FORT MAGSAYSAY, Nueva Ecija – An alleged notorious top rebel personality facing multiple criminal charges before various local courts was killed in an armed encounter after resisting arrest when government forces tried to serve an arrest warrant against him in Dupax Del Sur, Nueva Vizcaya on Friday,
Army Lt. Col. Honorato Pascual Jr., 84th Infantry Brigade commander identified the slain rebel as Rommel Tucay, who carries various aliases known as Isaac/Elmo/David/Steve/Abraham/Peter/Samuel/Moises/Alfred/Ed/Ben and Victor.
Tucay allegedly engaged arresting authorities in a gunfight after members of the Dupax Del Sur police and the 84IB tried to implement an arrest warrant against him in Bgy. Kimbutan which resulted in his instantaneous death.
Tucay was tagged as secretary of the Komiteng Larangang Gerilya Sierra Madre operating in the provinces of Nueva Vizcaya, Nueva Ecija and Aurora.
Records showed he is facing a string of criminal charges which include attempted homicide, homicide, double murder and multiple frustrated murder pending in various local courts in Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija and in Baler, Aurora.
Authorities also recovered the rebel’s 9mm caliber pistol, his cell phones and tablets, handheld radios, flash drives, memory cards, books and pamphlets, fake identification cards, some food items and personal belongings.
Brig. Gen. Andrew D. Costelo, 703rd Brigade Commander, lauded the police and the Army for neutralizing the rebel.
Major General Alfredo V. Rosario Jr. ,7th Infantry Division commander, said the resistance put up by the slain rebel only showed that he was truly a danger to the society.
“Tucay wasn’t repentant for his crimes, because if he was, he would have peacefully yielded to the arresting authorities. That’s why we are calling those who have pending criminal cases to peacefully surrender and face their charges in court,” said Rosario.
