NPA admits killing RPA-ABB officer
The Napoleon Tumagtang Command of the New People's Army (NPA) based in Southern Panay admitted the killing of Jose Cabunagan a.k.a "Ka Arce", commanding officer of the Revolutionary Proletarian Army-Alex Boncayao Brigade (RPA-ABB), Thursday last week.
In a press statement obtained by The News Today through e-mail, Ariston Remus, spokesperson of the Napoleon Tumagtang Command, said they punished Cabunagan for his "many crimes against the revolutionary movement and the people."
Cabunagan was shot to death by several armed persons while feeding his chickens outside his house in Barangay Bagacay, Tigbauan, Iloilo around 8:30 a.m. last February 15.
The NPA statement claimed, that the RPA-ABB led by Cabunagan is being used as special agents of the Philippine National Police and the Philippine Army since 1994 after it broke away from the revolutionary movement.
"The group has also been used as a gun-for-hire of politicians and various criminal elements," reads the press statement.
Remus alleged that the latest crimes committed by the RPA-ABB were the murders of Antonio Camiring and his son Hilbert, both residents of Barangay Pepe, Leon last December 23, 2006.
Remus said Camiring, the barangay treasurer, was ambushed in Sitio Baclayan in Barangay Hamog, Leon, by a group of RPA-ABB members under the leadership of Cabunagan.
The press statement also listed several crimes committed by the RPA-ABB in the various parts of Western Visayas among which kidnapping and murder of mountaineer Leovic Guttierez in 2003, killing of Atty. Edgar Calizo in Kalibo, Aklan in 2004, and the killing of Jessie Cabalfin of Barangay Buga, Leon in 2005.