Captured NPA rebel claims NE solon, mayor supporting insurgents

DUPAX DEL NORTE, Nueva Vizcaya — A recently captured 21-year-old rebel corroborated earlier claims of a former colleague that a Nueva Ecija solon and several local officials are giving assistance to the New People’s Army (NPA).

The NPA rebel, who identified himself as Hernando Manipon Jr. or Ka Daniel, dropped the names of Rep. Eleuterio Violago and Carrangalan town Mayor Luvimindo Otic as among Nueva Ecija officials who are regularly giving assistance to the rebels in the form of arms, foods and cash.

Another local official, Mayor Alfredo Castillo Jr. of Alfonso Castañeda town in neighboring Nueva Vizcaya province, also implicated by the captive rebel of extending regular food assistance to their group.

Manipon claimed that Violago and Otic have supplied their group with a number of high-powered and short firearms, among which he said were M16 Armalite rifles and cal. 45 pistols.

The rebel said that he personally saw and met the two officials, with Otic at least five times and Violago, at least two times, while delivering the "goods" to them somewhere in Carrangalan.

The latest delivery of arms, Manipon said, was made by Otic sometime last May. He claimed that the mayor gave them at least six M16 Armalite-rifles during his three-year stay in the underground movement.

In several instances, Manipon said, his group also collected the firearms in one of the residences of the two officials in San Jose City, Nueva Ecija.

Aside from arms, Manipon also claimed that Violago and Otic, along with several local officials of Carrangalan led by Vice Mayor Henry Ilacad, also supplied their group with monthly cash and rice assistance.

Manipon, who said their group belongs to the Sandatahang Yunit Pampropaganda (SYP), also claimed Mayor Castillo of Alfonso Castañeda town in Nueva Vizcaya gave them at least three cavans of rice a month.

Manipon admitted being among 50 armed rebels who raided the Santa Fe town office in Nueva Vizcaya on Dec. 23, where they seized five M16 Armalite rifles.

Their unit, composed of at least 12 members, he said, was also responsible in the torching of two passenger buses along the Nueva Ecija-Nueva Vizcaya highway. This, he said, came after the owners of the bus firms failed to pay them "revolutionary" taxes.

Manipon, the only son of poor parents, was captured by elements of the Army’s 54th Infantry Battalion last Aug. 23 led by Army Col. Dacy Mariñas while on a recruitment mission in Carrangalan.

Manipon’s statements implicating Violago and Otic corroborated those made earlier by another captured rebel that they were aiding the communist rebels with arms, food and money.