By Jennifer P. Rendon
An activist and a platoon leader of the New People’s Army (NPA) were accused of murder and multiple attempted murders relative to an ambush that killed a soldier in Lambunao, Iloilo on April 7, 2020.
Witnesses implicated Elmer Forro, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN)-Panay secretary general; and Karl Teodosio alias Obet/Andoy, leader of SYP Baloy Platoon of the NPA’s Komiteng Rehiyon-Panay (KR-P)’s Central Front, as the persons who attacked government troops at a time when both the Philippine government and the Communist Party of the Philippines declared a cessation of hostilities.
The truce was declared at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
But aside from the two personalities, the Lambunao Police Station, through its chief Major Jogen Suegay, also charged other respondents identified as “John Does of the Baloy Platoon.”
The Iloilo Provincial Prosecutors Office received the complaint on June 19.
Suegay said that a soldier, who also stood as witness, identified Forro and Teodosio during the encounter.
“For now, we’re awaiting the result of the case that we filed,” he said
It can be noted that a member of the Philippine Army’s 301st Infantry Brigade was killed in the April 7 encounter at Barangay Panuran.
The fatality was identified as Private First Class Mark Nemis of Madalag, Aklan.
The encounter happened when both the Philippine government and the CPP Communist Party of the Philippines both declared a ceasefire.
The CPP has ordered its armed wing, the NPA, to observe a ceasefire with government forces starting 12 am of March 26 until 11:59 pm on April 15.
On the other hand, the government announced the ceasefire a week earlier, on March 19. It lapsed April 15.
The government troops were doing security patrol and information dissemination when they encountered some 20 members of the Baloy Platoon at Panuran, a village around 15 kilometers from the Lambunao town proper.
JUSTICE FOR NEMIS
Major Cenon Pancito, 3rd Infantry Division commander, said that the filing of the case “is in line with our desire that justice be served for PFC Nemis who heroically died in Lambunao while conducting Covid efforts for the people in the area.”
“As an organization that believes in the justice system of this country, we leave it now to the wisdom of the fiscal’s office in how they are to appreciate those pertinent information filed before their office,” he said.
Even earlier, Pancito said the incident only showed the NPA’s blatant violation of the ongoing ceasefire.
“We did stop with our offensive operations. We have a mandate, though, to provide security services in the area. Our troops have a mandate to secure the people,” he said.
Prior to the said encounter, the Army troops had been receiving information that several armed men, who were believed to be NPA rebels, were seen in the area.
