BRIGADIER Gen. Benedict Arevalo, commander of the 303rd Infantry Brigade (303IB) of the Philippine Army based in Barangay Minoyan, Murcia, on Tuesday, March 26, urged the victims of atrocities allegedly committed by the New People's Army (NPA) in Negros to surface and file additional charges against National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) spokesperson Frank Fernandez, who was arrested Sunday in Liliw, Laguna.
Arevalo said he has been chasing down Fernandez since he was a lieutenant in the Philippine Army.
Arevalo said a lot of innocent people were killed because of Fernandez, who is not only the NDFP spokesperson but also allegedly the leader of the NPA in Negros.
"He is the one who directly gave orders to the rebel combatants as to who and what they would attack," Arevalo said.
The 303IB commander also stated the surviving families of those killed by the NPA in Negros should pursue justice for their loved ones and file charges against Fernandez.
Arevalo also identified Fernandez's wife, Cleofe Lagtapon, as the second most wanted NPA leader in Negros, as she was the head of the NPA's komiteng rehiyon and Fernandez's deputy.
The general has also ordered all of the units in Negros to continue aggressively pursuing the rebels to prevent them from conducting any retaliatory attacks on innocent civilians and other law enforcement agents. (TDE)