By Glazyl Y. Masculino
BACOLOD CITY – Despite the New People’s Army (NPA) admitting to a series of civilian killings in Negros Occidental, the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (Nocppo) said they will base their investigation on evidence.
Police Capt. Judesses Catalogo, public information officer of Nocppo, emphasized that their investigation cannot rely solely on claims from any group, as there are established criminal procedures to follow.
“Why do they claim the deaths of these common folk when there are many cases they do not acknowledge? What’s really going on?” Catalogo asked.
He noted that the statements from the NPA are treated as allegations, and the investigation will focus on testimonies from the victims’ families and witnesses to determine the actual motive.
The Armando Sumayang Jr Command (ASJC)-NPA Southwest Negros Guerrilla Front has claimed responsibility for the murder of 37-year-old Donie Bacoli in Barangay Camindangan, Sipalay City last Friday.
ASJC-NPA spokesperson Ka Andrea Guerrero claimed Bacoli was an intelligence asset of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and served as a barangay watchman.
However, Catalogo mentioned that Bacoli had resigned from his watchman role last year, questioning the relevance of his former position to his murder.
Based on the family’s statements, they do not believe the NPA was behind the killing, suggesting a personal motive might be involved. “Why would they insist he was a village watchman?” Catalogo questioned, highlighting that the family has submitted an affidavit dismissing any interest in pursuing the matter as related to the NPA.
Bacoli, also a farmer, was shot outside his sari-sari store on May 3. He was the seventh civilian whose death the NPA has claimed.
On April 25, the same group also claimed the death of a 43-year-old man in the same barangay.
The rebel group has also claimed responsibility for five other incidents in the towns of La Castellana, Binalbagan, Calatrava, and Moises Padilla, and in the city of Kabankalan last month.
