NEW People’s Army (NPA) leader, Leonido “Nido” Nabong, 62, known as Ka charo or Coco who was killed in an encounter with Army troops in Tampilisan town, Zamboanga del Norte was a  notorious murderer, terrorist and not a “rockstar."

Thus said Friday by Army’s 58th Infantry Battalion commander Lt. Colonel Ricky Canatoy contrary to  the claim that the NPA leader was a rockstar figure.

Nabong succumbed to gunshot wounds after a 45-minute armed encounter on Nov. 13.

"If he (Nabong) is a man for others, for us he is a notorious NPA terrorist leader," said Canatoy.

Canatoy said Nabong has standing warrant of arrests for murder, subversion, rebellion and frustrated murder.

He said that despite being a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Xavier University in Cagayan de Oro city, all of those criminal cases were docketed and issued in the Regional Trial Court in Butuan City.

Nabong hailed from Brgy Sta Cruz, Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental is a notorious murderer in tampilisan, Zamboanga Del Norte, according to Canatoy.

“Together with his terrorist group, Nabong perpetrated numerous atrocities in Zamboanga del Norte,” Canatoy said.

He said that even in the Armed Forces of the Philippines order of battle, a reward of P6.1 million pesos was offered for his capture, dead or alive.

“Tagging him  with a P 6.1 Million bounty on his head. He failed to be a good example to the Misamisnon,especially to the youth,” Canatoy explained adding that because of his involvement in armed struggle against the government.

Despite being a consistent honor student in his childhood and scholar, Canatoy said Nabong “wasted his whole life in the armed revolution for nothing.”

“He never had the opportunity to give much time for his family and contribute to nation building through peaceful means,” said Canatoy.

The remains of Nabong arrived in his hometown in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental on November 18 after Misamis Oriental Governor Yevgeny Emano facilitated the transfer of his remains from Zamboanga del Norte to his family. He was buried on November 20. 


It can be recalled that the troops of 44IB based in Zamboanga del norte engaged with the NPAs under the Western Mindanao Regional Party Committee resulting in recovery of six high powered firearms and the demise of nabong who was abandoned by his comrades. 

Nabong was deputy secretary of the NPA’s Western Mindanao Regional Party Committee, which operates Misamis Occidental, Zamboanga del Norte, and Zamboanga del Sur provinces and maintained main guerrilla bases around the Malindang mountain ranges. (Ben Balce)