Army airdrops leaflets of wanted personality

(Screengrab from 79th IB’s video)

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – The Army’s 79th Infantry Battalion (IB) dropped hundreds of leaflets of a wanted personality using a helicopter in the remote villages of Calatrava, Negros Occidental last Saturday.

A Huey helicopter was provided by the 205th Tactical Helicopter Wing of the Philippine Air Force for the said purpose.

The leaflets contained information about Roger Fabillar alias “Arnel Tapang” or “Jhong,” which the Army and the police identified as one of the suspects in the killings of a barangay official and two other civilians in the town last month.

Tapang’s group was tagged to the deaths of Rodel Nobleza and Renato Estrebillo in Barangay Marcelo on Aug. 7 and 12, respectively, and Barangay Lalong Captain Benjamin Javoc on Aug. 26.

In fact, Lieutenant Colonel J-jay Javines, 79th IB commander, earlier said that any information that will lead to the arrest of Tapang will get a P300,000 cash reward offered by the local government unit.

On Sept. 5, the Roselyn Jean Pelle Command-Northern Negros Guerilla Front of the NPA (RJPC-NPA) claimed the responsibility for the killings.

The Army said it sought the community’s help for the immediate capture of the said personality, through the leaflets.

Javines encouraged everyone to continuously support their campaign against the NPA.

“Your information and cooperation are vital to us,” he said.