RPA-ABB leader yields

DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines  – A self-confessed member of the Revolutionary Proletarian Army-Alex Boncayao Brigade (RPA-ABB), a breakaway group of the CPP-NPA, has surrendered to the police in Tanjay City, Negros Oriental after gunning down one of his “rebel” comrades.

Erwin Tano Bajamonde, 47, married and a resident of Section 14 in the hinterland sitio Candanque of Barangay Azagra in Tanjay City, first surrendered to Arnel Dagodog, an RPA-ABB commander, early Monday.

A certain Julwar Potistas later brought Bajamonde to the Tanjay City Police station where the latter also turned over the supposed fatal weapon, a .45 caliber pistol Colt MK IV series, 12 rounds of live ammunition and two magazine clips.

Bajamonde said the gun was issued to him by the RPA-ABB and that it was one of the many firearms that were inventoried recently by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process as part of the ongoing peace talks with the Philippine government.

Bajamonde told The Freeman he killed William Candelario Garnica, alias Ka Wamar, to seek revenge for the death of his older brother, Jose, sometime in 1995, in sitio Avocado in Barangay Talalak, Sta. Catalina town in southern Negros Oriental.

He said that Garnica, allegedly a member of the NPA back in the 1990s, and other “rebels”, arrested, mauled and later killed his brother who was under suspicion of being a military sympathizer and informant. He further claimed that he was also summoned by the same group and later threatened, prompting him and other family members to flee Sta. Catalina.

At the time of the older Bajamonde’s death, both brothers were civilians, but in 2002, Erwin Bajamonde claimed to have joined the RPA-ABB, which in turn armed him with a caliber .45 pistol.

Bajamonde, who said he did not feel remorse over the death of Garnica, admitted that he and their family could not file a complaint against the latter, as he was allegedly with the NPA then and it was difficult, if not impossible, to charge the man in court.

He further said that he and Garnica became neighbors in the informal RPA-ABB resettlement site in Candanque since 2004. He said Garnica was not a member of the RPA-ABB, but Col. Francisco Patrimonio, commander of the 302nd Infantry Brigade, quoted Arnel Dagodog as saying Garnica had bolted the NPA years back and joined the RPA-ABB until today.

Bajamonde, who claimed to be assistant platoon leader of the RPA-ABB’s Platoon 2, said he shot Garnica last Monday evening during an argument in Candanque.

Investigation showed Garnica died of a single gunshot wound to the head, apparently fired at close range. The police was about to file a murder case against Bajamonde after Edil Toroy Tinghil and the live-in partner of the victim, together with some witnesses, appeared at the Tanjay Police station on Tuesday to execute their affidavits.