Bodies of NPA liquidation victims exhumed in Sorsogon

LEGAZPI CITY – The remains of three persons who were earlier abducted by the New People’s Army (NPA) were exhumed Wed­nesday by a joint team from the Army and the police in Barangay Calpi in Pilar town, Sorsogon.

Lt. Col. Claudio Yukot, commanding officer of the 9th Infantry Batallion operating in the towns of Pilar, Castilla and Donsol,all in Sorsogon together with Pilar town police Chief Inspector Dionisio Laceda recovered the skeletal remains of Rolando Sacdalan, a militia from  Barangay Maca­laya in Castilla town,  who was kidnapped and killed Aug. 24, 2000; Rolando Benitez of Barangay Loreto who was kidnapped and killed in 2004 and a certain Pee Jay, an NPA guerilla from Barangay Lipason in Pilar, Sorsogon, was also killed sometime in 2001.

Yukot said the unmarked grave at Barangay Calpi, which is accessible only through a 40-minute motorized banca ride from Pilar town proper, was discovered after an NPA surenderee, who was part of the group who killed the three, pointed the place to the authorities.

The decomposed remains of Sacdalan, who was wearing t-shirt and pants when he was abducted during a barangay dance party, was still in his shorts and t-shirt while the two victims were just a mound of decomposed flesh, bones and skeletons.

Yukot identified the NPA rebels responsible for the abduction and killing of the three victims as “Ka Magno,” “Ka Dario” and “Ka Ara” of Komite sa Probensya (KOMPROB) Sorsogon.

“The NPAs are committing human rights violation and serious crime but why is the human rights watchdog – Task Force Karapatan – simply silent about this inhuman act,” asked Yukot, who was responsible for the deactivation of the Front Committee “Hilo” of the New People’s Army operating in Pilar, Castilla and Donsol last year through effective intelligence, combat operation and special operation teams (SOT) starting December 2006 to 2007.

Front Committee “Hilo” commander, Reynaldo Rabulan alyas “Ka Joshua” was captured December last year and is now serving his sentence at the Sorsogon Provincial Jail.

The skeletal remains of the three victims were brought to Pilar police station so relatives of the victims can claim their remains and be given a decent burial.

Moreover, two NPA rebels were killed during an encounter at about 12 p.m. Wednesday by a platoon from the 8th Scout Ranger Company under Sgt. Ronelo de Pedro in Barangay Bulalacao in Gubat town, Sorsogon .

The fatalities were identified as Roy Regarido y Firatero, 19, a high school student of Bulalacao National High School and a resident of Barangay Sangat in Gubat town, as well as a certain Alvino Furing y Misa, 47, of Barangay San Jose in Bulusan, Sorsogon.

No one was reported injured on the government side.

On Feb. 23, two NPA rebels were also killed while two others were captured during an encounter with a reconnaissance platoon of the 31st Infantry Batallion in Barangay Lanot in Mercedes town, Camarines Norte.

Recovered were three M-16 rifles and four backpacks.