2 Tarlac NPA leaders killed

TARLAC CITY — Police and military officials here have declared that the communist-led New People’s Army is now leaderless, and a major reorganization is now taking place in the mainstream Marxist movement following the death of two of its ranking leaders.

According to Senior Superintendent Maximo Calimlim, one of the 14 NPA insurgents killed three weeks ago was confirmed to be the rebels’ provincial commander, Nelson Mesina, of Concepcion town, who used the aliases Collin, Sting, Gideon and Dondie.

Mesina was tagged for the assassination of former Army Major Leodegario Adalem, whom the NPA suspected to be behind the killing of Ifugao tribal leader Macli-ing Dulag in the early 1980s.

The suspected rebel leader was also blamed for the execution of a barangay captain in Mayantoc town and an NPA rebel returnee in San Jose town last December.

Furthermore, Mesina was a suspect in the failed ambush in November last year of Francisco Sigua, president of the second largest labor group in Hacienda Luisita, the United Luisita Workers Union (ULWU), and his police-bodyguard, PO3 Ramon Molina.

Aside from being the NPA provincial commander, Mesina was also believed to be the secretary general of the Communist Party of the Philippines’ Tarlac provincial party committee.

Also killed in the said encounter with a platoon of NPA rebels in Barangay San Vicente in Sta. Ignacia town was Rosy Montejo, alias Ka Bing, of Sta. Cruz, Zambales.

Montejo was suspected of being the CPP’s political officer in the province, a rank higher than that held by Mesina.

Another rebel leader identified as among the fatalities was Edgar Manuel, alias Ka Jess, of Lubao Pampanga. He was suspected of being the secretary general of the CPP’s Northwestern Pampanga district committee of the Pampanga provincial party committee.

Calimlim said that elements of the Philippine Army’s 69th Infantry Battalion chanced upon the platoon of rebels massing up for a "possible attack" in Sta. Ignacia. — Benjie Villa