Army maintains encounter legit, open to inquiries

From the Visayan Daily Star (Oct 20, 2023): Army maintains encounter legit, open to inquiries (By GILBERT P. BAYORAN)

The Army’s 303rd Infantry Brigade yesterday maintained that the killing of a rebel couple in Brgy. Canlusong, EB Magalona, Negros Occidental, was an offshoot of a legitimate encounter, contrary to claims being circulated of what it describes as propaganda, and the denial of their family members.

Brig. Gen. Orlando Edralin, 303rd Infantry Brigade commander, yesterday said they are also open to any probe, or inquiries in connection with the gun battle.

Killed were Christian Job Joaquin Vargas, alias Nacio, a resident of Barangay Canlusong, E.B. Magalona, and a squad leader of the dismantled Northern Negros Front (NNF), and his wife, Mylene Malasabas Salgado, known as Iba/Shien/Ruth, also member of the same unit, and the Regional Striking Force of the NPA, according to a statement issued by the Philippine Army.

The encounter between soldiers of the 79th Infantry Battalion and about nine suspected NPA rebels, which lasted about 15 minutes, also led to the recovery of three M16 automatic rifles, an M14 assault rifle, AR 15 semiautomatic rifle, M1 garand rifle, and four rifle grenades.

Vargas, according to Lt. Col. J Jay Javines, 3ID Civil Military Operations chief, is the son of Arlo Vargas, alias Allen, one of the top rebel leaders in Western Visayas, with a bounty of 550,000 for his arrest.

Javines added the younger Vargas formerly served as a former commanding officer the Sentro De Grabidad Platoon, Central Negros 2 and 3 units, under Komiteng Rehiyon-Negros, Cebu Bohol, Siquijor (KR-NCBS), and was a member of the NPA Regional Operational Command, prior to his and his wife Mylene’s transfer to northern Negros, to help in the recovery efforts of the dismantled Northern Negros Front

He added that the couple, along with Ericson Acosta, also a top NPA cadre and husband of Kerima Lorena Tariman, a former secretary of NNF, who were both killed last year, have existing warrants of arrest for attempted murder, issued by Himamaylan Regional Trial Court Judge Walter Zorilla.

The 3ID also found out that the brother of Christian Job, Hans Vargas, who also served as commanding officer of Platoon 3 of the South West Front Committee, died in an encounter with police Special Action Force troopers in Brgy. Tabu, Ilog, in 2021.

Hans, according to 3ID, is also wanted for multiple murder cases.

In a statement, the NPA Apolinario Gatmaitan Command claimed that they have not deployed any NPA unit in Brgy. Canlusong, EB Magalona, nor there was an encounter that took place.

Maj. Gen. Marion Sison, 3ID commander, in a statement, said the incident involving the Vargas couple is a hard truth on how the NPA destroys the very foundation of our society – the family.

First, they lure the parents, and when they do, the kids soon become easy prey, Sison said.

This unfortunate turn of events should serve as a strong reminder to everyone that joining the NPA leads to nothing but harm, including the destruction of families and unnecessary loss of life, he stressed.

While Jocelyn (Vargas) vehemently denied the involvement of her son with the NPA, it can be understood, and it is a normal reaction from a mother. But the fact remains that the couple were active members of the NPA, both have arrest warrants for their participation in rebel atrocities, and their true identities were confirmed by their former comrades, Sison said.*

https://visayandailystar.com/army-maintains-encounter-legit-open-to-inquiries/