Rebel returnee killed

CAMP VICENTE LIM, Laguna — A communist rebel returnee was killed Sunday in a shootout with police inside the visitors’ area of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) in Nasugbu, Batangas, police reported yesterday.

Chief Superintendent Domingo Reyes Jr. identified the slain rebel returnee as Alfredo Juanich, a former member of the New People’s Army (NPA). Juanich was pronounced dead on arrival at the Apacible Memorial District Hospital in Nasugbu due to multiple gunshot wounds in the body.

Reyes said Juanich was about to visit his two detained nephews when he suddenly pulled his .45 cal. Pistol and shot Jail Officer 3 Rolando Belarma at about 10 p.m. Sunday. But Juanich missed his shots which caused alarm to policemen at the nearby police station, he said.

Investigation showed SPO2 Lino Baloloy, SPO1 Guillermo Fogoso and PO3 Macario Ramos immediately responded to the gunfire but upon their arrival at the scene, Juanich shot them, hitting Ramos on the right hand. The responding policemen retaliated and hit Juanich on the body.

Investigators were confident Juanich was to forcibly free his former comrade in arms Ambrocio Mendoza and his nephews Fermin and Ambrocio Panganiban, 33 and 29, respectively. — Rene Alviar