Joma, et al charged with murder

Police has filed murder charges against Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founder Joma Sison and other officials, its armed unit New People’s Army (NPA) for the assassination of a barangay captain in Palanas, Masbate on All Saint’s Day.

Aside from Sison, NPA spokesman Rogelio Rosal, alias Ka Roger; Dindo Masanto, Constantino Tamayo, and several other John Does were charged with murder before the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office in Masbate City. The case was docketed as 06-19990.

The charges stemmed from the killing of Rodrigo Abejuela, barangay captain of Barangay Malibas, Palanas, Masbate last Nov. 1 by about eight unidentified men, believed to be members of the NPA.

The Task Force Usig, which was created by the Philippine National Police (PNP) to address militant and media killings, has reported that the CPP-NPA has been purging its own ranks of defectors.

In purging their own ranks, Task Force Usig head Deputy Director General Avelino Razon Jr. said the CPP-NPA achieved two purposes — cleanse their own ranks and discredit the government by blaming the killings to the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

PNP chief Director General Oscar Calderon said the PNP and the AFP have been making steady progress as far as counter-insurgency is concerned.

President Arroyo, who noted that the country must solve insurgency by 2010, issued EO 546 giving the PNP an active role in the anti-insurgency problem.

Calderon reported that Sison made a declaration entitled "Boldly Advance the Philippine Revolution Amidst Worsening Global and National Crisis" and exhorted the NPA to enhance the party by building more guerilla fronts or at least six guerilla fronts per region.