BAYBAY
CITY, Leyte, Aug. 29 -- A top military official has cautioned
businessmen in Leyte province not to fall victim to a group introducing
themselves as members of a liquidation squad or a vigilante group.
Brig.
Gen. Francisco Mendoza, Philippine Army 802nd Brigade commander, denied the
existence of vigilante groups in Leyte.
The
official made the statement in a media interview Tuesday after a businessman
from Ormoc City reported having received death threats through phone calls.
“These
are all scams. I urge those who received this call to ignore this and if they
feel that they are threatened, they must call security agencies like the
Philippine National Police and the Philippine Army to report the incident,”
Mendoza said.
Mendoza
added that even members of the New People’s Army in Leyte province have “no
capability to impose active threats” to businessmen.
“With
development comes peace. We cannot achieve peace and development if there are
extortionists bringing disorder to our business community,” Mendoza added.
Mendoza
also added that people should also be cautious in spreading text messages or
information on social media pertaining to existence of vigilante groups if not
validated by law enforcers.
“These
are just false information meant to create panic in the people’s mind,” Mendoza
added.
The army
official noted that all similar reports received by the military turned out to
be false. (RTA/PNA)
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