Communists deny involvement in Batocabe slay

FILE: Ako Bicol Rep. Rodel Batocabe (Photo: AKO BICOL Party List/Facebook)

Belying the claim the police force has made against them, the New People’s Army (NPA) on Tuesday, December 25, said they were not the ones behind the killing of AKO Bicol party-list Representative Rodel Batocabe.

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, Director General Oscar Albayalde earlier speculated that the congressman may be killed for refusing to give the “revolutionary tax” to NPA.

“Walang katotohanan ang mga pahayag ng PNP na nag-uugnay sa rebolusyonaryong kilusan sa insidente. Walang kinalaman ang anumang yunit ng NPA sa Kabikulan sa naturang pamamaslang (There is no truth to the statement of the PNP that links the revolutionary movement to the incident. Any unit of the NPA in the Bicol region is not involved in the killing),” National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP)-Bicol spokesperson Roja Banua said.

Banua stressed that it has been “automatic” for the policemen to tag members of the NPA in such cases of murder and other crimes to “cover up” their seriousness in investigating and arresting perpetrators who are “usually from their ranks.”

The PNP’s accusation, the spokesman said, was meant to taint the group’s reputation, which just celebrated its 50th anniversary.

It believes that Batocabe’s murder is part of the “high-profile killings” under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte.

The communists also noted that Batocabe’s party-list was not given an “access fee” and “permit to campaign” in the area as the NDF-Bicol does not recognize AKO Bicol as a legitimate representative of a “marginalized sector.”

“Si Rep. Batocabe at ang pamunuan ng Ako-Bicol ay pawang mga milyunaryo at hindi kailanman tatangkilik ng tunay na kalutasan sa suliranin sa lupa ng mga pinakamahirap na sektor na manggagawang bukid at maralitang magsasakang Bikolano (Representative Batacobe and the leadership of AKO-Bicol are millionaires and will never patronize a real solution to the land problem of the poorest sector of farm workers and Bicolano farmers),” Banua said.

Batocabe, who was eyeing the mayoral seat of Daraga, Albay in the 2019 elections, was killed on the day of his wedding anniversary, December 22, Saturday.

He was attending a gift-giving event for senior citizens and persons with disabilities (PWDs) in Barangay Burgos in Daraga when he was shot by unidentified gunmen. Batocabe died after suffering from eight gunshot wounds.

The bounty for the killers of the 52-year-old lawmaker has been raised to P30-million.