NPAs kill 2 vendors, 2 farmers suspected of being military assets in Masbate

From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 8): NPAs kill 2 vendors, 2 farmers suspected of being military assets in Masbate

Villagers found the lifeless bodies of two doormat vendors peppered with bullets on Monday morning at Sitio Tulay, Barangay Calumpang, Placer, Masbate, a police report said.

Police said New People's Army rebels gunned down the two victims, identified as Tito Laurio and Rizaldy Espares, both doormat vendors and residents of Kinamaligan, Masbate City.

The report said Laurio and Espares' lifeless bodies were found at about 8 a.m. full of gunshot wounds and sprawled on the ground, with their hands tied.

It said the rebels had suspected the two doormat vendors as military and police assets in the guise of selling their products.

Police recovered the motorcycle being used by the two victims but owned by Vilma Absalom of Barangay Nursery, Masbate City and a sister-in-law of the victim.

Another police report said another group of NPA rebels shot dead two farmers subsequently in an interval of 10 minutes on Sunday morning at Sitio Potyong, Barangay Maglambong, Monreal, Masbate.

The report identified the first victim as Felipe Flores, who was shot on his head and body. Flores was busy tending to his carabao at about 11:10 a.m. when five armed men arrived and shot him.

After the shooting Flores, the dissidents went to a house, about 300 meters from Flores' residence, where the remains of dead person lay in estate, and found their second victim, Alberto Rosas, who was in the wake.

Then the rebels gunned down Rosas after about 10 minutes.

They even told the villagers that the two were suspected military and police assets in their village.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=835343