Kalinaw News: No More Escape This Time for Bernie

From Kalinaw News (Mar 14, 2021): No More Escape This Time for Bernie



Camp Downes, Ormoc City, March 14, 2021 – Soldiers of 93rd Infantry Battalion, acting on a tip off from local residents, conducted operations and netted a member of the Communist Terrorist Group (NPA) identified as Edencio Dionaldo @ Bernie Bates who has in his possession a Caliber .45 pistol, at Brgy Hiluctogan, Carigara, Leyte.

His capture led to the seizure of two (2) M16 rifles and the discovery of a cache in the backyard of his own house containing the following: one (1) M16 rifle, eight (8) Caliber .38 revolvers, one (1) rifle grenade, one (1) improvised anti-personnel landmine, one (1) magazine of M16 rifle, assorted rounds of ammunition for AK47, Garand rifle, Caliber .45, 5.56mm Ball, 7.62mm Ball, and empty shells of 12 – gauge shotgun. It can be recalled that last November 14, 2020, soldiers rescued the children of Bernie Bates in that same house where weapons, explosive, underground revolutionary textbooks, bomb-making manual, and other war materiel and illegal items were found. The said house was also used as the venue for the repair of arms and manufacture of improvised explosive device; and the conduct of Diakonie – sponsored agricultural training on organic and diverse farming.

Diakonie is a local farmers’ organization in Carigara, Leyte named after Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe, one of the foreign benefactors and sponsors of Leyte Center for Development (LCDe). LCDe used to provide funds to the Municipal Upland Farmers of Carigara or MUFAC which was discovered to be a front organization of the armed communist terrorists group (CPP-NPA-NDF), as revealed by many of its former officers and members. Accordingly, issues on corruption and mismanagement of donated funds from local and foreign donors due to lack of transparency on the part of LCDe discouraged MUFAC members and led to their realization that their organization is only being utilized for fund generation scheme. Currently, MUFAC is no longer an active organization.

Edencio Dionaldo, who has a standing order of arrest for the crime of Attempted Homicide issued by Judge Lauro Andres P. Castillo Jr. of RTC Branch 36, Carigara, Leyte, was already a member of the NPA terrorist group at age 14. Since the discovery of war materiel inside his house and the rescue of his children, the government has been actively calling for his peaceful surrender, especially that one of his minor children, Cyril is suffering from meningitis. In fact, the 802nd Infantry Brigade, in coordination with the staff of Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa facilitated the treatment of Cyril at the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center (EVRMC).

Si Brig. Gen. Zosimo A. Oliveros ay nanawagan sa mga natitirang kasapi ng teroristang CPP – NPA sa mga lalawigan ng Leyte, Southern Leyte at Biliran na magbalik-loob sa ating gobyerno upang hindi sapitin ang nangyari kay Edencio Dionaldo at nang sa gayon ay makatanggap ng mga magagandang benepisyo na inaalok sa ilalim ng Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) ng pamahalaan.

[Kalinaw News is the official online source of information on the pursuit for peace in the Philippines This website is a property of the Civil-Military Operations Regiment, Philippine Army located at Lawton Avenue, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City. Contact us: kalinawnews@cmoregiment.com]

https://www.kalinawnews.com/no-more-escape-this-time-for-bernie/