CABANATUAN CITY – The Nueva Ecija police was placed under heightened alert to prevent possible attacks from the New People’s Army (NPA) guerillas after five of its alleged members commandeered a passenger van from the Cabanatuan City Transport Terminal, a ranking official said over the weekend.
Senior Supt. Roberto Aliggayu, city’s police director, said that the rebel group would usually use a carnapped vehicle to pretend as guests, specifically inspecting police officers in smaller police stations.
But Aliggayu said the group that snatched the Nissan Urban WKP-529 from its owner and driver Benjamin Cortez on Tuesday could be a criminal gang who intends to use the vehicle for another criminal activity.
“The strategy of the NPA in using a carnapped van in raiding a police station is known in the Visayas,” said another ranking military officer from the Philippine Army’s 81st Infantry Battalion based in San Jose City.
Cortez told the police that the “young-looking suspects” pretended to be passengers for Baguio City and hired him at P2,500 from the Cabanatuan City at about 1:00 p.m. Saturday.
But upon reaching barangay Lomboy Bukid in Talavera, Nueva Ecija, Cortez said one of the suspects asked him to stop in a canteen supposedly due to a “call of nature”. However, the man pushed him away from the wheel and at gunpoint reportedly said “ NAPA KAMI SASAKYAN MO LANG ANG KAILANGAN NAMIN.”
The victim told the police he was then hogtied and his face was covered with a piece of cloth. The suspects reportedly removed the battery of his mobile phone and took the P1,500 cash from his wallet.
Chief Insp. Samuel Avila, town police chief, said Cortez was dropped in the vicinity of Llanera town where he took some 40 minutes of mixed walk and run before reaching Barangay Sta. Monica of this town.
“He sought the help of a tricycle driver to bring him to the police station,” Avila said.
“The incident happened as we received reports on the movements of the NPAs in the boundaries of Nueva Ecija,” Aliggayu said.
Senior Supt. Roberto Aliggayu, city’s police director, said that the rebel group would usually use a carnapped vehicle to pretend as guests, specifically inspecting police officers in smaller police stations.
But Aliggayu said the group that snatched the Nissan Urban WKP-529 from its owner and driver Benjamin Cortez on Tuesday could be a criminal gang who intends to use the vehicle for another criminal activity.
“The strategy of the NPA in using a carnapped van in raiding a police station is known in the Visayas,” said another ranking military officer from the Philippine Army’s 81st Infantry Battalion based in San Jose City.
Cortez told the police that the “young-looking suspects” pretended to be passengers for Baguio City and hired him at P2,500 from the Cabanatuan City at about 1:00 p.m. Saturday.
But upon reaching barangay Lomboy Bukid in Talavera, Nueva Ecija, Cortez said one of the suspects asked him to stop in a canteen supposedly due to a “call of nature”. However, the man pushed him away from the wheel and at gunpoint reportedly said “ NAPA KAMI SASAKYAN MO LANG ANG KAILANGAN NAMIN.”
The victim told the police he was then hogtied and his face was covered with a piece of cloth. The suspects reportedly removed the battery of his mobile phone and took the P1,500 cash from his wallet.
Chief Insp. Samuel Avila, town police chief, said Cortez was dropped in the vicinity of Llanera town where he took some 40 minutes of mixed walk and run before reaching Barangay Sta. Monica of this town.
“He sought the help of a tricycle driver to bring him to the police station,” Avila said.
“The incident happened as we received reports on the movements of the NPAs in the boundaries of Nueva Ecija,” Aliggayu said.
