Cops ask telcos for help vs NPAs

21 September 2007

LEGAZPI CITY—THE BICOL police yesterday urged telecommunications companies to set up their own intelligence machinery and network to help authorities preempt attacks by New People’s Army rebels.

Communist guerrillas were tagged responsible for the recent bombing of cellular phone sites in the provinces of Sorsogon and Camarines Sur.

Senior Supt. Eliciar Bron, Bicol police spokesperson, said while it was the responsibility of the police and the military to ensure security in these vital installations, private telecommunications firms should do their share.

Bron said the police have recommended that telecommunication firms provide cellular phones to selected villagers living near their cell sites to relay information on attacks that were being prepared by the guerrillas.

Villagers’ help

Two provincial police directors in Bicol may face administrative charges for failure to preempt the attacks on vital installations despite standing orders by Senior Supt. Balligi Agnanayon Tira, Bicol police director, to tighten security against communist guerrilla attacks in the region.

Senior Supt. Joel Regondola and Senior Supt. Romeo Tambungui, provincial police directors of Sorsogon and Camarines Sur, respectively, were ordered investigated and charged if found liable for neglect of duty after the alleged NPA attacks on vital communications installations.

Bron said they were investigating possible lapses in security and if the areas where the attacks happened are within the jurisdiction of the police.

Lapses

On Monday night, about 20 heavily-armed NPA members burned a Globe Telecommunications cell site in Barangay Batang in Pamplona town and its relay station in Barangay Tinangguihan in Libmanan town, both in Camarines Sur.

The burning of the relay station near the Maharlika Highway damaged its detachable cabin worth P1.6 million.

Police said the burning of the cell site caused damages of at least P150,000.

NPA attack

Sgt. Armando Escote, officer in charge of the 21st Civil Relations Unit of the Armed Forces in Bicol, cited intelligence reports as saying that the attacks were due to the company’s refusal to pay “revolutionary taxes” to the NPA.

Earlier, NPA members attacked a Globe tower in Barangay Sap-ngan in Bulusan, Sorsogon, on Friday. One guard was wounded.

Bron said that they would also review the memorandum of agreement between the police and the Armed Forces regarding areas of responsibility since remote areas are usually the concern of the military. Ephraim Aguilar, Inquirer Southern Luzon