[Inquirer] In the wake of Philippine president-elect Rodrigo Duterte's orders for a brutal campaign to end the drug menace, communist guerrillas on Thursday said an attack it launched against Governor Generoso town in Davao Oriental province was an anti-drug operation. The Maoist guerrillas took captive the town's police chief during the attack.New People's Army spokesman Rigoberto F. Sanchez said the raid was conducted after the NPA received repeated reports that the coastal town had become a major entry point for illegal drugs in the region and that the trafficking was being protected by authorities.
Sanchez said, "The NPA targeted the municipal police station based on the people’s popular demand to punish the protectors of rampant drug trafficking in the area."
The guerrillas also seized 11 firearms from the police armory.
Sanchez said the NPA took action because local officials had done nothing to stop drug trafficking in the province.
The NPA statement said Davao Oriental Gov. Cora Malanyaon and Rep. Nelson Dayanghirang are aware of the problem. It said, "Their silence and inaction on this only confirm the masses’ belief in the officials’ unholy alliance with drug syndicates."
Sanchez said the NPA had planned to raid a "shabu" laboratory in Governor Generoso but the military intervened. He said guerrillas who took captive the town police chief, Arnold Olgachen, found shabu in the police chief's possession.
Sanchez said Olgachen was being treated as a "prisoner of war." He said "medical officers of the Red army have assured his (Olgachen’s) good health."
He warned against attempts to rescue Olgachen, saying this would endanger the police officer's life.
Duterte has urged the militants to free Olgachen. On Tuesday, he said, "May I ask them, now, if they are listening, release the chief of police. If he has not done anything wrong, release him immediately."
Duterte said he was willing to pick up Olgachen in rebel territory.