Originally Posted by
patsadahon
Llamas’s murder stirs grief, outrage
By JEANETTE ANDRADE and SAM MEDIAVILLA
The Manila Times Reporters
Cries of outrage and grief on Monday greeted news of the ambush murder of Sotero "Ka Nognog" Llamas, a peace-talks consultant of the National Democratic Front and former commander of the New People’s Army.
He was also one of the 51 persons accused in the Department of Justice rebellion charge that alleges the existence of an alliance between the leftist and rightist forces resolved to bring down the Arroyo administration.
Llamas was killed in a populated area Monday morning by motorcycle-riding men.
Radio and TV stations all over the country spoke disparagingly of the military, and some commentators cast innuendoes against Malacañan in connection with Lamas’s murder.
Malacañan, through the President’s chief of staff, Secretary Michael Defensor, immediately denied having anything to do with Llamas’s murder. Defensor labeled allegations against the palace as unfair.
He said Llamas had long returned to mainstream society and was not involved with any militant leftist organization ever since he left the New People’s Army. He said Llamas’s case was no different from those of Romeo Kintanar and Romeo Tabara, former communist leaders and NPA officers, who were killed after they had abandoned their communist organizations.
Among those who condemned Llamas’s murder was Sen. Panfilo Lacson. He had endorsed Llamas’s run for governor of Albay province, and Llamas had supported Lacson's candidacy for president in the 2004 election.
Lacson said Llamas’s death was a great loss to the fight against graft, criminality and poverty. He praised Llamas as a fighter against injustice in the countryside.
"I first heard of Llamas in 1988, when I was in the Constabulary. We came from different arenas as we fought for the same principles, against poverty and injustice. Yet, in 2004, we fought on the same side, against crime, graft, corruption and poverty," Lacson said. When Llamas was arrested in 1995, Lacson was a high officer of the Philippine National Police.
Llamas, former secretary of the Philippine Communist Party’s Bicol Regional Party Committee and a National Democratic Front consultant for the Front’s peace negotiations with the Philippine government, was killed with .45-caliber pistols while on a multicab at 8:30 a.m. in front of his house at Barangay Tagas in Tabaco City.
His companion and driver, Marciano Bitara Jr., suffered bullet-grazed wounds in the right arm.
Llamas died on arrival at the Amando Cope Hospital in Tabaco City, suffering from three bullet wounds to the head and body.
The gunmen reportedly escaped toward the Bantayan, Tabaco-Ligaw City Road.
Men of the PNP Task Force "Usig" under officer in charge Chief Superintendent Emmanuel Carta fanned out and set up checkpoints on critical areas in the Bicol region in an attempt to arrest Llamas’s killers. Investigators have yet to establish a motive for the latest hit.
Reports showed that Llamas, who is still considered a loyal follower of the Communist Party of the Philippines founder Jose Maria Sison, is closely identified with Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Satur Ocampo and is involved in Ocampo’s "Botika ng Bayan" medical program.
Llamas was arrested after he was wounded in an encounter with military agents in May 1995. He was released from military custody only after negotiators from the NDF panel insisted that he was their consultant in the peace talks with the government.
In May 2004, when Llamas ran for governor of Albay province against Governor Fernando Gonzales and supported Lacson, he was joined in supporting Lacson by other ex-NPA personalities like Arturo Tabaro and Nilo de la Cruz.
Just last month, the justice department filed criminal charges against Llamas and 49 other leftist and rightist personalities for their alleged involvement in the leftist-rightist conspiracy to overthrow the government at the height of the observance of the EDSA People Power I Revolution on February 24.
Also charged before a Makati City court were former Sen. Gregorio Honasan and the so-called Batasan-5—Representatives Satur Ocampo, Teodoro Casiño and Joel Virador of Bayan Muna; Liza Maza of Gabriela; and Rafael Mariano of Anakpawis.
Llamas, who was also called Ka Teroy, was known to refuse carrying firearms.
He had gone into business, selling insurance, scrap iron and construction supplies.
Early last April, Llamas accidentally meet Times correspondent Manny Ugalde at the Legazpi City Airport. He confided to Ugalde that he knew his movements were being watched but that he was prepared to die.
Superintendent Renato Bataller, Tabaco City chief of police, said Llamas companion, Marciano Bitara Jr., is the brother of former Mayor Herminio Bitara of Malilipot town.
In an interview with The Times correspondent Rhaydz Barcia at the Cope General Hospital, Bitara said Llamas asked him to drive to Fatima to collect money from several borrowers from whom he wanted to recover money so he could enroll his children for the coming school year.It was there that the motorcycle men suddenly appeared and shot Bitara and Llamas.
Mayor Alex Burce of Tabaco, like many Bicol officials and military officers, was outraged by Llamas’s killing. Burce ordered policemen under him to conduct an investigation to pursue leads to solve the case and also several "senseless killings" that have happened in Bicol recently.
As expected, the Bayan group of militants has condemned Llamas’s killing. It said "the administration’s rampage of death knows no bounds."
Militant lawmakers and leaders of the Left-leaning Bayan Muna also condemned Llamas’s murder. He was the party-list group’s former national political relations director. The Batasan 5 are Llamas’s coaccused.
Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Q. Pimentel Jr. (PDP-Laban) said the killing of Llamas signifies the government’s shift to the use of naked armed might to suppress dissent.
Sen. Rafael Recto, also condemning the killing, urged the government to neutralize the gangs that have been killing leftist leaders.
With Rhaydz Barcia, Manny T. Ugalde, Correspondents and Maricel V. Cruz
I pity the man. Hes busy trying to earn a living to send his children. Where is the promise of the governmnet to help former rebels joined the mainstream of society . Instead of helping them, the government is murdering them viciously. This is shows the insincerity of the government in solving insurgency.
Spate of political killings. This is familiar. Its Marcos refrain once again. This GMA government did not learn the lessons of history. I bet if this government wont mend its way, it will met the same end as the Marcos dictatorship.
Re: Sotero Llamas, an Ex-NPA leader killed in Albay
Reply With Quote
Posting Permissions
