Barangay Puso, La Castellana, Negros Occ.- Immediate families of victims of the ambush-massacre in Barangay Puso, La Castellana town early dawn, Sunday, January 29 are crying for justice as they condemned what they called as a heartless and inhuman act of suspected New People’s Army (NPA) rebels who spent about 300 empty shells of various caliber of high-powered firearms on the about 30 passengers, including three policemen, on board a civilian truck.
Mayor Bordig Nicor at thre ambush site eysterday.*(APT photo)
Military and local officials described what happened as an ambush massacre citing that the about 20 armed NPA rebels opened fire indiscriminately on the victims for several minutes.
Avelino Ordoñez, 48, narrated to reporters who went to the area yesterday, how his wife shielded him from the rain of bullets. His wife, Virginia Ordoñez, 50, succumbed to at least 27 gunshot wounds and one of the eight who died on the spot. What is more heartless is that one of the rebels continued to shoot at her despite the fact that she was already dead, Ordoñez said.
He recalled that he even shouted to one of the armed men that they were civilians and the truck they were using was that of the barangay, however, he said he was told that it was their fault they were together with the cops.
Ordoñez also recalled that he was among those standing at the back of the truck when he heard the first volley of fire and he saw some of his companions falling one by one. He said the firing kept on for about 30 minutes. He also saw one of the armed men jump up at the back of the truck and finished off a man who was still moving and asking for help.
Ordoñez said he stayed in the area until daylight and picked up the internal parts of his wife as her body was blasted by the bullets fired. "Why did they do this to us? We want justice," Ordoñez said.
He said of those who survived including children jumped off the truck and escaped.
TRUCK DRIVER.
Gema Dingcong, wife of the truck driver, Ricky Dingcong said she cannot accept what happened to her husband. "They have no conscience," Dingcong’s widow said. She described her husband as a good provider and hasd no vices.
She asked what will happen to their two children now that her husband was killed in the ambush-massacre. "Dapat tagaan hustisya and kamatayon sang bana ko," she cried. Her husband’s face was distorted beyond recognition as his head was blasted by gunfire from the ambushers. Her husband was also among the first who was killed.
SLAIN COP
Rommel Canja, elder brother of Police Officer 3 Richard Canja said his brother was killed because of his uniform. He claimed that even as a policeman, his brother had no known enemy and was very close to the residents in their barangay.
Canja who was hit in the first volley of gunfire as he was seated at the front seat of the Canter truck was allegedly finished off by the assailants at close range with a gunshot in the head as he was lying down in the ground.
His remains are at the Barangay Cabacungan Hall and not in his house in Barangay Puso due to apprehension of his immediate family.
SR. SUPT. GUARA
Earlier, Sr. Supt. Celestino Guara, Provincial Police Office caretaker, said Canja was the target of the assailants because he spearheaded the forming of the Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team (BPAT) in Brgy. Puso.
But his elder brother Rommel believes it was incidental that it was his brother who was on duty when the barangay officials requested for security for the benefit dance being held as part of the Puso barangay fiesta celebration.
The Canter truck was supposed to ferry the policemen back to the poblacion after securing the programs and benefit dance and the civilians just requested to hitch a ride home.
Canja and eight other civilians were killed in the ambush massacre while 12 others were wounded.
http://www.ndb-online.com/013013/local-news/local-news-%E2%80%98ambush-massacre-victims%E2%80%99-kins-cry-justice%E2%80%99
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