The Philippine Army in Negros Oriental is continuing its operations against the communist New People’s Army (NPA) without let-up following two shooting incidents in Canlaon City, an official said yesterday.

Brigadier General Jason Jumawan, the commander of the 302nd Infantry Brigade, stated they are working closely with the police to investigate the two incidents that may be related.

“If the CTG [communist terrorist group] is responsible for the murders, it indicates that they continue to intimidate the public,” Jumawan said.

“I have instructed my men to continue without let-up our counter-insurgency operations.”

Jumawan assessed that the NPA in Negros Oriental may have lost its “ideology” but has shifted to committing crimes such as intimidation and threats to extort money from the populace. Although all NPA guerrilla fronts in the province have been dismantled, the remnants still possess the ability to carry out crimes, he said.

The first incident occurred on September 23 when Jerome Calderon Caballes, 32 years old, a former member of the Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU), was shot dead by unidentified assailants inside his house in Sitio Banban, Barangay Bucalan.

A week later, on Tuesday, September 30, a 30-year-old resident of Sitio Nabuluan, Barangay Binalbagan, a former barangay tanod and Elite Rescue Team responder, was also shot dead while driving home.

Both Bucalan and Binalbagan are neighboring barangays identified by the police and military as ISO (internal security operations) zones, indicating that NPA presence is still noticeable in those areas. (PNA)