In Bohol, rebel leader buried without fanfare

Bohol map. INQUIRER FILES

BALILIHAN, BOHOL—The family of the slain communist leader in Bohol province got what they wanted: A quiet funeral for a man who had lived a tumultuous life.

Domingo Jaspe Compoc, a ranking official of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Central Visayas, was buried without fanfare in a public cemetery in Balilihan town on Sunday afternoon. Hermocila Villamor, Compoc’s estranged wife, said she didn’t allow any group to hold a “pagpupugay” or tribute done by the NPA for their fallen comrades, saying her family only wanted peace.

Villamor was herself a former rebel who surrendered in 2016. She also a 29-year-old son, who also became a member of the NPA, in a clash with government troops in Bohol only last year.

“Let him rest in peace,” Villamor said of her husband, with whom she has three children, in an interview on Sunday.

Compoc, 58 who was also known as “Kumander Cobra” or “Ka Silong” was killed in what government troopers said was a shootout in Purok 2, Matin-ao Dos of Barangay Campagao, Bilar town of Bohol on Feb. 23.

Compoc, leader of a guerilla front in the province, had a P2.6 million bounty on his head for a string of charges including rebellion, homicide, attempted homicide, theft, multiple murder, frustrated murder and robbery.

Also killed were suspected rebels Hannah Cesista, a lawyer; and Perlito Historia, Marlon Omosura and Alberto Sancho.

A returnee’s tale

But the Communist Party of the Philippines has claimed in a statement that the five rebels did not die in a firefight but were allegedly captured and tortured in front of many villagers before they were killed. It also sought for an independent autopsy on the remains of Compoc and the other fatalities.

But Villamor said she refused that the body of Compoc undergo an autopsy, as requested by human rights and other groups because she did not want to “complicate matters,” opting instead for a private and quiet burial.

The funeral rites of Compoc were held at the Sto. Niño Parish in Barangay Hanopol in Balilihan town prior to his burial. Aside from Villamor, also present were their two remaining children and relatives.

Villamor used to be with Compoc in the underground communist movement. But she returned to the folds of the law in 2016 and lived a quiet life in Negros Occidental.

“I surrendered because life as a rebel was so hard. I also saw that the government is sincere in helping rebel returnees,” she said.

Villamor said she convinced her husband to surrender. At first, Compoc considered returning to the fold of the law but changed his mind when his brother, Pelagio, was shot dead while tending his carabao in 2019.

His son Jingler joined his father in the underground movement and died in an encounter in Bilar town in September 2023.

Surviving children

The Armed Forces of the Philippines recently facilitated a reunion between Villamor and her two children, a 32-year-old son and a 24-year-old daughter.

The son grew up away from his family, having been raised by a neighbor since he was only 6 months old and lives in Balilihan, where Compoc is now buried.

The daughter grew up under her grandmother’s care, and is now undergoing training in Bataan province to join the Philippine Coast Guard.

The daughter said that despite the different paths that she and her parents had taken, she hoped her father would be proud of her choice to serve with the government.

Both military and police claimed that Compoc’s death ended the glory days of the NPA in the province. INQ