Top communist insurgent leaders among six killed, Philippine Army confirms
Group linked to extortion and killings.
NORTHERN SAMAR: The Philippine Army has confirmed that two communist insurgent leaders were among six communist rebels killed on Dec. 2 in Northern Samar province.
The Army’s 8th Infantry Division (8ID) in a statement reported that the encounter with the members of the communist insurgent group, called the New People’s Army, occurred in Paco village, Las Navas district.
The 8ID identified the casualties as:
- Ariel Baselga a.k.a. Aries/Polly, secretary of Sub-Regional Committee (SRC) Emporium
- Renar Diaz a.k.a. Beloy/Monmon, vice commander of the Sub-Regional Operations Command
- Rey Tafalla a.k.a. Bunso
- James Arandia a.k.a. Taying
- Maricar Asinas a.k.a. Ikar
- Kagid (an alias)
Baselga was allegedly responsible for directing SRC Emporium’s operations, implementing the directives of the Eastern Visayas Regional Party Committee (EVRPC) in Northern Samar, and authorising tactical offensives in the province.
Diaz was allegedly tasked with planning and overseeing the tactical operations of the guerrillas under the committee.
The group, said 8ID, was linked to various atrocities, including extortion and killings in Northern Samar such as the murder of Civilian Armed Auxiliary Jeffrey Aceron and village committee member Joel Surio.
Following the encounter, troops from the 19th Infantry Battalion of the 803rd Infantry Brigade, an 8ID unit, recovered firearms, ammunition, and subversive materials.
Maj. Gen. Adonis Ariel Orio, the 8ID commander, expressed condolences to the families of the deceased, emphasising the tragedy of their choices and the potential for a different outcome had they surrendered.
“It is saddening to see fellow Filipinos deceived by the false ideologies of communist terrorists meet such a tragic end. We extend our heartfelt sympathies to their bereaved families,” Orio said.
“While they were our enemies, we honor their humanity by providing them with a proper and dignified burial. However, this outcome could have been avoided if they had chosen to lay down their arms and surrender.”
Northern Samar has been a frequent scene of firefights between the army and communist insurgents, including one in late November when soldiers were responding to tips about armed individuals requesting food and medicine for their injured comrades in upland Sulitan village, Catubig town.
The rebellion is considered Asia’s longest-running communist insurgency and one of the world’s most enduring armed conflicts.
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