Murder raps readied vs. NPA assassins

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — The police is now readying multiple murder and attempted murder charges against suspected members of the Special Partisan Unit of the New People’s Army believed responsible for shooting dead three civilians Monday in Isabela, Negros Occidental.

Senior Superintendent Rodolfo Castil, provincial police director of Negros Occidental, yesterday said that two of the four suspects were positively identified by witnesses as NPA assassins.

Those killed were retired Technical Sergeant Jose Jorito Amable, former Senior Police Officer 1 Alejandro Borres II, who used to be assigned at the Moises Padilla Police Station, and Federico Bitgue, who was reported as a member of the Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team of Moises Padilla.

Hit and injured by stray bullets were Timothy Aaron Archebar, 10, and Alquin Genterola Jr., 34, a teacher.

Castil said the suspects in the recent killings in Isabela were tagged as also involved in the shooting and wounding of BPAT member Dave Vallente last month in Barangay Odiong, Moises Padilla, Negros Occidental.

The series of killings allegedly perpetrated by NPA assassins has alarmed the PNP in Negros Island.

Suspected NPA assassins also tried to kill Wilson Gerosola, a member of the Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit, last Saturday in Barangay Camalanda-an, Cauayan, Negros Occidental.

However, two of the rebel suspects were already accounted for by authorities, and one of them was killed during a pursuit operation by Army soldiers, while another was arrested in Cauayan.

Castil said they are coordinating with the Philippine Army to identify the two other suspects in the shooting incident in Isabela.

Last month, the NPA Leonardo Panaligan Command claimed responsibility for killing five civilians, one of them a rebel returnee, whom they accused of being military informants in central Negros. (FREEMAN)