A New People’s Army leader, who is allegedly one of the heads of an NPA kangaroo court, was killed in an encounter with 62nd Infantry “Unifier” Battalion troops at Brgy Quintin Remo, Moises Padilla, Negros Occidental, Tuesday, April 18.
The fatality was identified by former rebels as Jose Albores Jr., alias “Jojo”, an alleged member of Central Negros 1 (CN1) under the NPA’s Leonardo Panaligan Command (LPC), the 62IB reported.
The former rebels and civilians said that Albores is one of the heads of the NPA “Kangaroo Court” operating in the boundaries of Moises Padilla, La Castellana and Isabela in Negros Occidental, and Canlaon City and Guihulngan City in Negros Oriental, it added.
His group is responsible for the killing of innocent civilians, even their own members who were tagged as assets of the government or those who did not want to support the armed group, the 62IB added.
Albores is also the source of fake news exploited by JB Regalado, spokesperson of LPC-NPA, who spreads and writes fake news about false encounters with government troops, the Army claimed.
Acting on a tip from civilians, the 62IB launched operations against the NPA that resulted in a 5-minute encounter with five rebels, one of whom died, it said.
Recovered at the encounter site were a KG9 firearm, hand grenade, subversive documents, and personal belongings.
The unifier troopers will tirelessly hunt all the remaining NPA members who killed innocent and unarmed civilians in Central Negros, the 62IB statement said.
“To the remaining NPA (members) who are still running away, we know that you are tired and hungry, especially those who are wounded, surrender now or be killed later”, Lt. Col. William Pesase Jr., 62IB commander, said.*