The ongoing purging by the New People’s Army in Negros Occidental of suspected government informants within its ranks, called “Oplan Panghilamon” has led to the summary execution of two rebels, while another one died of torture Monday and Tuesday in the hinterlands of Escalante City and Calatrava, Col. Jonas Sumagaysay, 303rd Infantry Brigade commander, said yesterday.

Sumagaysay said one of the five suspected government informants, who is a member of the NPA Motorola platoon in northern Negros, was shot dead by his comrades Tuesday in Sitio Icogan, Brgy. Minapasok, Calatrava, while another one died of torture in Brgy. Binagyuhan, Escalante City.

A day earlier, a certain Ka Benhur who was tried on suspicion of being a deep-penetration-agent by the rebel “kangaroo court” , was meted the death penalty, and was executed by his colleagues also in Escalante, Sumagaysay said.

The military, however, has failed to recover the bodies of the three alleged rebels in northern Negros.

ARSON SUSPECT

Sumagaysay said they received reports that it is Rogelio Danoso who re-assumed the command of the NPA in northern Negros, after his release from jail after posting bail of P200,000 for arson charges, who is implementing the purging of suspected deep-penetration-agents in their organization.

He said that about 30 rebels, including a key leader in central Negros, are being investigated on suspicions of being government agents.

Andrea Guerrero, spokesperson of the Armando Sumayang Command in southern Negros, said in a statement that the grandiose psychological warfare operations of Sumagaysay, which aims to destroy, demoralize the NPA and the masses, are mere “fairy tales”, and part of the image-saving scheme of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

The military had claimed that nine rebels had died and 17 were injured in the alleged infighting within the NPA organization, in northern Negros alone.

CONCOCTED TALES

Guerrero said the concocted tales of “mis-encounters” are not only happening in Negros, but across the nation. She added that recycled tales of “many NPAs died because of heavy bloodstains” can no longer be bought as propaganda.

Sumagaysay said the ongoing purging of alleged government spies within the NPA, was a duplication of Oplan Ahos Zombie in the 1990s, that resulted in the killing of hundreds of rebels nationwide.

Key cadres of the NPA from Samar reportedly arrived in Negros in the middle of 2009, to help in the recruitment, training and consolidation of communist rebels in the island.

Guerrero, however, said the “fairy tales” of Sumagaysay form part of the image-saving scheme of the AFP to conceal the rottenness, corruption, power grabbing and protection racket inside their organization.

Sumagaysay said there is now a growing resentment among NPA members that those being investigated on suspicions of being military informants are those assigned in Negros.

Guerrero said it is a plain stupidity to believe and swallow the lies being propagated by Sumagaysay.

INNOCENT ONES INCLUDED

Sumagaysay said those who are innocent may be included in the purging of alleged government spies.

The Roselyn Pelle and Armando Sumayang Commands in northern and southern Negros, said the disinformation campaign of the military about the alleged casualties in the mis-encounters, is an attempt to cover up their failures to crush the revolutionary movement in Negros island, through their so-called Oplan Bayanihan campaign.* GPB

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