• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The New People’s Army (NPA) has claimed the death of a civilian they accused as a military informant in Binalbagan, Negros Occidental.
In a statement, Ka JB Regalado, spokesman of the Leonardo Panaligan Command, said that they were able to successfully carry out the imposition of death penalty on Ritoy Pedro in Sitio Cabalanti-an, Barangay Amontay despite the combat operations of the Philippine Army in the area.
Investigation of the Binalbagan Municipal Police Station indicated that the victim succumbed to gunshot wounds in his chest and neck.
Regalado accused Pedro of frequently serving as a guide in the joint operations of the police and 94th Infantry Battalion in the boundary of Binalbagan and Isabela, Negros Occidental as well as in Jimalalud and La Libertad in Negros Oriental.
Pedro was the sixth victim of the summary executions carried out by the NPA in Negros Occidental last month.
They were all accused by the NPA as military informants.
Regalado, however, debunked reports that they were behind the killing of councilman Reynaldo Jacolbe in Sitio Tayubong, Barangay Puso, La Castellana on May 1.
Jacolbe, 49, was driving a motorcycle on the way to his farm when he was shot by unidentified men hiding in a sugarcane field.
The assailants fired at the victim again after he managed to drive about 30 meters away from the area where he was waylaid.
Investigators recovered from the scene of the incident fired cartridges of 9mm and caliber .45 pistols. | GB
