By JEN BAYLON
The Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (NOCPPO) has agreed to cooperate with the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) in Negros Occidental in its investigation into the killings of eight individuals by alleged New People’s Army (NPA) members.
NOCPPO spokesperson Police Captain Judesses Catalogo said they will work closely with CHR-NegOcc to ensure that the investigation is fair and impartial.
Catalogo said they are conducting a separate investigation into the series of killings allegedly by NPA, which will be based on evidence, and not just on the “mere claims” as they follow a criminal procedure.
Earlier, NOCPPO chief Colonel Rainerio de Chavez said they will immediately file appropriate charges against the perpetrators, once they have identified them.
They will also ensure that justice will be served to the victims in the series of killings in Negros Occidental.
CHR-NegOcc has been monitoring the human rights situation in the province, and has expressed concerns over the rising number of killings.
Earlier, the Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division (3ID) expressed all-out support for CHR’s investigation.
“We welcome any investigation that will shed light on these incidents and help bring justice for the victims and their families,” 3ID commander Major General Marion Sison said.
Sison also reaffirmed 3ID’s dedication to working closely with CHR to ensure the investigation is thorough, impartial and transparent.
Meanwhile, Brigadier General Orlando Edralin, commander of the 303rd Infantry Brigade based in Negros Occidental’s Murcia town, asked the remnants of the NPA and their allied armed groups to stop the indiscriminate acts of violence, and instead, engage in peaceful means with the government to address their grievances.
“It is distressing to learn that innocent men, women and children have fallen victim to these senseless acts, causing immeasurable pain and suffering to their families and communities,” Edralin said in a statement on Monday, May 13.
He called on Negrenses to report the presence of NPA in their respective communities.
“Let our voices resonate in demanding an end to the senseless killings of innocent civilians,” he said.
Eight individuals, allegedly tagged by the NPA as “military agents” or spies, were killed from April to early May of this year in Negros Occidental.
The NPA’s Leonardo Panaligan Command-Central Negros Guerrilla Front, through its spokesperson Ka JB Regalado, claimed that the individuals spied for the Philippine Army’s 62nd and 94th Infantry Battalions, based in Negros Occidental’s Isabela and Himamaylan City, respectively.
Regalado said they took responsibility for the deaths of the civilians. / With reports from PNA / JB, WDJ