Initial findings on wave of NegOr killings released

DUMAGUETE CITY -- The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) in Negros Oriental on Monday released its initial findings on the wave of killings that rocked the province last June to July that spurred a Senate committee inquiry.

The CHR-Negros Oriental said the New People’s Army (NPA), the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), perpetrated only two and not all of the shooting incidents in the province reported in July.

Special investigator Dr. Jess Cañete, provincial CHR chief, said he is inclined to believe that there is a vigilante group behind some of the killings, and is looking into the purported “hit list” being circulated around.

According to him, one of the names in the said “hit list” has been already killed.

In the Senate inquiry, the supposed existence of a vigilante group had also surfaced, prompting an investigation as ordered by the Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, Gen. Oscar Albayalde.

In fact, Cañete said there are two “hit lists” and not just one, the first of which was circulated as early as last year, by a group purportedly known as Kawsa Guihulnganon Batok Komunista or KAGUBAK.

The results that Cañete released showed that of the 22 deaths being investigated by the CHR, only those involving the four police intelligence officers in the municipality of Ayungon and the two former rebels in Zamboanguita were allegedly possibly perpetrated by the NPA.

The four policemen who were killed last July 18 in Sitio Yamot in Barangay Mabato, Ayungon were Cpl. Relebert Beronio, Pat. Roel Cabellon, Pat. Marquino de Leon, and Pat. Raffy Callao, while the rebel returnees who were shot dead last July 24 in Poblacion Zamboanguita were Weny Alegre and Felimeno Januan.

The CHR-Negros Oriental preliminary investigations noted the killings of Canlaon City Councilor Ramon Jalandoni, Barangay Captain Ernesto Posadas of Barangay Panubigan, Canlaon City, former Ayungon Mayor Edcel Enardecido of Ayungon, and Barangay Captain Romeo Alipan of Barangay Buenavista, Guihulngan City have three things in common: first, the door marks on their doors are consistent to be those of a battering ram; second, the same description of the number of perpetrators of about 20 to 30; and, the same description of vehicles used, e.g., cars and vans.