At least 300 police commandos were deployed in Negros Oriental in an attempt to stop the spate of killings in the province in the past few days.
Gen. Oscar Albayalde, chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), said the 300 commandos from the police’s elite Special Action Force (SAF) will augment the local police and military forces in running after the gunmen allegedly involved in the killings.
The mindset of the police is that it is the local communist rebels who have been perpetrating the killing, citing the case of four cops who were allegedly tortured and executed in Ayungon town and some killings wherein the New People’s Army was allegedly claiming the killings.
“The hot pursuit operations of our men, together with the Armed Forces of the Philippines, are continuous. All these killings are being looked into,” said Albayalde.
At least 17 people were killed by unidentified gunmen since July 23 in areas in Negros Oriental declared as hotbed of communist rebels. Some of the victims were suspected to have links with the NPA.
Incidentally, the spate of killings occurred after four intelligence operatives of the police were tortured and killed in Barangay Mabato in Ayungon town on July 18.
From July 23, a total of 17 people were killed; including a lawyer tagged as sympathetic to the NPA in Guihulngan City, a former mayor of Ayungon town, an incumbent councilor of Canlaon City, a barangay captain in Canlaon City, a school principal in Guihulngan City and a barangay captain also in Guihulngan City.
Albayalde said that the local communist rebels are responsible for the series of the killings.
“There is also na part of the CPP (Communist Party of the Philippines)- NPA where they sacrifice their own and blame the government as responsible,” said Albayalde.
In some of the killings, the gunmen would barge into the house of their target and would leave spray-painted graffiti that indicate the NPA is claiming responsibility.
“This is part of their propaganda. That they will execute their own and blame the government for it,” said Albayalde.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the CPP tagged the Duterte administration as responsible for the spate of killings in Negros Oriental. (AaronRecuenco)
