BACOLOD CITY – A priest turned National Democratic Front-spokesman in Negros Occidental, who was long rumored to be ailing and later dead, surfaced at a clandestine press conference in southern Negros Occidental on Thursday looking well and fit.
It was the first public appearance of Ka Frank Fernandez, who was tagged by the military as the number 1 most wanted rebel in Negros with a P7.8 million bounty for his arrest.
Present in the news conference were his wife, Cleofe Lagtapon, and Ka Juanito Magbanua of the New People’s Army.
He was asked a wide range of questions, from his rating of President Duterte, the peace talks and his health condition, during the press conference that lasted almost an hour.
Fernandez gave Mr. Duterte a rating of 5 for his performance in the last six months because of his anti-US statements and his program to get rid of contractualization.
But he added many things had yet to be done.
They didn’t favor the on-going extrajudicial killings of drug suspects since only the poor were subjected to the killings and not the drug lords.
Fernandez also didn’t favor the death penalty at this point since major reforms had yet to be done in the judicial system of this country.
“Duterte considers the United States as his number one enemy but being anti-US is not enough since many Filipinos are still working and staying in the US. He should also end the capitalist system, which is evil itself,” Fernandez said.
He also challenged Negros Occidental Gov. Alfredo, 81, to a marathon in the mountains going to their guerrilla camp.
This was in response to an offer made by Marañon in 2014 to provide medical assistance to Fernandez, who was reportedly ailing.
Fernandez, who was also tagged by the military as the secretary of the Komiteng Rehiyonal-Negros, said their enemies may think that if he died, the force of the rebels would weaken.
But he stressed that his death would not weaken the underground movement.
Fernandez said illnesses occur as one ages, but what he had were minor and could be managed by their medical staff.
After the press conference, the NPA troops also paraded with their firearms in a show of force ahead of the Communist Party of the Philippine anniversary next week.
Fernandez, a former Catholic priest, is also known by his aliases Ibarra, Kanor, Suilo and Ago and is wanted for four counts of murder and attempted murder.
According to the military, Fernandez supervises the operations of at least four guerrilla fronts of the New People’s Army on Negros Island that have at least 200 fighters.
Col. Oscar Lactao, then 303rd Infantry Brigade commander, in 2012 said the reward for the capture of Fernandez was increased from P5 million to P7.8 million, quoting a memo from the armed forces headquarters.
Lactao said the cash reward will come from funds being allotted by the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine National Police for the capture of the country’s most wanted persons.
Fernandez was seen in public 30 years ago in Bacolod City during the peace talks between the rebels and the administration of late president Corazon Aquino in 1986. JE/rga