Family of NPA killed in Lacub, Abra says he is civilian

Abra, Philippines – The family of the suspected rebel who was recently killed in an armed encounter in Lacub, Abra denied his supposed affiliation with the communist terrorist group.

An earlier report of the 5th Infantry Division disclosed there was a 5-minute clash between the 77th Infantry Battalion and members of the Komiteng Larangang Guerilla (KLG) North Abra on Oct. 13, 2023 at the forested area in Barangay Buneg.

The government troops further reported they found the dead body of a rebel along with an M16 rifle after the encounter.

The claim drew flak from netizens, saying the man was not a rebel but a civilian and a senior citizen.

On Oct. 17, Jose Diwayan affirmed during his interview with Bombo Radyo Baguio that the man killed was his older brother Antonio "Agliwan" Diwayan. He asserted that Antonio was a civilian and innocent.

“Haan nga NPA dayta. Inosente laeng nga manong ko dayta,” he emphasized, adding that residents in Lacub, Abra knew him and they could attest that he was not a member of the New People’s Army but a farmer who was a resident of Sitio Talipugo, Buneg.

Jose further said that the former batches of the army who were deployed in their area knew Antonio and that they even gave him pigs and chickens to take care of.

“Dagiay pay inmuna nga army ket inikkan da pay iti ayaywanan na nga baboy kada manok. Dagitoy laeng 77IB ket isuda iti nangdangran kanyana nga ipapilit da nga NPA ket imatang iti amin nga taga Lacub ket civilian dayta,” he narrated.

The grieving family who is asking for justice buried Antonio’s remains on Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023.

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