Duterte building ‘scenario’ with claim of NPA ‘Sparu’ unit’s resurgence —CPP

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) on Saturday said President Rodrigo Duterte is creating another scheme to silence his critics with his claim that the infamous hit squad of the New People's Army (NPA), "Sparu" or "Sparrow" unit, has been revived.

"Walang malinaw na batayan ang sinasabi ni Duterte at ng tagasunod niyang si PNP Chief Bato dela Rosa tungkol sa diumano'y stepped-up operations ng 'NPA SPARU,'" the CPP said in a statement.

"It seems Duterte is doing some scenario-building to hatch up another tyrannical scheme," it stressed.

Earlier this month, Duterte warned soldiers against the supposed resurgence of the Sparrow Unit.

"Nagbibigay ako ng mga armas — with all these, the caveat, the warning na bantay kayo sa Sparrow," the President said.

Dela Rosa had also cited that the "Sparu" unit of the NPA boosted its operations against government forces after President Rodrigo Duterte terminated the peace talks with communist rebels last year.

"The PNP's plan to have a group of 'seasoned retired police officers' to train PNP field personnel on 'anti-sparrow' operations sound shady, to say the least," it said.

The CPP recalled that in the late 1980s, the PNP and Armed Forces of the Philippines used the "anti-sparrow" operations to set up so-called "secret marshalls," which were used to attack activists, especially among the urban poor groups, allegedly resulting in numerous cases of summary executions.

Duterte had said he was trying to convince former police officers formerly assigned in Mindanao to fight the allegedly revived NPA hit squad. —Ted Cordero/ALG, GMA News