Saint Bernard arrest: Farmer accused of killing 15 people nabbed

This is the crime report of the police crime laboratory report on Prescillano Batas Beringuel, a farmer accused of killing 15 people as a member of the CPP-NPA. | Contributed photo

SAINT BERNARD, Southern Leyte, Philippines – A 76-year-old farmer, who is allegedly among the members of the CPP-NPA terrorist group accused of murdering 15 comrades in May 1985, was arrested on April 9, 2020 in Saint Bernard town, Southern Leyte province.

Caught by police intelligence operatives, the suspect was identified as Prescillano Batas Beringuel, an alleged high-profile member of the communist terrorist group (CTG) of Barangay Sta. Cruz, Saint Bernard

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Read more: Duterte declares CPP, NPA as terrorist organizations

The CPP-NPA has been declared as a terrorist group by President Duterte on December 5, 2017. 

In 2002, the United States State Department has tagged the CPP-NPA as a foreign terrorist organization.

Read more: UNHCR’s Country Reports on Terrorism 2017

Meanwhile, the suspect, Beringuel, was charged with 15 counts of murder and was tagged by authorities as a Most Wanted Person and was arrested in Saint Bernard two days ago.

Beringuel was allegedly among the NPA members that massacred their fellow comrades sometime in May of 1985. A mass grave was discovered at Sitio Sapang Daku, Barangay Kaulisan, Inopacan, Leyte last August 2006. 

Beringuel, 76, is now under the custody of Saint Bernard Police Station. No bail has been recommended for his temporary liberty.

The joint manhunt operation was led by Police Captain Ralph Bangoy, Regional Intelligence Unit in Eastern Visayas (RIU8) PNP Intelligence Group; Lieutenant Colonel Joel Nicha, Southern Leyte Provincial Mobile Force Company (SLPMFC); and Police Lieutenant Mario Lumayno of Saint Bernard Municipal Police Station./dbs