Three alleged supporters of the New People’s Army were killed Saturday (Aug. 1) in Davao City on suspicion they had connived with the military in killing a top rebel leader and in the capture of another as part of the continuing purge of possible deep penetration agents of the military within the NPA ranks.
Reports reaching the Philippine Army on Wednesday said the victims, all from the Paquibato District, were killed in “quick succession” in the evening because they were supposedly responsible for the killing of Leoncio Pitao alias Parago and the capture of Christopher Rollon alias Joel by the military.
The first victim, identified as Nelson Anggoy alias Felimon/Opaw of Barangay Proper, Paquibato District, had a standing warrant of arrest together with Pitao. The report said the encounter in Paradise Embac on June 14 this year that left three NPAs dead in the house of one Aida Seisa was originally an operation to serve that warrant.
The Army said that Anggoy was forcibly taken from his residence past 7 p.m. last Saturday by three NPA guerillas armed with M16 Rifles. His body was later found in Purok Narra of Barangay Paquibato, along with several empty bullet shells.
The second victim, Joel Caran, lived just across the river where an encounter against the Army’s Task Force Minion led to the death of Pitao in Barangay Pañalum, Paquibato District. Three NPAs armed with M16 rifles shot him several times at around 7:45 p.m. while he was sitting in front of his house.
The third fatality, Henry Delgado, was killed by NPA rebels at about 7:30 p.m. in front of his wife in Barangay Bunawan, Bunawan District.
“These events are characteristic of purging within the ranks of the NPA,” Brig. Gen. Benjamin R. Madrigal Jr, acting division commander of 10th Infantry Division.
Madrigal ordered the 1003rd Brigade to intensify its security monitoring in the area to prevent more casualties.
“They are now murdering their own in an effort to cleanse their ranks,” Madrigal said. “The NPA has exposed its ugly head. We call on everybody to join hands with us to stop this menace to society.”
Madrigal said the purge within the ranks of the NPA was nothing new. He said NPAs have eliminated those they believed to be military assets in the past.