NPA denies involvement in back-to-back high profile killings in southern Palawan

Posted to Panay News (Dec 6, 2020): NPA denies involvement in back-to-back high profile killings in southern Palawan (Romar Miranda and Arphil Ballarta)

The BVC, in a statement sent to Palawan News on Friday, clarified that previous reports acknowledging that the leftist group was behind the shooting of Baluyut was false.

The New People’s Army (NPA) in Palawan denied earlier reports that it had owned up to the killing of Engr. Gregorio Baluyut on November 20, accusing the government of faking a statement supposedly released by its Bienvenido Vallever Command (BVC).

The BVC, in a statement sent to Palawan News on Friday, clarified that previous reports acknowledging that the leftist group was behind the shooting of Baluyut was false.

“Ipinagbibigay alam namin sa madlang Palaweño, lalo na sa pamilya at mga kaibigan ng mga biktima na wala ni anumang pahayag ang BVC at ang sinumang malisyosong nagsasangkot sa NPA sa pagpaslang sa dalawa ay walang ibang layunin kundi sirain ang imahe ng BVC. Peke at walang katotohanan ang nasabing pahayag. Tiyak na pakana ng PTF-ELCAC at mga galamay ng AFP at PNP ang pagpapakalat ng peke at malisyosong pagbabalitang ito,” read the BVC statement.

The armed rebels also slammed the police force for “covering up” the killing incident, pointing out that one of the named suspects was an active member of the local police office.

“Malinaw rin ang pagtatakip ni P/Col. Nicolas Torre III sa mga tunay na salarin sa automatikong pagpaparatang nito sa NPA kahit wala pa silang hawak na ebidensya at sa mismong pahayag niya ay mangangalap pa nga lamang sila ng ebidensya na magpapatunay sa kanilang alegasyon. Kung sabagay, ano ang aasahan ng mamamayan kung ang mga nasasangkot na pangalan sa pangyayari ay mga miyembro ng PNP at opisyal ng gubyerno,” the BVC statement said.

This, after a report surfaced last week from a statement sent to the press implicating the NPA on Baluyut’s killing.

The statement from the BVC was forwarded to the intelligence group for verification, according to Torre, acting chief of the Palawan Provincial Police Office (PPO). He said previously that they are already working on the NPA angle as part of their investigation.

“Walang pormal na naisampang kaso o reklamo sa kanya [Baluyut] sa Hukumang Bayan ng Demokratikong Gubyernong Bayan. Walang kautusan ang korte ng rebolusyonaryong kilusan para siya’y hatulan ng kamatayan ng New People’s Army. Hindi ang NPA ang nagsagawa ng pagpatay kay Engr. Baluyut,” the BVC statement further read.

Commenting on the recent development, Torre denied Saturday to Palawan News that he issued a statement linking the NPA to Baluyut’s murder.

“Wala akong sinasabi na sila (NPA) ang pumatay kay Atty. (Eric Jay) Magcamit at kay Eng. Baluyut. Wala akong naging statement na ganyan, ang lagi kong sinasabi ay iimbestigahan natin [kasi] may mga persons of interest tayo,” Torre said.

“Idadamay pa nila ako dyan sa kalokohan nila. Bakit kung sila ba ay NPA, magagamit ba yon? If ever ba na ginawa nila yon, will that be an aggravating circumstance or will that be mitigating? Wala naman. They do not matter,” he added.

Torre said the NPA’s “pabago-bagong” narrative should not be entertained by the public, stating their statements have no impact on their investigation.

He said their investigation of the murder cases in southern Palawan is based on the evidence they are collecting, not from the NPA that cannot make up its mind.

“Yon na nga, in-admit na nga nila pero ngayon hindi sila ang may gawa. Wala din naman epekto sa PNP ang ginagawa nila,” he said.

https://palawan-news.com/npa-denies-involvement-in-back-to-back-high-profile-killings-in-southern-palawan/