Rolando Abadilla

Rolando “Rolly” Abadilla (died June 13, 1996) was a Filipino politician and Philippine Constabulary (PC) officer best known for heading the PC Metropolitan Command's Intelligence and Security Group under the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos, which became notorious for numerous documented human rights abuses.

After Marcos was ousted in the 1986 People Power Revolution, he was implicated in several coup attempts against President Corazon Aquino but was nevertheless elected to public office as vice governor of Ilocos Norte. He was assassinated in 1996 by the Alex Boncayao Brigade, a communist rebel group.

Early life Abadilla was born in Espiritu, now Banna, in Ilocos Norte, to a merchant family. His mother was a distant relative of Ferdinand Marcos. During the trial of military officers involved in Aquino's death, a witness who claimed that a soldier shot Aquino also claimed to have seen Abadilla talking to Rolando Galman, who the Marcos government alleged was Aquino's assassin, before he was killed by soldiers for allegedly killing Aquino. Abadilla denied the charges.

Marcos intermediary during the People Power Revolution During the People Power Revolution in February 1986, Abadilla served as an intermediary of Marcos during negotiations with the rebellion's leaders, defense minister Juan Ponce Enrile and Armed Forces of the Philippines deputy chief of staff Fidel Ramos. He was arrested for his involvement in the latter coup in July 1987,

Political career Even though imprisoned in 1987, Abadilla ran for Vice Governor of Ilocos Norte in 1988 as a candidate of Marcos' Kilusang Bagong Lipunan party In 1992, he unsuccessfully ran for Governor of Ilocos Norte and lost again in a congressional race in the province in 1995.

Abadilla was also a member of the Presidential Anti-Crime Commission headed by Vice President Joseph Estrada during the administration of Fidel Ramos in the early 1990s. He also owned a trucking company. He was shot 31 times using high-caliber pistols. His killing was claimed by the communist Alex Boncayao Brigade, which cited his role in human rights abuses during the martial law era.

Abadilla received a funeral with full military honors.

Popular culture Abadilla was portrayed by Ray Ventura in the film Ping Lacson: Super Cop.