A farmer in Negros Oriental’s Guihulngan City was shot and killed by suspected members of the New People’s Army (NPA) after he reportedly withdrew his support from the insurgency movement, a police official said yesterday.

The 47-year-old victim, Eduardo Antiquando Balansag, a resident of Barangay Calupaan’s Sitio Mansalukon, was killed on Saturday afternoon, May 20, at his residence by four armed men who claimed to be NPA members.

Lt. Colonel Romeo Cubo, Guihulngan City police chief, told the Philippine News Agency that the suspects shouted “Mabuhay ang NPA” before they fled.

Cubo said the strongest possible motive for the killing was that Balansag had refused to continue to support the group.

“Information that we gathered from the ground showed that Balansag used to provide food to the armed rebels but had stopped recently,” Cubo said.

Balansag was working on his newly-built house when the two suspects arrived and talked to him for about 40 minutes, a police investigation showed.

Two others arrived later but remained a short distance away.

The duo who came earlier then drew their guns and fired at Balansag, who managed to run away, but the two others blocked his path and shot him several times more, causing his instant death.

The police recovered three pieces of empty shells of caliber .45; one empty shell of caliber 5.56mm; one live round of caliber .45; and a deformed slug of caliber .45. (PNA)