The three suspected New People’s Army (NPA) members reportedly involved in an ambush in Ayungon, Negros Oriental that left four police officers dead were recently arrested. The Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office (NOrPPO) identified the arrested suspects as Belly Ebedo and his sons, Gelie and Jelly. The three were presented before members of the media last Monday at NOrPPO headquarters at Camp Fernandez in Sibulan.
Based on a statement issued by NOrPPO, they arrested Jelly Ebedo after he was tracked down in Murcia, Negros Occidental last week, February 18. Jelly’s brother was then arrested in Bacolod City over the weekend, on February 22; and the elder Ebedo was nabbed in Siaton the following day.
During the press conference, witnesses positively identified the three and claimed they “summarily executed” Police Corporal Relebert Beronio, Police Patrolmen Raffy Callao, Roel Cabellon, and Marquino De Leon. Police Regional Office-7 (PRO-7) director, Police Brigadier General Albert Ignatius Ferro, also slammed the suspects and said the murders committed were “barbaric.”
Last July, the four slain law enforcement officials visited Ayungon’s Barangay Mabato to gather intelligence on the NPA’s presence. However, they were ambushed and subsequently captured, tortured, and murdered by at least 15 NPA rebels.
Following the incident, police accused then-Barangay Mabato Captain Sunny Calderon of failing to inform authorities that his jurisdiction exhibited a high presence of rebel activity. He was then included among the suspects associated with the incident.
However, Calderon killed himself before he was formally charged.
A P1 million bounty was offered by President Rodrigo Duterte for the capture of those responsible for the murders./DGB, WDJ