Former NPA official earlier claimed ‘leftist party-list groups’ have NPA links

By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The commander of the Philippine Army 303rd Infantry Brigade (303IB) slammed progressive groups in Negros Occidental for not condemning last Sunday’s killing of Moises Padilla Municipal Councilor Jolomar Hilario.

In an exclusive interview with Watchmen Daily Journal, 303IB commander, Brigadier General Benedict Arevalo, questioned why groups such as Karapatan-Negros; Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, or Bayan; the National Union of Peoples; and former Bayan Muna partylist Rep. Neri Colmenares are not “making noise” after Hilario was killed at the hands of the New People’s Army (NPA).

“An innocent civilian was murdered in cold blood in front of his own family, this is a violation of the international human rights law, where are [they]?” Arevalo asked.

Earlier, Hilario was shot dead after 50 NPA rebels broke into his home at the town’s Barangay Inolingan.

Investigations conducted by local police revealed the rebels were on board three trucks, which were used to block the road. They also planted several landmines in the area.

Hilario, an ally of incumbent Moises Padilla Mayor Magdaleno Peña, was seeking reelection in the upcoming midterm elections.

Last January, during the Barangay Summit on Good Governance, which was hosted by the Department of the Interior and Local Government, former NPA committee member Evelyn Bustamante spoke and presented her experiences, exposing the direct connection between the Communist Party of the Philippines and the National Democratic Front as a source of manpower, financial, and logistical support for the NPA.

She also urged barangay officials not to support any leftist party-list groups, pointing out, “They, too, are directly or indirectly giving support to the NPA’s armed struggle./DGB, WDJ