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Visayas' most wanted NPA leader dead in Iloilo clash

Philippines | Luzon

Visayas' most wanted NPA leader dead in Iloilo clash

By Tara Yap

ILOILO CITY — The most wanted New People’s Army (NPA) leader in the Visayas was killed in a clash with government troops in Lambunao town, Iloilo province.

BOCALA.jfif

BOCALA (Tara Yap)

The 3rd Infantry Division (ID) of the Philippine Army confirmed that Maria Concepcion Araneta-Bocala or “Ka Concha” was one of the three rebels who died during a clash with the 82nd Infantry Battalion (IB) on Thursday, August 15.

The 74-year-old lady former secretary general of the NPA in Panay Island had a bounty of P5.3 million.

Bocala was arrested in Iloilo City in August 2015 by the Army and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG-6) of the Philippine National Police (PNP).

At that time, Bocala was facing charges of rebellion, murder, and illegal possession of firearms.

But by August 2016, she was released temporarily as a Visayas-based consultant of the National Democratic Front (NDF), the organization linked with the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and the NPA.

She went to Norway for the attempted peace talks of the government with the Duterte administration. When the peace talks failed, Bocala evaded authorities.

Bocala's second husband, Reynaldo Bocala, was also killed when he resisted arrest in May 2021 in Iloilo City. Her husband was also a high-ranking leader of the NPA in Panay Island.

The two other NPA fatalities were Vivian Torato Teodosio and Vicente Hinojales.

Related Tags

Lambunao New People's Army ILOILO PROVINCE

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