BRGY. TILING, Cauayan - From ideologues to "roving bandits".

That is how Lt. Col. Norman Flores, 61st Infantry Battalion commander, describes the evolution of the Rebolusyonaryong Hukbo ng Bayan, a breakaway communist rebel faction, operating in the hinterland barangays of Kabankalan, Cauayan and Ilog.

"We considers them now as roving bandits who are just doing hold-ups, extortion and other illegal activities," Flores said.

The assessment of Flores was shared by former RHB leader Jesus Daguia, alias Ka Jess, who confirmed that the former organization he used to serve, is now relying on "robbery-hold-up" to sustain its existence.

Daguia said he has a witness to the corruption in the RHB organization that had driven him to quit from it.

Flores said that while the armed RHB red fighters have drastically reduced from 20 to less than 12, as corroborated by Daguia, it is now targeting minors and teenagers to augment their dwindling forces.

He added that he hopes the recruitment activities of RHB will stop because of the relentless operations they are conducting.

The RHB-Negros headed by Edmund Sayo, alias Ka Samson, and Bong, is the armed component of the Marxista-Leninista Partido ng Pilipinas, a similar organization to the Communist Party of the Philippines and the rival group - Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa- Pilipinas, military records show.

Daguia said he and 17 other New People's Army red fighters led by Ka Wenly, sought refuge in central Negros after the NPA Front Committee and Command 1 in southern Negros declared autonomy from the CPP-NPA, which led to the formation of the rejectionist group.

Daguia who used to be an escort of then NPA chief Romulo Kintanar and Arturo Tabara, added that they formed the RHB because of disagreements with policies of both the mainstream and rejectionist rebel factions.

Military records show that the 61st IB had recovered 15 high-powered firearms in numerous encounters with RHB fighters since 2001.

In anticipation of the founding anniversary of the New People's Army on March 29, Flores said they have already launched a number of operations to pre-empt rebel offensives in southern Negros.*GPB

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