One of two rebels killed in an encounter with government soldiers in Kabankalan City was a top New People’s Army (NPA) leader in Negros Island, a 303rd Infantry Brigade spokesman said on Thursday, December 1.
Ericson Legaspi Acosta, alias Raffy, of Ligao City, Albay, was the deputy secretary of Komiteng Rehiyon- Negros Cebu Bohol Siquijor (KR-NCBS) and the head of Political Unified Committee of the NPA in the Visayas at the time of his death, Capt. Marvin Rosal, Civil-Military Operations Officer of the 303rd Infantry Brigade, said.
Ka Bayani Obrero, National Democratic Front – Negros spokesperson, earlier said Acosta is an NDF consultant.
Brig. Gen. Inocencio Pasaporte, 303rd Brigade commander, said the death of Acosta will further aggravate the NPA’s organizational problem, “which would lead to its downfall in Negros.”
Acosta was the husband of Kerima Tariman, an NPA leader, who was killed in and encounter with the 79th IB in Silay City on Aug. 22, 2021, Rosal also confirmed.
Acosta assumed the post as first deputy secretary of the Komiteng Rehiyon-Negros after the arrest of Ramon Patriarca, alias Usting and Chino, early this year, Rosal said.
Tariman and Acosta were deployed by the NPA national command to Negros Island in 2018 to oversee the NPA’s Regional Party Committee in Negros because of the internal squabbles and problems inside the organization, and the dwindling political cadres on the island, he added.
Acosta was also a member of the NPA’s Pambansang Kalihiman sa Edukasyon that automatically made him a member of the Executive Committee of the KR-NCBS, Rosal said.
Acosta orchestrated numerous NPA atrocities in Negros Island particularly the ambush of Binalbagan PNP early this year and other NPA violent activities, he added.
He also conducted numerous NPA political trainings in hinterland areas and communities in Negros Island to revitalize both the NPA and their Politico-Military Organizations (underground organizations), Rosal said.
“This is contrary to the claims of the mouthpieces of the National Democratic Front 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 terrorists’ underground activities and atrocities,” Rosal said.
Also killed in the encounter was Albert Jimenez, alias Tan-Tan, he added.
The NDF identified him as Joseph Jimenez, a peasant organizer.
“The encounter also manifests the continuing loss of support of the NPA terrorists in the communities. Obviously, the CPP-NPA-NDF will churn out propaganda statements in order to generate sympathy from the community whenever they suffer major setbacks. They will always claim that there was no firefight or encounter whenever the situation does not favor them,” Pasaporte said.
Ka Bayani Obrero, National Democratic Front – Negros spokesperson, claimed Acosta and Jimenez were ruthlessly killed, and that no encounter took place.
The soldiers first strafed the house of the Francisco family where Acosta and Jimenez were resting before they were taken forcefully and then “salvaged”, Obrero claimed.
The mother and sibling of Ronald Francisco, 41, has raised the alarm because he, his wife Ronalyn, and their three children were also taken to the headquarters of the 47th IB and cannot be contacted.
Pasaporte said the Franciscos are there, “there are no disappearances”.
“This incident raises the number of fake encounters in Negros under the Marcos Jr. regime to 14,” Obrero claimed.
Pasaporte denied Obrero’s claim.*