• THERESA MAE DULMAN
The Leonardo Panaligan Command of the New People’s Army (LPC-NPA) has formally admitted to the killing of a 38-year-old laborer identifying him as a ‘prolific’ military intelligence operative.
In a statement, the rebel group admitted to ‘punishing’ Raymund Francisco Nuevo, alias ‘Pato,’ on February 11 along the road at Sitio Natuling, Barangay Budlasan, Canlaon City, Negros Oriental.
The NPA alleged that Nuevo, a resident of Sitio Tiguisan, Brgy. Montilla, Moises Padilla, returned to active spying for the government forces despite a previous agreement to reform.
Police reports from La Castellana confirmed that Nuevo’s body was recovered underwater on February 12 in a river at the boundary of Brgy. Puso and where the incident occurred.
According to the victim’s partner, five unidentified armed men intercepted them while they were traveling home, chasing Nuevo and firing repeatedly at him until he jumped into the river to escape.
He sustained a fatal gunshot wound to the head.
The LPC-NPA justified the killing by citing a ‘death sentence’ issued by its court.
They accused Nuevo of involvement in various crimes, including the 2010 murder of a farmers’ group leader, a 2011 rape case involving a minor, and a P500,000 robbery-slay in 2023.
The group claimed that while they had frozen the standing order in 2013 after he surrendered to the movement, his alleged return to military intelligence work led to the implementation of the penalty.*
