BETWEEN RIVAL COMMUNIST GROUPS: Pampanga town officials helpless in spate of slays

MEXICO, Pampanga – This town’s officials have appeared helpless in stopping the series of killings since last December between rival communist groups New People’s Army (NPA) and the Rebolusyunaryong Hukbo ng Bayan (RHB).

The farmers’ group Aguman daring Maglalautang Capamº—pangan (AMC) claimed yesterday that the RHB tortured and killed one Orlando Panlilio, 56, inside his hut in Barangay Sto. Rosario here last Jan. 29. He was the fifth to be killed in this town since last December.

The AMC said suspected RHB members have also been barging into the homes of its members here purportedly to warn them against supporting the NPA.

Last Jan. 5, the AMC said the RHB also claimed responsibility for the killing of Eric Canlas, said to be social worker-volunteer, in Barangay San Antonio. On Dec. 18, RHB members also shot dead fish vendors Jessie Bagtas and Noel de la Cruz in Barangay San Nicolas.

The AMC said Panlilio, one of its members, was first mauled in front of his family before he was shot and hacked to death.

The RHB, in a statement yesterday, admitted it had meted the death penalty on Panlilio "for his active involvement in surveillance operations" supposedly directed against Bartolome Quizon whom the NPA’s new Bonnet Gang murdered last Dec. 2.

"Panlilio was a member of the same intelligence group of (NPA members) Jess Bagtas and Noel de la Cruz," the RHB said.

Quizon was a ranking RHB leader in Pampanga whom the NPA "executed" inside his home in Barangay San Lorenzo here last Dec. 2.

The NPA had accused Quizon of "crimes against the people" and of conniving with the police and the military in anti-NPA operations.

The RHB accused the NPA of using the AMC to "make up stories from real incidents and in creating a good image out of the really detestable and heinous crimes of elements punished by the RHB."

The RHB also claimed that Panlilio had once sexually abused a nine-year-old girl.

The AMC, however, countered that the RHB has been "sowing fear and terror" in this town, citing recent incidents when armed RHB guerrillas barged into the homes of AMC members, including their president, Primo Guarin, 77, in this town.

AMC secretary Linda Cayanan said all of those harassed in their own homes were legitimate members of the AMC which has been batting for genuine land reform.

Despite the recent spate of killings, Mayor Ernesto Punzalan seemed to have been preoccupied by his political rivalry with his vice mayor, Albert de la Cruz. Both have lodged graft charges against each other with the provincial board.