La Castellana Mayor Says Ambush Isolated, Dares NPA Rebs to Issue Statement

From the Negros Daily Bulletin (Jan 30): La Castellana Mayor Says Ambush Isolated, Dares NPA Rebs to Issue Statement

Barangay Puso, La Castellana, Neg. Occ. - Mayor Alberto Nicor considered Sunday’s massacre-ambush in Barangay Puso here as an isolated case but nevertheless challenged the New People’s Army (NPA) to issue a statement whether they are behind or not the incident which left a policeman and eight civilians kiled and 12 others wounded. He assured visitors to the town and those engaged in business not to be afraid.

Nicor said the local government unit has extended cash assistance to the families of the victims.
He said the town government also help in the burial of whose who were killed. Nicor said the provincial government through Provincial Board Member Melvin Ibañez has also extended food stuff and cash assistance to the victims.

Rep. Alejandro Mirasol (5th district, Neg. Occ.) has also committed to shoulder the hospitalization of the victims who are confined in the government hospitals.

Nicor, who described the incident as inhuman, said it is the first time that such incident happened here.

Previous insurgency-related incidents involved burning of farm equipments, but has not claimed the lives of innocent civilians. If it was the NPA who were behind the ambush-massacre, then they should come out with a statement, he said.

Military officials here pointed at the NPA rebels as the ones behind the ambush citing witnesses’ accounts that the ambushers before leaving the area shouted, "Mabuhay ang NPA."

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