By Jennifer P. Rendon
Subversive documents, flag, and a caliber .45 pistol found on the crime scene led investigators to suspect that the two elderly found dead in a house in Oton, Iloilo might have links to the New People’s Army (NPA).
But both police and military officials in the area have yet to confirm the identities of the two victims who were found lifeless in a rented house at Barangay Botong, Oton late morning of Dec 26, 2020.
It was surmised that the man was in his 70s while the woman is around 60 years old.
Lieutenant Larry John Vidal, Oton deputy police chief, said that they requested the Philippine Army’s 301st Infantry Brigade to verify the identities of the couple.
“We have yet to receive a feedback from them,” Vidal said.
Police investigators recovered seven identification cards with the male fatality’s photo.
The cards were in the names Antonio Cabanatan from Panay, Capiz and Pastor S. Macatimbag with addresses in Samar and Cebu.
Vidal said they immediately contacted the local police in the area to verify the names in the ID cards.
Vidal said they also coordinated with the local police in the places mentioned in the IDs but the initial verification was negative.
Meanwhile, Major Cenon Pancito III, 3rd Infantry Division spokesperson, said they initially thought that the incident was purely a police matter until they learned of the recoveries.
3rd ID records indicated that Antonio Cabanatan is not on the list of personalities linked to the rebel group.
But online search indicated that a certain Antonio Cabanatan was identified as secretary of the NPA’s Mindanao Commission.
“We don’t know if they are one and the same person,” he said, claiming they have no photos of the Cabanatan of Mindanao.
He said they are still checking with Army units in Mindanao if they could provide a photo or even of a physical description of Cabanatan.
“We’re also interested to know. Although, we have no idea what a ranking NPA leader in Mindanao was doing in Iloilo. Or paano sya napunta dito,” he said.
It can be noted that the two bodies were discovered at a house owned by Royce Fantilanan, who had it rented to a certain Jessie.
The latter allegedly paid the rent for the months of November and December.
Neighbors claimed that they have not seen the actual occupants of the house until the incident happened.
A boy allegedly passed by the area around 11.20 a.m. of Saturday and saw the man’s body slumped on the porch, some 20 meters away from the gate.
The boy reported what he saw to barangay tanod Rafael Patches who checked on the house.
The gate was open, and Patches saw the two cadavers.
The woman’s body was found inside the room. He reported it to the village officials who called in the Oton police.
Neighbors claimed they did not hear any sound prior to the discovery of the cadavers.
However, they saw a white van and a motorcycle coming out of the property evening of Dec 25.
