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BY MAE SINGUAY
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Thursday, July 6, 2017
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BACOLOD City – An investigation will try to identify who leaked a confidential police memo warning about the alleged planned attack of New People’s Army (NPA) rebels against some mayors in Negros Occidental.
A dismayed Chief Superintendent Edmund Gonzales, Negros Island Region police director, ordered the probe into the leak, said Senior Inspector Armilyn Vargas, spokesperson for the Police Regional Office 18.
Senior Superintendent Rodolfo Castil, officer-in-charge of the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office, admitted releasing several such memos but stressed that they were supposed to be confidential.
Castil was upset after copies of the memo he issued to Chief Inspector Edcel Balibadlan, Isabela chief of police, circulated in the town.
According to Castil, his memos aimed to warn municipal police chiefs about the NPA’s “planned liquidation” of their respective mayors, based on intelligence information reaching the provincial command.
Castil clarified that their information were still “subject to validation and confirmation.”
The Negros Occidental police director refused to disclose how many station commanders were issued such memo.
Gonzales sternly told all police chiefs to instruct their subordinates to refrain from releasing confidential documents to the public, Vargas said.
Administrative charges may be slapped against officers leaking confidential information but more severe punishments are always possible, she added.
Earlier Isabela mayor Joselito Malabor denied receiving a memo about him being a rebel target.
All he knew was Balibadlan and Castil had a closed-door meeting, Malabor said.
Panay News tried to reach Balibadlan for comment but he was not answering phone calls.
Last week Malacañang called on the public to be vigilant against possible attacks from the NPA, noting “several serious offensives” of the rebels against state troops and civilians in the past weeks.
Reported planned attacks on “programs and infrastructure projects” are extortion-related, Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said in the Mindanao Hour briefing over Radyo Pilipinas (formerly Radyo ng Bayan).
“We wish to forewarn the public of reported planned attacks of the NPA on people-oriented programs and infrastructure projects and request the citizenry of Mindanao and everyone else in the country to be on the alert and on the lookout,” Abella said.
“We also appeal to everyone to share information with authorities on suspicious persons and activities,” he added. “Sabi nga po nila (As they say), if we can work together, we can prevent these extortion-related activities.”/PN
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