BACOLOD City – The death of suspected New People’s Army (NPA) leader Ericson Acosta in an alleged clash with government troops in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental on Wednesday, Nov. 30, was another “huge blow” to the communist-terrorists in Negros Island, an official of the Philippine Army said yesterday.
Acosta was an award-winning poet, writer and musician.
“It will create a leadership vacuum,” said Lieutenant Colonel Van Donald Almonte, commander of the 94th Infantry Battalion (94IB) of Philippine Army whose unit conducted the operation together with the 47IB.
According to Almonte, Acosta, 50, was the first deputy secretary for Komiteng Rehiyon-Negros, Cebu, Bohol and Siquijor (KR-NCBS) of the rebel movement and head of the Political Unified Committee in the Visayas.
He was the husband of the late Kerima Tariman, a top NPA leader in northern Negros killed in an encounter with troops of the Army’s 79th IB in Silay City in August 2021.
The Army claimed that a companion of Acosta also died – Joseph Jimenez, 52, alleged staff of KR-NCBS Regional Organizing Division.
The 94IB reported that Acosta, also known as “Raffy” and “Fredo”, led the attacks against government troops in Himamaylan City on Oct. 8 and in Sipalay City on Nov. 24, where four soldiers died.
Along with Jimenez, he was also allegedly involved in extortion activities in Kabankalan City and had been targeting a sugar refinery in the area to give in to their demands, the 94IB added.
In a statement yesterday, the 3rd Infantry Division (3ID) dismissed the claim of the National Democratic Front (NDF)-Negros, the political wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines-NPA, that Acosta and Jimenez were captured alive then killed, and that the encounter was a ruse.
“It’s a propaganda ploy to fuel their deceptive narrative. It’s nothing but a hollow, empty and over-abused propaganda line of the CPP-NPA-NDF,” the 3ID said. (With reports from Priam Nepomuceno/PNA)/PN
