THE NEW PEOPLE’S Army (NPA) successfully raided a detachment of the Revolutionary Proletarian Army-Alex Bongcayao Brigade (RPA-ABB) at Sitio Mambinay, Barangay Locotan, Kaban­kalan City in Negros Occidental last May 8 at around 1:00 a.m. Two RPA elements were killed while three were wounded. The NPA seized a machinegun, a Browning Automatic Rifle, an M14, three M16s, two pistols and bullets.

Since the RPA-ABB broke away from the NPA in 1993, it has served as a force multiplier for the AFP’s anti-revolutionary campaign. At the same time, it acts as a private army for big comprador-landlords in Negros like the Arroyos, Alvarezes, Zaycos, Solas, Maranons, Benedicto-de la Cruzes and Eduardo Co­juang­co.

The group started as an armed component of the Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa ng Pilipinas (RPMP) in 1994. The RPMP was founded by revisionist traitors like Arturo Tabara who refused to rectify errors in the 1990s. Meanwhile, the ABB was a guerrilla unit based in Metro Manila and was headed by Nilo dela Cruz. The RPA and ABB merged in 1997. Not long after, RPA-ABB elements became rabid counterrevolutionary elements and formally surrendered to the US-Estrada regime in 2000. Since then, successive regimes have used the group as a model for localized peace talks for capitulation. They pretend to be revolutionaries but are in fact mercenaries, bandits and goons working for the ruling class of big compradors and landlords. Among their most recent crimes is the massacre of nine peasants ni Sagay last year.