NPA leader killed in Dec. 5 involved in numerous offensives vs Army, official says

From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 8): NPA leader killed in Dec. 5 involved in numerous offensives vs Army, official says

The death of a top-ranking veteran New People’s Army fighter belonging to the Bicol Regional Party Committee (BRPC) closed the chapter in the book of communist insurgency involving the life of a Red dissident who had masterminded the launching of numerous offensives against the military and atrocities to innocent civilians in the region, an Army official said.

Capt. Mardjorie Paimela P. Panesa, spokesperson of the 9th Infantry (Spear) Division of the Philippine Army based in Camp Elias Angeles, Pili, Camarines Sur, said the recent encounter between soldiers of the 49th Infantry Battalion and NPA rebels in a village in Del Gallego, Camarines Sur, early Thursday morning resulted in the killing of Aldrin Rabulan, commanding officer of the Regional Yunit Guerilla of the BRPC.

Rabulan --also known as Al, Ingkit or Arjun, according to a former rebel – is a native of Barangay Baras, Donsol, Sorsogon.

His combat experience in almost all of the provinces within the region from Masbate to Camarines Norte and to the island of Catanduanes and his leadership earned for him a permanent (seat) in the high-level organ of the BRPC, aside from being the RYG commanding officer, Panesa said.

Among the more recent popular offensives in his record include the raids on municipal police offices of Bagamanoc in 2002 and San Lorenzo Ruiz in 2003.

In 2012, he was also the leader in the attack on Maut detachment in Labo, Camarines Norte, which resulted in the killing of four personnel and a civilian, wounding of one military and one civilian, seizing of several high-powered firearms including the .45-caliber issued to Lt. Estrebillo, team leader of the Army unit.

This firearm was recovered from Rabulan’s possession on his death.

Early this year, the encounter at Barangay Agaw-Aw, Ragay, Camarines Sur, which involved him, also resulted in the killing of a Civilian Active Auxiliary Force member, wounding of two soldiers and seizing of an M14 from the military troops.

Recovered during the Thursday encounter were one .45-caliber pistol, one shot gun, two laptop computers, seven cell phones and two back packs.

Brig. Gen. Yerson E. Depayso, 9th ID commander, reiterated his call “to our brothers to go back to the folds of our government and live peacefully with their families.”

The “Guns for Peace” program of our government can be availed by them to help them come back to the mainstream society, Depayso added.

“May this incident send a message to the exploited NPA members who are still hiding in the mountains. Fighting the government with the use of violence that brings destruction to human lives and properties is not the right and moral thing to do,” he said.

They could serve their countrymen better if they will resort to peaceful means of effecting reforms in the society, Depayso said, adding “The death of one NPA is unnecessary and could have been prevented.”

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=594900