The Philippine Army and the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Negros Oriental are stepping up their anti-insurgency operations especially in the southern part of the province following the death of a militiaman in the municipality of Sta. Catalina allegedly perpetrated by suspected Communist New People’s Army (NPA) members.
Acting provincial PNP director Sr. Supt. Portento confirmed Wednesday that the PNP regional director of Region 7 (Central Visayas) has “instructed us to go on an offensive” against the NPA.
On the other hand, Lt. Col. Roderick Garcia, the battalion commander of the 79th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army, on Tuesday evening also disclosed that they are enforcing “stop gap measures” but did not confirm if these were tactical offensives against the NPA.
Garcia also disclosed having received information that the Communist terrorist would be “purging their ranks of those suspected of being assets of the PNP and the military”.
The anti-insurgency operations come in the heels of the death of Gelino M. Vailoces, 52, married and a resident of Sitio Ondol, Barangay Talalak in Sta. Catalina, a town about 92.4 kilometers south of this capital.
Early investigation by the police and the military showed that armed men believed to be NPA members picked up Vailoces, a Special Civilian Armed Auxiliary of the 12th CAFGU Battalion, Philippine Army assigned at the CAA Detachment in Sitio Cuadra, Barangay Mantiquil in the adjacent town of Siaton on Monday morning.
Vailoces was found dead several hours later with gunshot wounds to his head and right knee in Sitio Budlis in Mantiquil, Siaton.
Sr. Supt. Portento reiterated that the PNP condemns the murder of the militiaman in the strongest terms possible, because Vailoces was not in combat mode and unarmed when killed.
“There is no reason for them to gang up on him”, adding that 30 armed suspected NPA terrorists versus Vailoces is “totally unfair”, according to Portento.
That runs counter to what the NPA are claiming, that they are “espousing and protecting the interests of the people”, Portento pointed out.
Vailoces was a poor guy who simply signed up as a civilian armed auxiliary to “serve his community”, he said.
Sr. Supt. Portento disclosed that alongside the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the PNP in Negros Oriental will be coordinating with their counterparts in Negros Occidental to address the insurgency problem which transcends boundaries on this Visayas island.
Portento further disclosed the plan of creating another PNP Provincial Public Safety Company (PPSC) in Negros Oriental to address the insurgency.
At present, the PNP here has the Special Action Force, the Regional Public Safety Battalion and the PPSC to undertake anti-insurgency operations.
For his part, Lt. Col. Garcia of the 79th IB describes the perpetrators as terrorists who are out to scare the people. “Pinatay nila yung tao na walang kalababan laban (they killed Vailoces who was helpless”, Garcia pointed out.
Vailoces was on vacation to be with his family when he was abducted allegedly by the Communist terrorists and was “brought near to where he was rendering duty to lure his other companions from the detachment to rescue him and subsequently conduct ambush on his supposed rescuers”, the Army commander disclosed.
What happened to Vailoces was not an isolated case as there are still many “terrorists” in southern Negros, Garcia admitted.
“We are also conducting information drives and aggressive visitations of areas” that are affected by the insurgency, he said.
Meanwhile, the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) in Negros Oriental is conducting an investigation on the murder of Vailoces.
CHR provincial chief and special investigator Dr. Jess Cañete disclosed that the widow and two daughters of the deceased came to his office Thursday to seek his help but he stressed that he wants everybody to help cooperate in the investigation. (Metro Post/with reports from Juancho Gallarde and Judy Flores Partlow/PNA)
