CEBU CITY – The death of a Bar passer in an encounter between government troops and the New People’s Army (NPA) in Bohol shows the level of deception that the communist rebels is employing, the Police Regional Office-Central Visayas (PRO-7) said.

Police Lt. Col. Gerard Ace Pelare said Hannah Joy Cesista was a victim of “a wrong and very cruel ideology by the NPA.”

“If proven true that one of those who killed was a lawyer, then we can see the level of deception and this is a very cruel ideology. Another life, another future is destroyed,” said Pelare.

The Bohol Provincial Police Office has confirmed that Cesista was the same person who passed the Bar in 2023.

The PRO-7 is coordinating with Cesista’s family in Samar to confirm her identity.

A check at the website of the Supreme Court showed that Cesista was not in the list of certified lawyers in the country. It was possible that Cesista had yet to take her oath and sign the roll of attorneys after passing the Bar.

Pelare, spokesperson of the PRO-7 chief Police Brig. Gen. Anthony Aberin, said the fate suffered by Cesista will be hard to accept her family.

“Just imagine how the parents and the family feel. They sent their child to school, spent for her to become a lawyer only to be deceived by a wrong and very cruel ideology of the NPA,” said Pelare.

Cesista was one of the five alleged NPA members who were killed in a three-hour gunfight in Barangay Campagao, Bilar, on Friday morning, February 23.

Several posts on social media showed that Cesista was the same person listed at 925 in the list of successful Bar passers last year.

“Actually, there’s already a coordination between the Philippine National Police and her family to check if the Hannah Joy Cesista who passed the Bar and the one who died in the encounter is one,” Pelare said.

Pelare said an investigation will be conducted to determine how Cesista was able to join the NPA.

Police have also coordinated with the families of the other fatalities. “We will coordinate with the nearest kin of the suspects then with the presentation of the appropriate documents, the bodies will be released after all the processes are undertaken,” Pelare said.

The gunfight broke out when police and soldiers from the Visayas Command tried to serve arrest warrants against the NPA members.

One of the fatalities was Domingo Compoc,  the alleged leader of the NPA Bohol Party Committee. Pelare said Compoc was a native of Bilar who was described as an elusive NPA rebel.

Compoc was wanted for rebellion, homicide, attempted homicide, multiple murder, frustrated murder, and robbery cases.

“There are ongoing hot pursuit operations against some personalities who are part of the rebel group,” Pelare said.

A policeman also died in the encounter. “Our regional director has already issued a directive to make sure that all necessary assistance is given to the family of one of our fellow police officers who died in the encounter,” said Pelare.