THE PNP will investigate killing of a New People’s Army leader, who is also a consultant of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines, and his companion during a firefight with policemen and soldiers in Iloilo last Friday.
PNP chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said the motu proprio investigation on the death of Reynaldo Bocala alias “Bading” and Welly Epago will be conducted by the PNP Internal Affairs Service.
Eleazar said the probe will determine “if there were lapses on the part of our operatives, leading to the death of the suspects.”
The 75-year-old Bocala is the head of the Regional Finance Bureau of the Panay Regional Party Committee and a consultant of the NDF which is representing the NPA and the Communist Party of Philippines in peace talks with the government.
Bocala was the husband of Maria Concepcion Araneta-Bocala, deputy secretary of the Panay Regional Party Committee who was among 19 communist leaders recently designated as terrorists by the Anti-Terrorism Council.
Policemen and soldiers swooped down at the lair of Bocala in Providence Village in Barangay Balabag, Pavia town in Iloilo to serve arrest warrants for murder, robbery in band with frustrated homicide and damage to property, robbery with serious physical injuries, and destructive arson.
Bocala and Epago, 60, reportedly opened fire at the raiding team who shot back, killing the suspects in the process. The two yielded two cal. 45 pistols, a laptop computer and five cell phones.
The human rights group Karapatan called for the conduct of an independent probe on the killing of Bocala and Epago. It said Bocala is an NDF consultant and covered by Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG) which is supposed to give him protection from arrest.
“If they want an independent probe, so be it. Bukas po ang PNP doon. (The PNP is open to that),” said Eleazar.
Eleazar downplayed speculations that policemen planted evidence on Bocala. He said the lawmen already have a reason to arrest him, noting the arrest warrants issued by courts.
On JASIG, Eleazar said: “With the termination of peace negotiations with the CPP/NPA/NDF, this JASIG can no longer be invoked. This guarantee of immunity from arrest is an act of good faith and confidence-building measure in the peace negotiations between the government and the CPP/NPA/NDF.”
In November 2017, President Duterte issued a proclamation terminating talks with the communists. In March 2019, President said he was permanently ending talks with the communists.
Eleazar also sought to justify the decision of the law enforcers to open fire at Bocala and Epago.
