Nolcom to respect rallyists

ANGELES CITY — The chief of the Armed Forces Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom) vowed yesterday to "give due respect to our religious leaders and the public at large" who will join the anti-Charter change rallies, but warned soldiers under his command against taking part in the protest.

"We give due respect to individual opinion on certain issues, in much the same way that our soldiers’ neutrality when it comes to politics should also be respected," said Nolcom chief Lt. Gen. Bonifacio Ramos.

Noting that the organizers of the anti-Cha-cha rally slated at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila tomorrow have called on soldiers to join them, Ramos said, "The military’s role is to protect the people from security threats and not to take sides in squabbles between politicians in any political issue."

"I will not allow my men to join any mass action whether in support of or against Charter change. The Armed Forces will only ensure the people’s free exercise of their individual rights," he said.

This, even as Ramos urged all soldiers under his command "to take extra precautions" in the run-up to the 38th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) this month.

Citing past CPP anniversaries, Ramos said its armed group, the New People’s Army, has been "known to engage in extortion and stage terrorist actions to show that they are still a force to reckon with."

Last Dec. 13, the CPP called on the NPA "to further intensify tactical offensives nationwide to join and further underscore the people’s protest against Gloria Arroyo and her cohorts’ self-serving attempts to push through an Arroyo constitution against widespread rejection and resistance by the people."

In a statement, CPP spokesman Gregorio Rosal said the NPA would carry out "tactical offensives in the next few days and weeks" against the police and the military and their "paramilitary adjuncts."

Maj. Bong Razalan, Nolcom information officer, said the communist rebels "appear to be really hard-up due to their dwindling mass base support."

He cited reports that some NPA rebels had carted away relief goods intended for typhoon victims in Catanduanes.

"Some of the stolen relief goods were given to the victims to falsely show that the goods came from them," he added.

Razalan recalled that two years ago, a band of NPA guerrillas ambushed men of the Army’s 56th Infantry Battalion in Norzagaray, Bulacan who were on their way to rescue villagers trapped by a strong typhoon.

Last year, Razalan said rebels also harassed soldiers who were repacking relief goods for villagers displaced by the explosions of Mayon Volcano.