ILOILO CITY – The government is eyeing a review of its peace pact between the breakaway Revolutionary Proletarian Army-Alex Boncayao Brigade over the alleged involvement of members of the group in the killing of a policeman and the wounding of two others in Janiuay town in Iloilo Saturday.

Presidential Assistant for Western Visayas Raul Banias said they will specifically review the provisions of the agreement allowing the RPA-ABB members to carry firearms.

Under the peace agreement with the government signed on December 2000, 100 leaders and members of the RPA-ABB are allowed to carry short firearms in designated areas.

The alleged RPA-ABB members who attacked the policemen in Barangay Patong-Patong in Janiuay were carrying high-powered firearms.

Killed was PO3 Gildo Sullivan while PO3 Francisco Gabiano and PO3 Jonathan Limas sustained bullet wounds. All three are members of the town's police force.

Police have tagged the group of RPA-ABB leader Bernardo Umayao, alias Ka Jack, of Tigbauan town in Iloilo, as the one responsible for the attack.

Senior Supt. Ricardo de la Paz, Iloilo provincial director, said Umayao's group is under the command of RPA-ABB commander Demetrio Capilastique, alias Ka Hugo, and affiliated with the faction of Nilo de la Cruz.

Capilastique has issued a press statement denying that their group was involved in the attack, saying that Umayao was not in the area at the time. He claimed that armed groups other than the RPA-ABB are also present in the area.

He added that their group continues to support and observe the peace agreement.

Investigators said the policemen were in the area investigating the alleged mauling of a villager by RPA-ABB members when a confrontation occurred between them and the group. The victims were leaving the area on board a police patrol jeep when they were fired at by the alleged RPA-ABB members more than 100 meters from where the confrontation took place.

Dela Paz said they will file this week murder and two counts of frustrated murder against Umayao and eleven others before the Iloilo provincial prosecutors office. The police will also file a separate complaint before the local monitoring team of the Enforcement Monitoring Committee for “gross violations” of the peace agreement.

The five-member JEMC, composed of two representatives from both panels, is tasked to monitor and oversee the enforcement of the provisions of the agreement.

Iloilo provincial administrator Manuel Mejorada, head of the five-member local monitoring committee, said they will conduct an investigation once they receive a formal complaint from the police.

He said they will allow the RPA-ABB to answer the allegations before making recommendations to the JEMC.

Banias said he is still waiting for the final report on the incident to confirm the involvement of the RPA-ABB in the attack.

He said that even if it can be proven that the RPA-ABB is involved, it will not derail the peace talks. But he said criminal acts of RPA-ABB members will not be condoned.

The RPA-ABB broke away from Communist Party of the Philippine-New People's Army-National Democratic Front over ideological differences in 1992.

Last year, the breakway group was further splintered into two factions, one led by De la Cruz and the other by Negros Occidental-based Stephen Paduano, alias Carapali Lualhati, RPA-ABB national commander, and Veronica Tabara, secretary general of its political wing, Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa-Pilipinas.

The two factions have traded accusations of corruption over their funds and usurpation of authority.*NPB

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