Iloilo City mayor calls for registration of transients in villages

Acting Mayor Jose Espinosa III (Photo from Vice Mayor Jose Espinosa III Facebook page)

ILOILO CITY — Iloilo Mayor Jose Espinosa III on Friday encouraged barangay (village) captains to monitor transients entering their respective jurisdictions to verify the presence of the New People’s Army (NPA) Sparrow unit in the city.

Espinosa, however, said that based on the initial intelligence gathering of the Philippine National Police (PNP), there is none.

Nonetheless, he said he wanted the movement of transients to be monitored as the city is preparing for big events in December and January.

He said some barangay captains have proposed to implement a “sort of an ID system”.

Those who want to rent a house or rooms have to pass by the barangay hall to register so they can be properly monitored.

The Iloilo Police earlier reported that NPA sightings were being monitored in 15 towns in the province.

Last week, an ambush staged by the NPA in Barangay Bolo, Maasin town led to the death of Regional Mobile Force Battalion personnel while 12 others were wounded.

On Nov. 22, two policemen of the Sibalom Municipal Police Station in nearby Antique were wounded when ambushed by the NPA. (PNA)