• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Remnants of the New People’s Army appear to be on a killing spree, having issued separate statements supposedly claiming responsibility for the death of five civilians they accused as “military informants” in Negros Occidental.
The Army’s 3rd Infantry Division strongly condemned the series of killings of innocent civilians in the past several days.
Lt Col. J Jay Javines, 3ID Civil Military Operations officer, described it as a desperate attempt of NPA remnants in Negros to make its appear that they are still a force to be reckoned with.
All the five existing NPA guerilla fronts in Negros Island have been declared dismantled by the 3ID, which is now preparing to declare the whole island in a state of Stable Internal Peace and Security, as approved by the Provincial Peace and Order Councils of the two provinces in the island.
A statement issued by the Leonardo Panaligan Command of the NPA claimed responsibility for the summary execution of Albert Golez, alias Tongkai, on April 24 in Sitio Coyaoyao, Brgy. Inolingan, Moises Padilla, Negros Occidental.
The wife of the victim, Melanie Golez, in an interview with RMN DYHB, said that her nine-year-old daughter was hit by a stray bullet on the left hand when the armed suspects opened fire at her husband.
She identified one of the armed suspects as Renante Misyon, alias Karding, of Brgy. Riverside, Isabela. At the same, Melanie strongly denied accusations that her husband was a military informant of the Philippine Army.
Rebel spokesman Ka JB Regalado also said that the Leonardo Panaligan Command also successfully carried out the imposition of the death penalty on a certain Danny Boy Bartolome on April 11 at Sitio Paho in Brgy. Camandag, La Castellana
The Roselyn Jean Pelle Command of the NPA in northern Negros also claimed responsibility for the killing of barangay tanod Alexander Alquizar, alias Dondie,on April 20, in Brgy. Laga-an, Calatrava.
Ka Andrea Guerrero, spokesman of the NPA Armando Sumayang Command, also issued a separate statement claiming responsibility for the liquidation of Jun Habagat in Sitio Cagay, Brgy. Camindangan, Sipalay City, on April 24.
The Mt. Cansermon Command of the NPA also claimed responsibility for the death of Myrna Belando, a resort caretaker of Mag-aso Mountain Resort in Brgy. Oringao, Kabankalan City, last week.
The NPA accused Belando also of being a military informant.*
