RHB metes death to Tanod in Pampanga

BAGUIO CITY – A splinter communist armed group has meted death to another barangay tanod in Pampanga on Friday night, reports from the military reaching this city said.

Three members of the Rebolusyonaryong Hukbong Bayan (RHB), a splinter group from the mainstream Communist Party of the Philippines-New Peoples Army (CPP-NPA) mainly based in Central Luzon provinces mercilessly shot Noel Cordova in front of his house at Purok 1, Villa Quintana, barangay Barruya, Lubao town Friday night. Cordova was an employee of ECJ and Son Fishpond and at the same time helped authorities keep peace and order in the said village as chief barangay tanod.

The military identified three RHB members led by Alvin Calayag alias Bino as Cordova’s assasins after the said communist group suspected the victim of tipping to the authorities about the large scale extortion activities undertaken by the rebels particularly the group led by Ka Bino, victimizing not just fishpond operators but even lowly fishermen and other villagers who could hardly make both ends meet.

The RHB, the Northern Luzon Command (NOLCOM) said, suspects that Cordova was influencing the people to refuse payment of "revolutionary tax," the reason why the RHB’s total collection keeps on decreasing.

The suspects fled on board a tricycle after ensuring the death of Cordova whose body was peppered with bullets using caliber 45 pistol. They reportedly alighted at barangay Barya, also of Lubao town and left using a get-away boat heading toward Sitio Batasan, barangay Bancal Sinubli of the same town.

Major General Romeo Dominguez, chief of the NOLCOM denounced the "terrorist acts" perpetrated by the RHB as he ordered no let-up in the security operations to ensure that the rebels will not have the chance to harm the populace. – Artemio Dumlao