By CESAR JOLITO III
The Police Regional Office in the Negros Island Region (PRO-NIR) has created a Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) “Toboso” to determine the identities of those killed in the recent armed encounter at Barangay Salamanca in Negros Occidental’s Toboso town.
Authorities said identification of the remaining fatalities is ongoing through forensic examinations, verification of records, and coordination with possible relatives and local government units.
Through coordinated efforts, police have so far identified six of the fatalities, whose remains have been claimed by their families.
They were identified as:
* 58-year-old Rene Villarin, Sr. of Calatrava
* 36-year-old Roger Fabillar Tapang of Toboso
* 19-year-old Ruel Sabillo of Toboso
* 28-year-old Sonny Boy Caramihan of San Carlos City
* 32-year-old Pedro Bonghanoy of Escalante City
* 32-year-old Arnel Javoc of Calatrava.
The police are also facilitating the proper release of the remains once all legal and documentary requirements are completed.
The move comes as part of intensified post-encounter operations led by PRO-NIR Director Police Brigadier General Arnold Thomas Ibay.
Immediately after the clash on Sunday, April 19, the Toboso police set up checkpoints and launched dragnet operations in Crossing Salamanca in Sitio Sinugmawan to secure the area and monitor possible movements of fleeing armed individuals.
Authorities also deployed Scene of the Crime Operatives and Explosive Ordnance Disposal teams to process the site, preserve evidence and support the ongoing investigation.
Ibay emphasized that the swift identification and turnover of the bodies highlight the police force’s commitment to professionalism and humanitarian considerations.
He added that PRO-NIR will continue to collaborate with the Armed Forces of the Philippines, local governments, and communities to maintain peace and uphold the rule of law across the Negros Island Region.
In a follow-up development released yesterday, PRO-NIR confirmed that two additional cadavers have been formally turned over to their families after completion of identification and legal requirements.
They were identified as 18-year-old Joros Caramihan of Don Salvador Benedicto, and a 17-year-old male minor from Escalante City.
Police said the release of the remains forms part of their humanitarian efforts to ensure that all recovered bodies are properly identified, treated with dignity, and returned to their loved ones in accordance with the law.
Ibay emphasized that while law enforcement operations continue, the police remain committed to assisting grieving families and facilitating the orderly release of the victims.
He added that coordination with remaining families and concerned agencies is ongoing until all cadavers are identified and all post-encounter procedures are completed./CJ, WDJ