Philippine Army's 2nd Infantry "Jungle Fighter" Division (2ID) Commander Brig. Gen. Arnulfo Marcelo B. Burgos Jr. during press interview. (Photo by Saul E. Pa-a)
CAMP CAPINPIN, Tanay, Rizal - The Philippine Army’s 2nd Infantry “Jungle Fighter” Division (2ID) here on Friday condemned the killing of a former New People's Army (NPA) rebel, who had returned to the government fold as a barangay tanod (village watchman) in Antipolo City.
Rebel returnee Rodel Agudes was on duty when he was waylaid around 5 a.m. on Thursday at the Sitio Apia, Barangay Calawis in Antipolo.
Brig. Gen. Arnulfo Marcelo B. Burgos Jr., 2ID commander, condoled with Agudes' family and called on various groups to join the people in condemning the killing.
"This is one of the NPA terrorists’ desperate acts of projecting relevance and coercing the people to support them as they try to avert their fast-eroding mass base support from our people,” Burgos said.
He vowed to intensify military operational jurisdiction to protect the people and secure Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon) and the Mimaro (Mindoro Oriental/Occidental, Marinduque, and Romblon) regions after government troops also uncovered enemy harbor areas last Thursday.
Meanwhile, Lt. Col Christopher Diaz, commanding officer of 80th Infantry Battalion, said the communist NPA terrorists (CNTs) are committing these acts of violence against former comrades to silence them.
“This was part of their organizational cleansing targeting their former members who have since on 'lie low' and have abandoned their cause due to lingering doubts that their former comrades have been providing government troops with information," Diaz said.
He said the series of military decisive engagements, complemented by reliable information provided by residents for this year alone, have exacted heavy losses to the NPA terrorists.
On the other hand, Col. Alex Rillera, commander of the 202nd Infantry Brigade, which has operational jurisdiction over Northern Quezon, said: “the killing of Rodel Agudes is nothing but plain and simple murder."
"Our forces will be relentless in pursuit of these terrorists until justice is served to the families of the victim," he said.
The military has urged NPA remnants to avail of the government’s Enhanced-Comprehensive Local Integrated Program (E-CLIP) grants and “be part of the solution to our society’s problems.”
The communist group, which has been waging a five-decade armed struggle against the government, is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1078056
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