Isabela to hold peace rally

From the Sun Star-Bacolod (Jul 5): Isabela to hold peace rally

RESIDENTS of Isabela town in Negros Occidental will hold a peace rally on July 13 in the wake of the killing of reelected Councilor Crispin Posadas Jr.
Mayor Enrique Montilla III said Monday, July 4, that they will come together to condemn the death of the councilor and call for justice as well.

The rally will start around 8 a.m. with a march from the public market to the plaza, where members of the Posadas family will give their testimonies.

Representatives from the local government and the religious sector will also deliver messages.

On June 29, Posadas had just arrived at the town public market on board his motorcycle when three armed men came and shot him dead.

The New People’s Army had claimed responsibility for the assassination of the town official, but the police continues to investigate the case.

The rebels alleged that the councilor was involved in illegal activities, including cattle rustling and drugs deals, and also accused him of being an active asset of the military.

Montilla said the allegations of the rebels are not true since the victim was a three-termer barangay captain and a three-termer councilor, and would not have been elected if that were the case.

“Stop with the killings and stop touching civilians because we’re not combatants,” the mayor appealed to the perpetrators.

Montilla said he already asked the police and the army to augment the security forces in the town.

Meanwhile, Chief Inspector Anthony Grande, town police chief, said they have identified two possible witnesses who could help solve the case.

One of them was willing to assist while they have yet to convince the other to testify.

Grande said they are also waiting for the crime laboratory to send a cartographic sketch artist to draw the facial composite of the suspects.

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/bacolod/local-news/2016/07/05/isabela-hold-peace-rally-483477