Suspected Rebels Kill Police Chief
Suspected communist rebels today killed the police chief of the Philippines' major financial center in an escalation of street violence sweeping the capital area, police said. Col. Herminio Taylo, 54, police chief of Makati, had just finished jogging and was buying fruit in a public market when two assassins opened fire with .45-caliber pistols, police said. He died an hour later in a hospital. Police Sgt. Lydio Zeta quoted witnesses as saying the gunmen shouted ``We are NPAs,'' referring to the rebel New People's Army, and warned bystanders not to interfere. They fled in a commandeered passenger jeep after taking Taylo's pistol, Zeta said. Makati, a twin city of Manila with a population of about 440,000, is the country's major banking and financial center and is also the home of numerous foreign embassies. Taylo was the 10th soldier or policeman slain in the Manila area in the last two weeks. The military says communist rebels have killed up to 65 soldiers and police in the capital region since January. The New People's Army also claimed responsibility for the April 21 assassination of U.S. Army Col. James ``Nick'' Rowe, who was slain on his way to work at the Joint U.S. Military Assistance Group headquarters in suburban Quezon City. Taylo was slain one day after Brig. Gen. Alexander Aguirre, Capital Region commander, announced formation of a special task force to track down rebel assassins in the capital. President Corazon Aquino deplored the latest killing but said public officials must learn to live with the threat of assassination. She said the government had provided bodyguards to Cabinet members who have requested them or who have received death threats. ``It is really very unfortunate and I do sympathize with the family of Col. Taylo,'' said Mrs. Aquino, whose husband Benigno was slain in a political assassination in 1983. ``And I hope that this, perhaps, could be a reminder to all our people in the military and police that they should take necessary precautions to ward off these assasination attempts.'' National Security Adviser Rafael Ileto said the killing of Taylo showed that every soldier and policeman was a potential target of assassination. ``This is war and somebody is bound to get hurt in the process,'' Ileto said. ``I'm sure all the major unit commanders are doing their best not only to protect their men but to counter such acts.'' Despite the escalating violence, Mrs. Aquino said she still plans to go ahead with a visit to Western Europe this month. Mrs. Aquino leaves Saturday for an official visit to West Germany. She will also visit France and Belgium before departing Brussels for home on July 15.
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