Police probing Borbon strafing by ‘NPA rebels’

CEBU, Philippines - Police are now investigating last Sunday’s strafing incident in Borbon, Cebu involving the house of a former barangay captain, allegedly done by persons claiming to be members of the New People’s Army.

Considering that Cebu has been declared as insurgency free, the Police Regional Office-7 immediately directed the Cebu Provincial Police Office to dig deeper into the incident and verify the said report.

Senior Superintendent Rey Lyndon Lawas, chief of the Regional Directorial Staff of PRO-7, said he has talked with CPPO director Noel Gillamac about the matter and called for an investigation on it.

“I advised him to validate and check the truthfulness of the allegations nga accordingly, ang nipusil daw are allegedly mga NPA because as we can recall, Cebu province is an insurgency-free area,” said Lawas.

Based also on the reports from their intelligence units, Lawas said, there have been no reports about the presence of militant groups or NPA members in Cebu province as of yesterday.

Nevertheless, he said, they have to validate the reports as it is very easy to introduce one’s self as a member of a militant group just to frighten someone.

“Any person can say he is a member of an armed group or whatever, but proving it is the job of the police,” said Lawas.

The fact also remains that a shooting incident happened and the police has to investigate it, Lawas added.

“We have to find out who are the suspects. Regardless of what group or organization they are linked into, we have to know who these people are,” he said.

According to the PRO-7 official, they will consider all angles to know the real motive behind the crime.

“We have to look all angles whether personal, or linked sa NPA or was it politically motivated or unsa. So all angles will be looked into,” he said.

On Sunday dawn, the house of former Lugo barangay captain Jennifer Mercader was reportedly strafed by two unidentified men who then immediately fled off on board a motorcycle.

Before totally leaving, the two allegedly threw a piece of paper towards the house with threatening words, among which, that they are members of the NPA. — (FREEMAN)