Ex-student leader is among 3 ‘rebels’ killed

ILOILO CITY — A former student leader was among the three rebels who died in the November 7 encounter between the New People’s Army and government troops in Cuartero town of Capiz.

Brigadier General Pio Diñoso, commander of the 301st Infantry Brigade, identified the slain man as Remy Beraye, a resident of Barangay Baldoza in La Paz district of Iloilo City.

Beraye used to be the chairman of the League of Filipino Students (LFS) at West Visayas State Universitymain campus in La Paz. He went on to become the vice chairperson of the WVSU University Student Council sometime in 1995.

Beraye married lawyer Geobelyn Lopez, also a former chairman of the LFSWVSU chapter, and also WVSU USC president. The couple had two daughters.

Diñoso said Beraye's identity was not immediately known because he was not on the military list. "It's either he'd been using a different name while with the group or he just joined his comrades in the mountains," he added.

NPA surrenderers, Diñoso explained, sometimes just knew their fellow rebels based on aliases. "And maybe, his real name was not really known to some NPA combatants."

But Diñoso is certain that Beraye was an NPA and he was with the group when the latter clashed with soldiers of the Philippine Army's 61st Infantry Battalion.

Aside from Beraye, also killed were Federico Diaz , with aliases of Val and Bansoy, of Barangay Mahabang Sapa in Cuartero, Capiz, and Allan Lerona, alias Felizardo Cerilo or Bong, of Mambusao, Capiz.

The three were alleged members of the NPA's Nonito Aguirre Sr. Command. Diaz was its vice commanding officer, while Lerona was the finance logistics officer of the Sangay Partido sa Platon (SPP) of the NPA's Eastern Front Committee-Komiteng Rehiyon Panay.

The government troops also recovered from the encounter site an AK-47 assault rifle, an M16 armalite rifle, and five backpacks, left behind by the fleeing rebels.