The two former New People’s Army rebels, who claimed to be witnesses to the spate of killings in Escalante City, were expelled from the Partido Komunista and NPA for collaborating with the military, and for their anti-people activities, local rebel spokesman Cecil Estrella said.

Ex-rebels Evonie Baynosa, with the aliases of “Morphy, Genie, Wewen, Morino, and Jean”, and Irving Taberros, alias Errol, recently surfaced to help families of the extra-judicial killings in Escalante City, to attain justice.

Estrella, in a two-page statement of the Roselyn Pelle Command in northern Negros, slammed Baynosa and Taberros whom she described as “traitors” and for the issuance of “false statements” against the revolutionary movement .

He claimed that the two ex-rebels are now active in counter-revolutionary activities, in cahoots with the 303rd Infantry Brigade, after they were expelled from the party and the NPA.

The two former rebels executed sworn affidavits linking local government and police officials, as well as human rights advocates, among others, to the spate of killings in Escalante.

Estrella also alleged that Baynosa and Taberros and other rebel returnees are now being used in “psy-war operations of the military, and politicians, in the like of Maymay Barcelona, who recently lost the Escalante mayoral race.

The Roselyn Pelle Command had earlier said that it has issued arrest warrants against Baynosa, Taberros, Dindo Lusadas and a certain Eugene, also for extortion and for taking properties of the revolutionary movement.

Estrella said it is a “big insult” for them to tag Beboy Yap as among the supporters of the NPA, being a politician. She said the revolutionary movement does not rely on politicians for its logistical requirements, and the NPA are not “goons” of politicians.

She also denied that they are using the house of Patigas as a meeting venue, and that Supt. Santiago Rapiz, former Escalante police chief, is a provider of their guns, stressing that firearms they have recovered were products of their tactical offensives against government forces.

Estrella said they condemn the lies peddled by the Armed Forces of the Philippines and National Police, by using what she calls as “fake surrenderees” for their black propaganda campaign against the revolutionary movement.*GPB

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