FAMILY OF 4 SLAUGHTERED IN NEGROS OCC
THE Police Regional Office (PRO) 6 and the Philippine Army’s 303rd Infantry Brigade yesterday condemned the killing of a family of four in Himamaylan City in Negros Occidental which they blamed on the New People’s Army (NPA), and vowed to bring justice to the victims as soon as possible.
PRO6 director, Brigadier General Sydney N. Villaflor also described as “baseless and unfounded” accusations made by the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed wing, the NPA, that government troops were involved in the killing of the victims.
Initial reports indicate that the incident is part of the local communist terrorist group’s effort to undermine the gains of the government’s programs to put an end to the decades-old communist insurgency.
“We strongly condemn the senseless acts of violence and terrorism against innocent civilians,” said the Western Visayas police director as he vowed to bring the terrorists to justice immediately.
Villaflor also called on the good people of Himamaylan City to cooperate with investigators tasked to identify, arrest and charge the killers in court.
“The quest for justice is always a shared responsibility between the police and the community. We will continue to work with the people of Negros Island in building a culture of peace by putting an end to the impunity and lawlessness perpetrated by criminals and by the local communist terrorist groups,” he said.
The Himamaylan Component City Police Station is currently conducting an investigation into the incident which took place in an NPA-infested area in Sitio Kangkiling in Barangay Buenavista on Wednesday night.
Killed during the attack were Rolly Fausto, 50; his wife Imelda, 49; and their two children – a 15-year-old teenager and the other only 11 years old.
Fausto, a farmer, was shot to death in a cornfield some 50 meters away from his house. The rest of the Fausto family were gunned down too after Fausto was killed.
A third child of the Faustos discovered the incident and reported it to the local police.
“With the series of losses and debacles sustained by the CPP-NDF (National Democratic Front)-NPA terrorist organization in Negros Island, they resort to senseless acts of violence to deter the people and the communities from working with the government and the state security forces,” said Villaflor.
“To the peace-loving people of Western Visayas, join us in condemning the CPP-NDF-NPA terrorist organization,” he added.
Army 30rd Brigade commander, Brig. Gen. Orlando Edralin also vowed to fully cooperate with the PRO6 in solving the case as he dismissed claims by the CPP/NPA that security troops were behind the attack.
“We condemn in the strongest possible terms the brutal killing of an innocent family in Himamaylan City. As your defenders, we will closely coordinate with the Philippine National Police to fast-track the resolution of the crime and bring the perpetrators to justice,” the Army official said.
Edralin described the allegations made by the CPP/NPA as “nothing but an attempt by the desperate NPA to tarnish the reputation of the Army in the province.”
“These communist terrorists quickly blame the Army without proof to mislead the people and to hide their guilty hands,” he said.
The two security officials issued the statement after the NPA Apolinario Gatmaitan Command accused members of the Army’ 94th Infantry Battalion (IB) as behind the death of the Fausto family members.
However, the Army’s 94th IB said, “the NPA in Negros is in a rampage against civilians suspected as military informants,” as they have suffered a series of defeats at the hands of the military in Himamaylan City.
