Police: Suspects in ambush-massacre identified

THE Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (Noppo) already has the names of the 15 to 20 suspects who were part of the group that killed nine persons in an “ambush-massacre” in Barangay Puso, La Castellana, last Sunday.

Noppo officer-in-charge Senior Superintendent Celestino Guara said they have the suspects’ names, which were determined through intelligence efforts of the police and military. He said, though, that the names are still subject to validation.

Guara said they will file the murder case against the suspects maybe on Friday or next week.

Killed in the ambush that occurred Sunday morning were Police Officer (PO) 1 Richard Canja, a resident of Barangay Cabacungan, La Castellana, who sustained a gunshot wound in his head; Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team (BPAT) members Ulysses Tamayor, Jonathan Mateo and Ramir Complesa; civilians Virginia Ordonez and Lito Lucban, both of Barangay Cabacungan; civilian driver Ricky Dingcong; and barangay tanods Mario Ricablanca and Tiotimo Esplegera of Barangay Puso.

Wounded were PO3 Constantino Villegas, PO2 Jeffrey Alvarez, Bonifacio Bayate, Cristoto Perolino, Jerry Lacquedo, Roger Bajar, Jamil Roma, Victoriano Donasco, Jason Ocsimar, all residents of Barangay Cabacungan.

The victims were on board a canter truck used by the policemen and the BPATs who were requested to secure the benefit dance as part of the fiesta celebration of Barangay Puso when they were waylaid.

Guara said that based on the accounts of the survivors, members of the New People’s Army, some of whom are local-based, were responsible for the attack.

He added that based on the intelligence report of the Army, the suspects used high-powered firearms.

He said they recovered from the crime scene about 100 empty shells of assorted high-powered firearms, including an AK 47 assault rifle, a firearm identified with the rebel group.

Guara said the 302nd Infantry Brigade will put up a detachment and assign additional Army personnel in Barangay Puso to ensure the safety of the residents.