Ambush victims' kin cry for justice

BACOLOD CITY -- Members of the immediate families of victims of the ambush and residents of Barangay Puso, La Castellana are crying for justice, as they called the attack that killed nine persons last Sunday “heartless” and “inhuman acts.”

Military and local officials described the incident as an ambush-massacre, citing that the about 20 attackers, believed to be members of the New People’s Army (NPA), opened fire indiscriminately on the victims for 30 minutes.

Killed in the attack were nine persons, including a policeman.

Avelino Ordonez, 48, narrated Tuesday how his wife shielded him from the bullets fired by the assailants.

His wife, 50-year-old Virginia Ordonez, succumbed to at least 27 gunshot wounds and was one of the nine who died on the spot.

What is more heartless is that one of the NPA rebels continued to shoot at her despite the fact that she was already dead, Ordonez lamented.

He recalled that he even told one of the armed men that they were civilians and that the truck they were using is that of the barangay. However, he said he was told that it was their fault they were together with the cops.

Ordonez also recalled that he was among those standing at the back of the truck when he heard the first volley of fire and he saw some of his companions falling one by one.

He said the firing kept on for about 30 minutes.

He also saw one of the armed men jump to the back of the truck and finish off a man who was still moving and asking for help.

Ordonez said he stayed in the area until daylight and picked up the internal parts of his wife, as her body was blasted by the bullets fired at her.

"Why did they do this to us? We want justice," Ordonez said.

He said those who survived, including children, jumped off the truck and escaped.

Gema Dingcong, wife of truck driver Ricky Dingcong, said she cannot accept what happened to her husband.

"They have no conscience," said Dingcong's widow who described her husband as a good provider who has no vices.

She wondered what will happen to their two children, now that her husband was killed in the ambush-massacre.

"Dapat taga-an hustisya ang kamatayon sang bana ko (We should be given justice for the death of my husband)," she cried.

Her husband's face was distorted beyond recognition, as his head was shattered by gunfire from the ambushers.

Her husband was also among the first who were killed in the ambush massacre.

Rommel Canja, elder brother of Police Officer 1 Richard Canja, said his brother was killed because of his uniform.

He pointed out that even as a policeman, his brother has no known enemy and is very close to the residents in their barangay.

Canja, who was hit in the first volley of gunfire as he was seated in the front seat of the canter truck, was allegedly finished off by the assailants at close range with a gunshot in the head as he was lying down in the ground.

Due to apprehension of his immediate family, his remains were brought to the Barangay Cabacungan Hall for the wake and not in his house in Barangay Puso.

Earlier, Senior Superintendent Celestino Guarra said that Canja was the target of the assailants because he spearheaded the forming of the Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team in Barangay Puso.

But Canja’s elder brother Rommel believes it was incidental that it was his brother who was on duty when the barangay officials requested for security for the benefit dance being held as part of their fiesta celebration.

The canter truck was supposed to ferry the policemen back to the poblacion after the benefit dance and the civilians just requested to hitch a ride home.

Canja and eight other civilians were killed in the ambush-massacre while 12 others were wounded. (Sun.Star Bacolod/Sunnex)