By CESAR JOLITO III

Law enforcement agencies in Negros Occidental have stepped up coordination efforts to address a series of killings in the province’s upland areas, which authorities believe are linked to rebel activities.

The Negros Occidental Provincial Police Office (NOCPPO) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) convened to craft a unified strategy aimed at identifying and bringing to justice those behind the murders.

The move follows a wave of killings in the mountainous parts of Kabankalan City as well as the municipalities of Manapla, Toboso, Cauayan, and Calatrava, areas long identified as rebel-influenced zones.

The New People’s Army (NPA) has reportedly claimed responsibility for several of these incidents through statements branding their victims as “traitors” or alleged military informants.

NOCPPO spokesperson, Police Captain Judesses Catalogo, said the attacks appeared to target former NPA members or sympathizers who have either returned to the fold of the law or stopped supporting the group.

“These individuals were once supporters or members of the NPA who decided to cut ties. Some of them were not even officially reintegrated into the government, but their refusal to continue aiding the rebels made them targets,” Catalogo said.

He added that Calatrava town remains one of the primary areas of concern, given its history of rebel activity and the concentration of recent killings.

The AFP and NOCPPO vowed to strengthen intelligence sharing, increase patrol visibility in affected communities, and coordinate with local government units to protect civilians from further attacks.

Authorities also urged residents to cooperate by reporting suspicious movements in remote areas, as they work to prevent the escalation of violence in the province’s hinterlands.

“Our goal is not only to solve these killings but to restore a sense of safety in the communities that have long been caught in the crossfire of insurgency,” Catalogo added./CJ, WDJ