Suspected NPA rebels kill govt militiaman in Catanduanes

Suspected communist rebels tortured and killed a government militiaman despite pleas from his family in Catanduanes province last Monday, a regional military spokesperson said. In a statement issued Tuesday, Major Harold Cabunoc of the Army's 9th Infantry Battalion, identified the victim as Elmer Eusebio, who was attacked by seven New People's Army (NPA) rebels inside his home in Sta. Cruz village in Pandan town about 4:30 p.m. Monday. At the time of the attack, Eusebio was playing with his children when the insurgents barged into his home and dragged him outside. "In front of his weeping family members, the NPA rebels tortured Eusebio until he was bleeding profusely due to rifle butt strokes. He was repeatedly shot in different parts of his body by the unknown bandit leader," Cabunoc said. As the leader of the rebel group hit Eusebio, the other insurgents were reportedly shouting, "Mabuhay ang Hukbong Bayan (Long live the New People's Army), he added. Eusebio was later brought to a nearby hospital but attending physicians declared him dead on arrival. Cabunoc said Eusebio is the first government militiaman to be killed this year in the Bicol Region, a known hotbed of communist rebels. Killing spree On January 14, Private First Class Michael Sarza was ambushed by NPA rebels in Camalig, Albay while coordinating for community training activity in Barangay Taplacon. Sarza was unarmed when his motorcycle was fired upon by the rebels. In 2009, thirty four (34) people were killed by the insurgents in the region, Cabunoc said. The victims include military and police personnel, rebels suspected of being government spies and civilians who were also suspected to be military informants. The incident in Catanduanes came as the NPA, the outlawed armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, will be marking its 41st founding anniversary on March 29. In June 2006, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ordered the military and police to crush the communist insurgency by the time she steps down from Malacañang in June 2010. As of end December 2009, the military estimated the number of NPA armed regulars to be around 4,700. Peace negotiations with the mainstream communist movement have been stalled since August 2004. - RSJ/LBG, GMANews.TV