By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga
The families of those victimized by New People’s Army (NPA) atrocity in Moises Padilla are seeking assistance from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and forwarded a letter directly to Secretary Eduardo Año. Based on a copy of the letter shared with members of the media, they are requesting the cabinet official to conduct an investigation against two top-level Moises Padilla officials for suspected links to the NPA and the local drug trade.
In the letter, they insisted the killings were ordered by the said town officials and expressed worry the cases will be forgotten..
They also stated that they are seeking assistance as the DILG had recently stripped around 189 local government officials of their supervisory powers over local police for either allegedly supporting the NPA or due to ties to illegal drugs.
The victims’ next of kin, along with legal representation, previously met with Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-Negros Occidental head, Police Lt. Colonel Luke Ventura, at Camp Alfredo Montelibano in Bacolod City.
The wife of slain Moises Padilla Municipal Councilor Jolomar Hilario believes his murder was “politically motivated” and believes a “local politician” paid the insurgent group to assassinate her husband.
The murdered town official was aligned with former Moises Padilla Mayor Magdaleno Peña.
According to the CIDG official, charges have already been filed against several suspects and they are currently awaiting testimony from additional witnesses. However, he pointed out, they have yet to receive the official case from the Moises Padilla Police Station.
Ventura explained, additional statements from witnesses can be added as a supplemental affidavit to other affidavits that have already been filed.
In a previous letter, the families also appealed for authorities to look into the sworn affidavits by Robert Sualog and Jully Opiar filed against Moises Padilla Mayor Ella Celestina Garcia-Yulo and Vice Mayor Adrian Villaflor despite the court earlier dismissing murder charges against the two town officials./DGB, WDJ