- GILBERT BAYORAN
The Army’s 303rd Infantry Brigade confirmed Sunday, April 23, the death of a top leader of the New People’s Army in the Visayas, following recent armed skirmishes between government troops and NPA rebels in the boundary of Binalbagan and Isabela, Negros Occidental.
The slain rebel leader was identified by Brig. Gen. Orlando Edralin, 303rd IB commander, as Rogelio Posadas, alias Ka Putin, secretary of the Komiteng Rehiyonal Negros/Cebu/Bohol/Siquijor.
Edralin said that Posadas was positively identified by his former comrades, who surrendered after his group figured in armed skirmishes with the 94th and 62nd infantry battalions April 20 in the boundary of Binalbagan and Isabela.
Aside from the cadaver of Posadas that was left behind by his fleeing comrades at the encounter site, Army soldiers also recovered two pistols with magazines and ammunition, two blasting caps, one backpack, personal belongings, assorted medicines, and subversive documents, including extortion letters.
The Philippine Army said that Posadas, who succeeded priest-turned-rebel Frank Fernandez, was responsible for various atrocities, including assassinations, kidnapping, arson, and other forms of violence perpetrated against innocent civilians. Fernandez and his wife were captured several years ago in Luzon.
Among the atrocities that Posadas allegedly committed were the attack and bombing of the Takenaka Itochu Joint Ventures and Hanjin Corporation at the Bacolod-Silay Airport in 2006; the burning of trans-loading stations of the Lopez Sugar Central and of the Victorias Milling Company in Toboso, in 2008 and 2010, respectively; ambush of a civilian-loaded canter utility service vehicle, killing three civilians and wounding three others, and the bombing of a Globe cell site, also in Toboso, in 2009; as well as the bombing of VMC pump station in Victorias City in 2010, the Army said.
His death came six months after the NPA regional commander of Negros, identified as Juanito Magbanua, also died in an encounter with 62nd and 94IB soldiers in the neighboring hinterlands of Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental.
Edralin said the cadaver of Posadas is yet to be claimed by his family or relatives at a funeral parlor in Binalbagan.
A statement from the National Democratic Front Negros said that its consultant, Posadas, and his companion, Ka Mikmik, as well as two motorcycle drivers, were intercepted by state agents April 19 in Sitio Jalandoon, Brgy. Carabalan, Himamaylan City.
Prior to the confirmation from the Army of Posadas’ death, the NDF Negros demanded that state forces honor his and Ka Mikmik’s rights as prisoners of war, and to release the motorcycle drivers since they were only hired to transport the other two./GB
