel from the Regional Mobile Force Battalion 5 and the Provincial Mobile Force Company of Masbate.
The clashes started on March 20 and disrupted school activities in some areas in Placer, Dimasalang and Cawayan towns.
A soldier was killed in Cawayan town while two policemen and two soldiers were wounded in the clashes that included detonation of an improvised bomb in Dimasalang town.
The incident resulted in various government agencies and officials condemning the communist rebels, including Vice President and Department of Education Secretary Sara Duterte.
Azurin said that based on their assessment, the series of attacks of the communist rebels were part of the 54thanniversary of the New People’s Army (NPA), the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), on March 29.
He said the attacks were aimed at projecting an image of strength.