Albayalde orders deployment of more than 300 SAF troops to Negros

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Police General Oscar Albayalde on Monday said he had ordered the deployment of over 300 elite Special Action Force (SAF) commandos to the island of Negros following the series of killings in the area.

"I have ordered yesterday the deployment of more than 300 Special Action Force troops to Negros Island to augment local police units in anti-criminality and internal security operations against criminal elements an terrorists operating in the provinces of Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental," Albayalde said at a press briefing.

Last week, the PNP chief directed a thorough and immediate probe on the slay incidents. It has been eyed that communist rebels were behind the killings.

Albayalde claimed that the the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA), have these scheme of "sacrificing" their members and then blame the murder to the country's security forces.

"There’s also a scheme on the part of the CPP-NPA where they sacrifice their own para ito naman we’ll see they are blaming again the government forces for alleged human rights violation saka itong mga patayan na ito always tinuturo ‘yung government forces dito," Albayalde said.

Albayalde said hot pursuit operation is ongoing against the perpetrators of the killings, adding that the military is helping the local police in securing the area.

Asked if there will be a revamp on the police leadership there, Albayalde said he would wait for the recommendation of the regional director.

"So far we are waiting for the assessment of the regional director kung ano magiging recommendation..." Albayalde said.

Four people have been killed in an apparent series of shooting incidents last week in Guihulngan, a northern city located 129 kilometers away from the Negros Oriental capital of Dumaguete City.

Aside from three local officials who were killed, lawyer Anthony Trinidad was also murdered by still unidentified "riding-in-tandem" assassins while he was driving his SUV in Barangay Looc.

President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered authorities to conduct a "thorough probe" on Trinidad's slay.

On Saturday, a former mayor and three others were also murdered. — RSJ, GMA News