By: Aaron Recuenco
The New People’s Army (NPA) is planning to humiliate President Duterte in his second State-of-the-Nation Address (SONA) next week by launching a series of attacks in Davao region.
Director General Ronald dela Rosa, chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), said this was the intelligence information they received from their reliable sources on the ground.
“We have monitored something from the Left. They will make some pre-SONA attacks, harassments. Their plan is to conduct attacks in Davao before SONA,” Dela Rosa said.
“But we are preparing for that,” Dela Rosa assured..
The official said they are not discounting the possibility that the communist rebels would carry out offensives in other areas before and during the SONA.
The 4,000-strong NPA has been waging almost five decades of armed struggle with the government, but it is currently engaged in peace talks with the Duterte administration.
But despite the peace negotiations, the communist rebels have been conducting a series of offensives as it also becomes wary of the martial law declaration of Duterte.
Dela Rosa said he expects his commanders in rebel-infested areas to conduct security adjustments amid the information they received. He however said they also need the help of the public.