Remains of ‘missing’ rebel exhumed in S. Leyte

From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 8, 2024): Remains of ‘missing’ rebel exhumed in S. Leyte (By Sarwell Meniano)

RETRIEVED. The exhumed remains of the New People's Army (NPA) member in Sogod, Southern Leyte. The recent exhumation of remains that belonged to a rebel unfolds the NPA's negligence toward the value of human life, the Philippine Army said on Monday (April 8, 2024). (Photo courtesy of Philippine Army)

TACLOBAN CITY – Combined elements of the Philippine Army and the Philippine National Police retrieved the remains of a missing rebel in upland Kahupian village in Sogod, Southern Leyte last week.

The body was exhumed after former rebel, John Lamadora, revealed to authorities the location of the remains of Teofulo Arbuyas, alias Enting, and the nature of his death.

Arbuyas was a member of Platoon 1, Island Committee 47 of the New People’s Army (NPA) Eastern Visayas regional party committee, according to Brig. Gen. Noel Vestuir, commander of the Army’s 802nd Infantry Brigade.

Lamadora revealed that Arbuyas expressed his intent to leave the movement to seek medical help, but was not allowed by his NPA commander.

The communist movement rejected the proposition that Arbuyas could receive proper medical treatment with the help of the Army and the government, Vestuir said.

“I felt horrified upon learning the desires of Teng or Enting to go down so that his illness would be treated. It only shows the true terrorist color of the NPA commanders, who do not value human life. These people do not care about the feelings of their members’ loved ones,” Vestuir said in a phone interview.

Arbuyas, a native of Javier, Leyte, reportedly died sometime in May 2023 without the knowledge of his family.

Vestuir thanked Lamadora for the information while reiterating his call for the remaining NPA members to abandon the armed struggle and live a normal life.

Earlier, the 802nd Brigade launched the Friends Rescued through Engagement with their Families program, optimizing the local government’s efforts to link and convince the remaining NPA members through the active participation of the rebels’ families to work for the peaceful surrender of their loved ones.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1222224