• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
An Army general yesterday challenged the Commission on Human Rights to condemn the killing spree of the New People’s Army of innocent civilians, which they have claimed responsibility for.
In communicating with Chris Montano of the CHR regional office, Brig. Gen. Orlando Edralin, 303rd Infantry Brigade commander, said they were told “they are not the agencies who can conduct investigations into these cases, but they can only provide support for the victims.”
Aside from extending support to victims of NPA murders, Edralin said they would like the CHR to look at it from the bigger perspective, where they must also condemn these violent and senseless killings of innocent civilians.
On the other hand, Vincent Parra, head of the CHR- Negros Occidental, said they will conduct a motu proprio investigation into the killing of nine civilians, from last month up to May 9.
In separate statements, NPA remnants have claimed responsibility for the killing of nine civilians, with almost all of whom they accused as military informants.
Ka JB Regalado, spokesman of the Leonardo Panaligan Command-Central Negros Guerrilla Front, said “They cooperated with the Army to the detriment of the members of our ‘pulang hangaway’ (red warriors), so we carried out our revolutionary justice against them.”
Dismissing it as part of NPA remnants propaganda, Edralin said “they just really wanted to present themselves, that they are still there. They can only afford to victimize innocent civilians.”
Admitting that they cannot protect all the people of Negros Occidental 24/7, Edralin, however said the support of the community that provided them the timely information, led them to engage in armed encounters with rebel remnants.
He said that from January up to this time, they were able to conduct 15 initiated encounters with NPA remnants, due to information relayed by the people.*
