• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Police Regional Office-Negros Island Region (PRO-NIR) has directed the Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental Police Provincial Offices to create their respective investigation teams or task groups to look into the killings perpetrated and claimed by New People’s Army (NPA) remnants.
PBrig. Gen. Arnold Thomas Ibay, PRO-NIR regional director, said on Monday, Aug. 18, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group as well as the provincial intelligence units will join the investigation task groups.
“This is a concerted effort for us to be able to investigate it properly, to identify the suspects,” Ibay said, during a media briefing held at Camp Alfredo M. Montelibano Sr. in Bacolod City.
The NPA has claimed responsibility for the deaths of at least 10 civilians they accused as military informants in Toboso, Calatrava, E.B. Magalona, Cadiz City, Victorias City, and Himamaylan City in Negros Occidental as well as in Guihulngan City in Negros Oriental.
Ibay assured the families of the victims that the PRO-NIR will use its available resources to solve the numerous killings.
“We will leave no stone unturned. Rest assured, we will investigate it thoroughly,” he said.
The group of Roger Fabillar, with aliases of “Arnel Tapang”, “Jhong” and “Nono”, was reported to have been responsible for the series of killings of civilians in the hinterlands of Toboso and Calatrava since 2023.
A P1-million reward money is being offered for the arrest or neutralization of Fabillar. | GB
