NPA claims slay of Batangas police official

CAMP VICENTE LIM, Laguna—The New People’s Army claimed responsibility for the assassination of a high ranking police official in Batangas early this week, contrary to an earlier statement from the police that a drug syndicate was behind the ambush.

The NPA’s Eduardo Dagli Command in Batangas said Superintendent Rodney Ramirez, who was shot dead in Taal, Batangas on Tuesday, was sentenced with execution for a number of alleged “criminal cases and blood debts” he had committed.

Ramirez, when he was police chief of Sta. Rosa City, Laguna, was allegedly responsible for the killing of activist Sabina “Sabeng” Ariola in March 2009, claimed the NPA unit spokesman Apolinario Matienza in an statement e-mailed to the Inquirer on Thursday.

Ariola was leader of an urban poor group in the city and was shot while speaking at a local rally.

Ramirez was allegedly also responsible for the murder of village chairman and militant Kenneth Reyes in Lemery, Batangas last April, the rebels claimed.

The NPA said Ramirez, who was assigned at the Batangas police intelligence branch at that time, “had ordered his death squad” to gun down Reyes.

Chief Superintendent Gil Meneses, Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) police director, on Friday said that despite the NPA’s admission, their investigation would not veer away from their initial leads that a drug syndicate was involved in the killing of Ramirez.

Meneses also doubted that the statement came from the NPA, saying “that’s ridiculous. Anyone, even a boy, could have written (the statement). They should have proof if they really want to claim (the ambush). The police will not be fooled by an e-mailed admission.”

Meneses insisted that the police are on the right track of pinning down the suspects as they have evidence which is in their custody, the Mitsubishi L-300 van the gunmen abandoned after the ambush on Ramirez.

“To tell you the truth, some of the suspects were found to be former rebels or to have links with the NPA. So somehow, it’s good they had admitted to it,” Meneses said.