By Glazyl Y. Masculino
BACOLOD City – Police are consolidating all the necessary documents for the filing of a case against one of the 15 suspects responsible for the brutal killing of a family of four in Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental last week.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Reynante Jomocan, city police chief, said that a witness has positively identified one perpetrator through photos presented by the police.
The photos shown to the witness are those of active members of the New People’s Army (NPA), particularly the Central Negros 2.
Jomocan said that the witness had a face-to-face encounter with one of the perpetrators after the latter allegedly held and threatened him at gunpoint when they asked for the house of the Fausto family.
The witness was hesitant at first to give a statement about the incident because he feared for his safety, but policemen were able to encourage him to help them in the investigation to give justice to the victims, especially to the two children.
“Naghibi siya and nag reveal siya sang natabo,” the police chief added.
Jomocan said the witness heard a burst of gunfire when he ran back to his house.
The house of the victims was strafed while they were sleeping on the night of June 14 at Sitio Kangkiling, Barangay Buenavista, killing Emilda, 49, her husband Rolly, 52, and their two sons aged 11 and 15.
Jomocan said that Rolly tried to escape through the back part of their house, but he was already wounded when he hid in the cornfield where he was found lifeless the following day. His wife and two sons were found dead at their residence.
Around 53 fired bullets of 5.56mm caliber were recovered from the crime scene and were subjected to ballistic examination.
“We are lucky na na identify na ang isa,” Jomocan said, adding that they are encouraging the family to pursue the filing of a case against the perpetrators.
Jomocan said they have lots of witnesses at first, but some of their statements were believed to be hearsay, as they only heard a series of gunshots.
However, he said that they now have two witnesses who have vital information about the incident.
Jomocan said these witnesses are being secured by authorities for their safety, while investigation into the massacre is ongoing.
The victims have been laid to rest at a public cemetery in Barangay Aguisan last Sunday.
Meanwhile, Jomocan said that the family of the victims is now in the custody of a non-government organization (NGO).
Based on the intelligence gathering and statement of the Army’s 94th Infantry Battalion (IB), the Fausto family has other members and relatives who are active NPA members while others have surrendered to the authorities.
“Daw family tree na nila kay halos sa pamilya ara sa NPA, while ang iban nag surrender man,” he said.
The NPA has earlier denied their link in the incident, as they slammed the local Army for the said killing. However, the Army also denied participation in the incident, claiming that the NPA just covers up the truth and wants to tarnish their reputation in the province.
