Not ‘activists’ but veteran NPAs killed in Calabarzon police operation

COMMUNIST front organizations are once again proven to be lying thru their teeth over its repeated narrative that those killed and arrested in a sweeping police operation last March 7, 2021, in the Calabarzon region are unarmed “activists,” “peasant and workers organizers” and, “human rights defenders.”

From the ‘dossier’ of those targeted for the serving of a court-issued search warrants for illegal possession of firearms by the police provided to Pinoy Exposé, it turned out that all those killed were active members of the terrorist movement under the Southern Tagalog Regional Party Committee (STRPC) of the Communist Party of the Philippines – New People’s Army (CPP-NPA.

Those arrested, on the other hand, are members of the CPP’s ‘White Area Committee’ in the region.

It can be recalled that the Calabarzon regional police office under PB/Gen. Felipe ‘Pipoy’ Natividad, had earlier applied for several search warrants for the operation which was granted by the Manila Regional Trial Court.

The operation resulted to the death of 9 armed suspects and the arrest of 6 others; 9 others, whose identities remained unknown, managed to escape are now the subject of a continuing follow-up operation by the police.

The CPP fronts’ narrative

Just hours after the incident, Pinoy Exposé received statements from the Student Christian Movement of the Philippines (SCMP), College Editors’ Guild of the Philippines (CEGP) and Karapatan, all claiming the fatalities and those arrested were plain “activists,” “peasant and workers organizers” and, “human rights defenders.”

They also directly blamed Pres. Duterte and Southern Luzon (Solcom) area commander, Lt. General Antonio ‘Jun’ Parlade, for the incident.

From the tally of Karapatan, among those killed were:

Manny Asuncion, coordinator of the Cavite chapter of the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan). Asuncion was allegedly killed right inside the office of the ‘Workers’ Assistance Center’ in Dasmariñas, Cavite;

“Fisherfolk leaders” Chai Lemita-Evangelista and her husband, Ariel Evangelista, who were killed in Nasugbu, Batangas.

According to the ‘pro-communist’ online news site ‘Rappler,’ the couple were identified as members of ‘Pamantik-Kilusang Mayo Uno’ (KMU), a regional workers alliance under the KMU banner.

Melvin Dasigao and Mark Lee Coros Bacasno of urban poor group Sikkad-Montalban , killed in raids in Montalban, Rizal.

SCMP, for its part, named Dasigao as ‘Michael’ and Bacasno as ‘Makmak.’

Christina Palabay, Karapatan secretary general, also reported that among those arrested were:

Esteban Mendoza, vice president of Olalia-KMU (Olalia was the name of the late KMU founder, Felixberto Olalia); Elizabeth Camoral, Bayan-Laguna spokesperson, who were both arrested in Cabuyao and, Nimfa Lanzanas, Karapatan “para-legal to political prisoners” who was arrested in Calamba City.

SCMP also identified those arrested in Rizal as “peasant leaders” ‘Tatay Moises’ and ‘Dodong Bagsik’ and, Eugene Eugenio of COURAGE-Rizal chapter.

‘COURAGE’ stands for the ‘Confederation for the Unity, Recognition and Advancement of Government Employees,’ which, had been acknowledged by CPP founder, Jose Maria Sison, as among the party’s ‘legal democratic forces.’ It is tasked to penetrate and organized workers in the public sector.

True identities unmasked

But from the files of the intelligence community, the Evangelistas were active members of the NPA’s ‘sub-regional military area (SRMA-4C) with Ariel going by the alias, ‘Padua’ and Chai going by the alias, ‘Prince’ and ‘April.’

The police also recovered 2 ‘Colt’ .45 pistols, 2 fragmentation grenades, magazines, bullets and empty shells from their house in Batangas, indicating they engaged the raiding team in a shootout.

On the other hand, Asuncion was identified as a member of the CPP’s Regional Trade Union Bureau (RTUB), who was a ‘collective’ of Lanzanas and Mendoza at the STRPC’s ‘Regional Organizational Department (ROD).

One ‘Springfield’ .45 caliber pistol, ammunitions and fired empty shells were among the evidence recovered by the police from Asuncion.

For his part, Bacasno, aka, ‘Macmac’ was the son of ‘Ka Fernan,’ an NPA leader in Rizal province and was an NPA himself. A .45 caliber pistol was also recovered by the police.

Edward Damas ‘Emil’ Desto and his brother, Abner, aka, ‘Buloy,’ were respectively NPA vice squad leader under ‘GF Cesar’ and NPA ‘hitman’ (SPARU) in Rizal province.

Two .45 caliber pistols, two fragmentation grenades and 12 spent shells were recovered from them after shooting it out with the police.

‘Emil’ was also identified as among the NPAs who figured in two clashes with the Philippine Army, the first in General Nakar, Quezon on July 28, 2019 and again, last February 22, 2020 in Rodriguez, Rizal.

Puroy Berbehedo dela Cruz, who also died during the police operation, was identified as head of the main NPA platoon (Sentro de Grabidad) based in General Nakar. Recovered from him was a .45 caliber pistol, ammunition and 1 ‘RPG’ (rocket propelled grenade).

His brother, Randy, aka, ‘Palong,’ who was also killed, served as an NPA ‘intelligence officer’ based in Tanay, Rizal.

Finally, Melvin de Guzman ‘Greg’ Dagsinao, was identified as a member of the NPA’s ‘Cesar Batralo Command’ in Laguna who also acted as ‘liason/intelligence officer’ for Armando ‘Pat Romano’ Lazarte, the former CPP secretary of the STRPC’s SRMA-4A, who was killed in Antipolo City last December 5, 2019.

In his post-operations report to Camp Crame, Natividad said they recovered a total 37 assorted firearms and 15 assorted explosives, including grenades and improvised explosives (IEDs).

These evidences debunked the CPP fronts’ claim that those killed and arrested by the police are ordinary civilians and not members of the CPP-NPA, which have been classified as “terrorist organizations” here and abroad.