Thursday, April 4, 2019

Murder raps filed, NPA owns killing

From the Visayan Daily Star (Apr 4, 2019): Murder raps filed, NPA owns killing

The 11 suspects arrested for the killing of Moises Padilla Councilor Jolomar Hilario were charged with murder Tuesday before the Negros Occidental Provincial Prosecutor’s Office, while the New People’s Army Leonardo Panaligan Command claimed responsibility for his death.

Police Capt. Juni Liba, Moises Padilla police chief, said yesterday that two of the 11 respondents suspected to be members of the NPA, are minors.

The minors were released to the custody of their parents, while the nine others are now in jail.

The 11 suspected NPA members, who claimed to be cane cutters, were intercepted by the 2nd Provincial Mobile Force Company troopers in Brgy. Sebucawan, Isabela, while Army soldiers were in pursuit of communist rebels they had encountered in Brgy. Quintin Remo, Moises Padilla also on Monday.

Four of the 11 arrested suspects were positively identified as among those who participated in the killing of Hilario, Liba said.
Ka Ann Jacinto, deputy spokesperson of the Leonardo Panaligan Command, who claimed that they were behind the killing of Hilario on Sunday, told MBC Aksyon Radyo that the 11 individuals arrested by the police, are not NPA members, but farm workers.

Jacinto also claimed that Hilario had already been warned for being a military asset and for his association with Moises Padilla Mayor Magdaleno Pe ñ a, before his death.

Liba reported yesterday that more than 2,700 persons displaced by the encounter between NPA rebels and Army soldiers in Brgy. Quintin Remo, Moises Padilla, returned to their homes on Tuesday afternoon.

Meanwhile, Brig. Gen. Benedict Arevalo, 303rd Infantry Brigade commander, dismissed as fake news, rebel claims that what had transpired on Monday in Brgy. Quintin Remo, Moises Padilla, was an ambush staged by the NPA.

On the contrary, Arevalo said, the NPA suffered heavy casualties.

Soldiers of the 62nd Infantry Battalion, who were scouring the encounter site, recovered three anti-personnel mines, detonating accessories, such as a 300-meter electric wire, blasting caps, M-203 grenade launcher ammunition, two magazines of AK 47 rifles, and two back packs containing personal belongings.

An Army soldier was slightly injured in the encounter.

On the other hand, police yesterday filed charges for illegal possession of firearms and explosives, as well as violation of the Comelec gun ban against arrested NPA leader Abraham Villanueva, and his two companions, Rona Magbanua and Jomar Villarojo.

The capture of the three suspected NPA rebels in Brgy. Tampalon, Kabankalan City, yielded a .45 caliber pistol and three fragmentation grenades.

http://www.visayandailystar.com/2019/April/04/topstory2.htm

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