Eight former members of a communist breakaway group fall in government hands

By Ronron
January 23, 2008

Eight alleged former members of a breakaway group of the New People’s Army (NPA) were nabbed last Saturday in Laguna province by police operatives, officials said Wednesday.

The eight, who have broken away from the Revolutionary Proletariat Army – Alex Boncayao Brigade (RPA-ABB), were presented yesterday afternoon to the media at Camp Crame by National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Director Geary Barias.

Southern Police District (SPD) director Chief Supt. Luizo Ticman identified the eight as: Brandy Nilo Gerona, Lloyd Perez, Rommel Baying, Elly Macariola, Frangilico Gerona, Jonathan Cartujano, Jenny Canlas, and Sienna Quiambao.

SPD Intelligence chief Supt. R’win Pagkalinawan said Brando Nilo Gerona, 28, is the group’s leader.

The eight were apprehended at around 8am last Saturday at their hideout on Block 3, Lot 8, Pacita 2-C in San Pedro, Laguna by joint operatives of the SPD Intelligence Unit and the Special Action Force.

Pagkalinawan said the eight were accosted at the same time at the said house, while two others managed to escape.

Ticman said the raid at the suspects’ hideout was sanctioned by a search warrant for alleged violation of Presidential Decree 1866 (Illegal Possession of Firearms) issued by Judge Cezar Mangrobang of Branch 22-Imus, Cavite.

“Intelligence reports revealed that this group was originally part of the RPA-ABB breakaway group. But apparently, Brandy Gerona had other things in mind. He transformed his group into a gun-for-hire, extortion and mafia-like organized crime syndicate,” Pagkalinawan said.

Ticman said Gerona allegedly admitted that his group is responsible for 40 successful liquidation operations, including those of Virgilio Bunye and Obet Bunye, a first cousin and a nephew of Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye, respectively, in Muntinlupa City.

Virgilio was shot on December 20, 2006, while Obet, the city administrator of Muntinlupa, was killed on August 20, 2007.

Ticman said recovered from the group during their apprehension were one KG 9 assault rifle, one MP 5 assault rifle, one caliber 45, one caliber 25, three hand grenades, different types of ammunitions and magazines, and several document.

On Tuesday, police filed charges for violation of PD 1866 against the eight at the prosecutor’s office in San Pedro.

Aside from the killing of the two Bunye’s, Gerona and some members of the group were also implicated in the attempted killing of a policeman in Muntinlupa City in 2004, a barangay chairman in Las Pinas City in 2006, a Makati City government executive in Taguig City in 2006, the union president of Alaska in Laguna in 2006, and many others.

If not identified by witnesses, the group was implicated in said cases based on the “case folders” recovered from.

Pagkalinawan said the least amount that the group received for their gun-for-hire operations is P5,000 and the most that they got was P500,000.

Among the eight, only Gerona has a standing arrest warrant for the crime of homicide at the time of their apprehension.

“With this arrest, we could prevent high-profile killings by the group that will happen in the future,” Barias said./DMS