PRESS RELEASE
Information Bureau
Communist Party of the Philippines

Tabara was slain while resisting arrest -- NPA report
October 7, 2004

Arturo Tabara was slain by an arresting unit of the New People's Army (NPA) last September 26, 2004 after he resisted arrest.

A report published in the October 7, 2004 issue of the Communist Party of the Philippines' official organ Ang Bayan (AB) said that an NPA arresting unit that was tasked to take custody of Tabara and compel him to face the Special People's Court was forced to give battle and defend itself when Tabara drew his firearm.

Tabara, who heads the paramilitary CAFGU-RPA-ABB, faced several criminal cases and complaints of human rights violations filed with the Special People's Court.

The cases included, among others, complicity in the murder of an elderly farmer in Escalante, Negros Occidental in March 2002, a bank holdup in Bayawan, Negros Oriental in May 2002 that resulted in the death of four bank employees and the 1989 kidnapping of Bombo-Radyo executive Roger Florete in Iloilo City that involved a P15 million ransom.

Tabara's companion, Stephen Ong, who was also armed, was likewise slain in the incident as he was drawing his gun.

The reports by the NPA arresting unit belie police reports that Tabara and Ong were unarmed.

CPP spokesman Gregorio "Ka Roger" Rosal charged high-ranking PNP officials of doctoring police reports to hide the fact that Tabara and Ong were armed "in order to portray them as defenseless victims and gain public sympathy for them."

"Notice that the police kept silent on the matter for several hours before issuing a statement to the media," Rosal said.

Rosal added that Tabara had long been in cahoots with certain officials of the PNP in running and protecting kidnap-for-ransom and drug trafficking syndicates.

Reference:
Anne Buenaventura
Media Officer
Cellphone Number: +63910-240-3553



Back to top