Bodies of top NPA leaders found after Iloilo clash

By Jennifer P. Rendon

Maria Concepcion “Concha” Araneta-Bocala, a top rebel leader in Western Visayas who turned 74 on August 6, was believed to have been killed in an armed encounter in Lambunao, Iloilo.

Brigadier General Michael Samson, commander of the Philippine Army’s 301st Infantry Brigade, confirmed the recovery of two female bodies at around 4:45 p.m. on August 15 in Barangay Cabatangan, Lambunao.

The recovery occurred about an hour after a firefight erupted in the area.

Former rebels identified one of the cadavers as Concha and the other as Vivian Torato, who was also known by the aliases Mara, Lina, and Mia. Concha was the Communist Party of the Philippines – New People’s Army – National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) first deputy secretary general of Komiteng Rehiyon – Panay (KR-P), while Torato served as the second deputy secretary of the CPP-NPA’s KR-P.

Samson said the reports provided by the former rebels still need further validation. Before the encounter, soldiers discovered another body around noon in Cabatangan.

The decomposing body was believed to be that of Vicente Hinojales, also known as Arjie, Hadjie, and LJ, the secretary general of KR-Panay. Reports indicated that Hinojales might have been dead for several days.

Hinojales, originally from Barangay Linao, Matalam, North Cotabato, was the former secretary of Guerrilla Front 14 of the NPA in Mindanao before being assigned to Panay Island in 2017.

A Glock 17 caliber 9mm pistol, apparently owned by Corporal Frederick Villasis of the 12th Infantry Battalion’s Community Support Program, was recovered from Hinojales’ possession. Villasis was killed by the NPAs in Barangay Lahug, Tapaz, Capiz, in 2021.

Military records indicate that Hinojales had several outstanding warrants of arrest for various criminal cases in Agusan del Sur, including destructive arson and two counts of kidnapping and serious illegal detention.

He was also tagged in several attacks perpetrated by KR-P, including the raid on the Maasin Police Station in June 2017, the ambush of a PNP vehicle in Maasin in November 2017, and the burning of heavy equipment in Dumalag, Capiz, in April 2018 and in Sibalom, Antique, in November 2019.

Additionally, he was linked to the ambush of 3ID troops in Madalag, Aklan, in April 2020, which resulted in the death of Private First Class Mark Nemis, and the killing of Corporal Villasis in Tapaz in August 2021.

Series of Encounters

The deaths of the three rebels came after a series of encounters that started last week.

Before the recovery of their bodies, seven other NPA members had been confirmed killed—one on August 5, another on August 7, and five on August 8.

Some of the fatalities were ranking officials of the NPA’s regional headquarters’ executive committee.

With these recent developments, the demise of the NPA movement in Panay appears inevitable. On Tuesday, the Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division declared that they could soon dismantle the Central Front, the remaining NPA front in Panay.

This dismantling would pave the way for the declaration of Panay under a Stable Internal Peace and Security (SIPS) status, ultimately leading to its designation as insurgency-free, the military said.

The 3rd Infantry Division commended the troops of the 82IB for their relentless anti-insurgency operations, which led to the neutralization of one of the rebels’ top leaders in Panay.

“We are resolute in our commitment to dismantling the Komiteng Rehiyon-Panay and the Central Front, which represents the remaining rebel forces in Panay,” said Major General Marion R. Sison, 3rd ID commander.

He reiterated that the troops are tirelessly conducting combat operations to neutralize the remaining NPAs and create a secure environment for all Panaynons.

“These efforts are crucial in our pursuit of achieving SIPS status by September 2024,” he added.

Most Wanted Rebel

With a bounty of P5.3 million, Concha remained the most wanted rebel in the region.

She was charged with rebellion under Criminal Case No. 18652. In 2022, the Police Regional Office (PRO) 6 released the names of nine rebel personalities with monetary rewards.

Despite the bounty on her head and the death of her husband, Reynaldo Bocala, in a police encounter on May 28, 2021, Concha had remained elusive until recently.

Since 2017, police and military operatives have actively pursued her.

Numerous operations, extending as far as Masbate and other parts of Western Visayas, were launched against her.

However, law enforcement believed she remained on Panay Island to project control over her area.

Previous Arrest

In August 2015, Concha, then 64, was arrested in a joint police and military operation at her rented house in Juntado Subdivision, Barangay Calumpang, Molo, Iloilo City.

She was apprehended based on an arrest warrant for murder issued by the Regional Trial Court Branch 2 in Kalibo, Aklan, and another standing warrant for rebellion issued by a court in Antique.

Also arrested with her were her nephew, Joseph Cariaga, 34, and the house help, Annielyn Soldebilla, 39.

The arrest, which carried a reward of P7.8 million, led to the seizure of more than P200,000 in cash, a fragmentation grenade, a .45 caliber pistol, a .22 caliber revolver, assorted ammunition, a Toshiba laptop, 13 mobile phones, nine external hard drives, 20 compact discs, binoculars, and a floppy disk.

Release

In August 2016, Concha and several other National Democratic Front consultants were temporarily released from detention to take part in peace negotiations.

However, on November 23, 2017, then-President Duterte signed Proclamation No. 360, formally terminating peace talks with the communist rebels after the NPA conducted several attacks on government troops.

The Joint Agreement on Security and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG) stipulates that protection and immunity are revoked 30 days after formal notice of the termination of peace negotiations.

Authorities began their hunt for Concha after President Duterte ordered the arrest of NDF consultants.

Concha was previously married to former Iloilo Board Member Pablito Araneta before she married Reynaldo Bocala, also a top CPP-NPA leader in Panay.

Reynaldo’s arrest carried a bounty of P4.8 million. Before his death in 2021, Reynaldo, alias Bading/Russ, the Deputy Secretary for the organization of NPA-KRP, was arrested on February 12, 2001, by elements of the now-defunct 1st Provincial Mobile Group and the 3ID Reconnaissance Company in Barangay Tabiak, Igbaras, Iloilo, but he was released months later.

Reports indicated that Concha joined the movement in the 1970s. She was considered one of the pioneers of the First Quarter Storm, which led to the underground movement during the Martial Law period.

The First Quarter Storm was a period in Philippine history characterized by leftist unrest through a series of heavy demonstrations, protests, and marches against the government from January to March 1970.

Some claimed it was one of the factors that led to the declaration of Martial Law in 1972.