Army buries NPA leader in Iloilo

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 22, 2024): Army buries NPA leader in Iloilo (By Perla Lena)

DECENT BURIAL. The Tactical Operations Group 6 (TOG 6) of the Philippine Air Force airlifts the bodies of high-ranking leaders of the New People’s Army, including Vicente Hinojales, the Regional Secretary of Komiteng Rehiyon-Panay (KR-P), from Barangay Cabatangan to the town proper of Lambunao on Aug. 19, 2024. Hinojales will be buried at the Lambunao Eco Park in Barangay Sibacungan on Thursday (Aug. 22) afternoon. (Photo courtesy of 3 DPAO)

ILOILO CITY – The 82ndInfantry Battalion of the Philippine Army with the Lambunao Municipal Police Station and the local government of Lambunao, Iloilo on Thursday will be giving a "decent" burial to a top leader of the New People's Army in Panay, whose body was found in a state of decomposition.

The local government arranged the burial site for Vicente Hinojales, the Regional Secretary of Komiteng Rehiyon-Panay (KR-P) of the NPA, at the Lambunao Eco Park in Barangay Sibacungan.

His body was found in Sitio Igdagmay, Barangay Cabatangan, on Aug. 15, following a series of encounters in the hinterlands of Lambunao and Calinog towns.

Lt. Col. J-Jay Javines, chief of the 3rd Infantry Division Public Affairs Office, said they coordinated with the local government unit in Cotabato for the fare of the family of Hinojales, but no commitment was made. The Philippine Army could not afford it as well.

“That’s the least we can do, to give a decent burial because that is our culture as Filipinos. Even though they brought arms against the government, it is over. At the end of the day, they are still Filipinos,” he said.

Hinojales was from Barangay Linao, Matalam, North Cotabato, and was the former secretary of Guerilla Front 14 of the Communist Terrorist Group in Mindanao before transferring to Panay Island in 2017.

He has pending arrest warrants for several criminal cases in Agusan del Sur.

He was also tagged in various terrorist activities perpetrated by KR-P, including the raid of the local police station and the ambush of the police vehicle in Maasin in June and November 2017; burning of heavy equipment in Dumalag, Capiz, in 2018 and Sibalom, Antique in 2019; ambush of the 3rd Infantry Division troops in Madalag, Aklan, that caused the death of Private First Class Mark Nemis in 2020, and the killing of Cpl. FrederickVillasis in Tapaz, Capiz, in 2021.

His body and the cadavers of two other NPA leaders were airlifted from Cabatangan to the town proper on Aug. 19.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1231759