BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The “protracted war” of the New People’s Army is taking a toll on the lives of killed innocent civilians in Guihulngan City and some parts of Negros Island, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Col. Inocencio Pasaporte, the Army’s 303rd Infantry Brigade commander, said.
Pasaporte reported that seven civilians had been killed by the NPA in the cities of Himamaylan and Kabankalan, Negros Occidental, and Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental, since June up to this time, aside from the robbery and killing of Army Cpl. Mark Antony Quiocson, which he described as barbaric, merciless and inexcusable.
He identified the seven civilians killed by NPA rebels as Gilbert Garlit in Brgy Carol-an, Kabankalan City; Joelito Hilacio in Sitio Lunoy, Brgy. Carabalan and Randy Rociano in Sitio Asaran, Brgy. Buenavista, all in Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental, Deopanis Pacunla and Eldeson Martonillas in Brgy Luz, Guihulngan City, swine dealers Jimmer Fundador and Romeo Dungoan at Sitio Mandi-e, Brgy. Magsaysay also in Guihulngan City.
Pasaporte said that the killings sparked outrage and condemnation from the local officials led by Guihulngan City Mayor Carlo Jorge Joan Reyes, Vice Mayor Ernesto Reyes and Brgy. Luz Capt Emelia Same, who denounced the wanton violent killings and called on their constituents to stand up against the CPP-NPA.
He also said that the killings were quickly justified by the CPP-NPA through its sweet-coated propaganda statements to cover up the reality that innocent civilians were unjustly killed.
It is also in blatant violation of Human Rights, the Rule of Law and the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL), as well as a violation of the Anti-Terrorism Law, Pasaporte said.
The rebels justified the killings with fabricated lies while putting the blame on the AFP instead, Pasaporte said in a statement issued by the 303rd Infantry Brigade.*
