MANILA, Philippines – The National Police on Thursday alerted its forces on possible attacks by urban hit men of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Metro Manila.

In a chance interview at Camp Crame, PNP chief Director General Avelino Razon Jr said he has reminded police personnel to be always on the lookout to prevent the NPA’s Sparrow unit from making them as easy targets.

“We have given alert warnings to our units to be on the alert and safeguard themselves from any attacks or operations to be launched by the CPP (Communist Party of the Philippines)-NPA,” Razon told reporters.

At the same time, Razon said he has directed the PNP’s intelligence community to intensify its information gathering operations regarding the presence of the NPA liquidation squads in the capital.

“Nationwide as a group, the CPP-NPA remains to be the biggest threat to our national security,” Razon said.

On Wednesday, the chief of the Armed Forces National Capital Region Command (NCRCom) revealed the supposed presence of the once dreaded NPA urban hit squad out to liquidate ranking police and military officials as well as several VIPs (very important persons) in Metro Manila.

“We don’t know when they came in (Metro Manila) but we have reports that some are already here,” said Maj. Arsenio Arugay.

The revelation on the supposed presence of the NPA Sparrow unit came days ahead of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) before a joint session of Congress on July 28.

Critics of the Arroyo administration said the disclosure was just meant to frighten off groups critical of the government from holding protest actions come SONA day. - GMANews.TV