NDF consultant killed in Negros
BACOLOD CITY: A consultant to the National Democratic Front (NDF) and his companion were killed in a clash with the Philippine Army in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental early Wednesday morning.
The Army confirmed on Thursday, December 1, that one of those killed was Ericson Legaspi Acosta or Raffy, of Ligao City, Albay, allegedly a top New People’s Army (NPA) leader on Negros island.
According to former rebels, Acosta was the deputy secretary of Komiteng Rehiyon-Negros Cebu Bohol Siquijor and the head of the Political Unified Committee of the NPA in the Visayas at the time of his death, the Army said in a press statement.
He is the husband of the late Kerima Tariman, allegedly an NPA leader, who was killed in an encounter with members of the 79IB in Silay City on Aug. 22, 2021.
In a statement, NDF-Negros spokesman Bayani Obrero said the 94IB and 47IB captured Acosta and his companion alive in Sitio Makilo, Barangay Camansi, around 2 a.m.
But a few hours later, Obrero said the military tagged Acosta and his companion “casualties of a fake encounter.”
“NDF Negros, in the strongest terms, condemns the 94IB, 47IB and top dogs of the 3rd Infantry Division for the summary execution of Ericson and his companion,” he added.
“The two were victims of the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ despicable policy of ‘taking no prisoners’ in their counter-insurgency campaign,” Obrero said.
Acosta was in Negros, especially in Kabankalan City, “to consult on the situation of farm workers in southern Negros and share developments regarding the Comprehensive Agreement on Social and Economic Reform (Caser),” the NDF said.
It added that he was among the NDF consultants working on Caser.
In response, the Army slammed the rebels.
“This is contrary to the claims of the mouthpieces of the NDF that Acosta is an NDF consultant, peasant organizer and poet. Their propaganda aims to project that Acosta is not a notorious NPA leader but a songwriter, a poet and a harmless activist as they try to glorify his death to cover up his involvement in the NPA terrorist underground activities and atrocities. The statement of the NDF is trying to obscure the true nature of Ericson Acosta,” it said.
Also killed in the encounter was Albert Jimenez or Tantan, the Army also said.
The National Democratic Front identified him as Joseph Jimenez.
The first clash lasted for about five minutes, and the rebels scampered in various directions.
Pursuit operations led to another encounter, about 100 meters away from the first site that resulted in the killing of two suspected NPA rebels, the Army said.
Aside from the rebels’ bodies that the Army said were left behind by their fleeing comrades, soldiers also recovered a KG .9 automatic pistol with a magazine containing ammunition, two caliber .45 pistols, two fragmentation grenades, a flag of the NPA and the Communist Party of the Philippines and subversive documents.
Two days earlier, two NPA rebels also died in a firefight with 62IB troops in Barangay Quintin Remo, Moises Padilla, Negros Occidental.