NPA victims shot at close range – police

BUTUAN CITY, Philippines  â€“ Citing official autopsy results, police said the five plantation workers slain by New People’s Army (NPA) rebels in Esperanza, Agusan del Sur last Monday, were shot at close range and mostly in the head.

In a press briefing Thursday, Superintendent Alex Uy, medico-legal officer of the Region 13 police, said the autopsy results disproved the claim of NPA-Mindanao spokesman Jorge Madlos that the five workers were killed in an encounter with communist guerrillas.

“They were shot at close range, leaving smudge on the bullets’ entry points,” Uy said.

Uy added that one of the victims had a shattered arm and leg after being shot when he tried to escape.

Superintendent Martin Gamba, information officer of the Region 13 police, quoted witnesses as saying that the five workers “were deliberately shot dead in the open while on their knees.”

– Ben Serrano

Gamba described the NPA killing as a “summary execution that clearly violated, totally disregarded human rights and manifested terrorism.”