THE Philippine National Police (PNP) on Monday, April 1 said the operations conducted by the Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office (Norppo) over the weekend, which resulted in the death of 14 persons, were legitimate.
Police General Oscar Albayalde, PNP chief, in a press briefing Monday said, “This is not a massacre because it happened not just in one area but also in other areas in the province.”
Albayalde said all operations under Oplan Sauron were covered with 36 search warrants.
On March 30, eight persons were killed in Canlaon City, four in Manjuyod town, and two in Sta. Catalina town—two of them were village chiefs and one was a lay minister.
The local police maintained that the 14 fatalities, whom they claimed to be alleged “hitmen” of the New People’s Army (NPA), resisted arrest.
Those killed were identified as Steve Arapoc, Manulo Martin, Sonny Palagtiw of Barangay Pansiao, Manjuyod town, and Eric Acabal from Barangay Kandabong, Manjuyod town.
Others killed were siblings Edgardo and Esmael Avelino, from Barangay Panubigan, Canlaon City; Rogelio Recomono and Ricky Recomono from Masulog, Canlaon City; Genes Palmares from Barangay Aquino, Canlaon City; Gonzalo Rosales from Barangay Pula, Canlaon City; Melchor Pañares from Bayog Canlaon, and Mario Pañares from Bayog, Canalaon City; Ano Enojo Rapada from San Pedro Sta. Catalina town; and Franklin Lariosa from Talalak, Sta. Catalina town.
Sixteen others, whom the authorities alleged to be NPA supporters, were arrested from the three areas, including in Mabinay town.
“Hindi naman siguro magpapaputok ‘yung ating mga pulis kung hindi naman talaga nanlaban itong mga taong ito dahil kung talagang ang intensyon dyan ay talagang patayin lahat ‘yan then all of them probably including the arrested persons (Surely the police won’t just fire their arms if they didn’t resist because if the intention was to kill all, then the arrested persons will also be included),” Albayalde said.
He said those killed were previously involved in ambush plots on policemen and a member of the Philippine Army.
They were being used by the leftist groups, he continued.
But human rights groups said that the slain and arrested persons were farmers and not members of the NPA.
“Sinasabi nila na sila ay mga magsasaka lang. Well, of course, alam naman natin ‘yung halos sa mga NPAs mga magsasaka sila sa umaga pero NPA sa gabi yun ang sinasabi (They are saying they were farmers. Well, of course, we know that most of them are farmers in the morning but NPA in the evening),” Albayalde said.
The Bagong Alyansang Makabayan- Negros, in a press release, condemned the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte following the deadly March 30 operations.
Bayan also claimed that the arrest warrants used in the operations were dubious.
“They (police) have intelligence information bago nila ginawa itong operation na ito na (before they conducted the operations). Actually it's covered by an operational plan. Hindi ito basta-basta, this is covered by an operational plan coming from Police Regional Office - Central Visayas,” Albayalde said.
However, while police assume the regularity of the operation, the PNP chief said the PNP-Internal Affairs Service will investigate possible lapses of policemen.
Police Colonel Raul Tacaca, provincial director of Norppo, maintained they did not violate anything during the operations because they followed the procedure.
There were no human rights violations, he said, adding that they are open to face investigation as they were only doing their job to protect the community from criminal elements.
The Commission on Human Rights has started the investigation on the matter.
Not NPAs
The Leonardo Panaligan Command (LPC) -NPA Negros claimed that those who died were innocent civilians.
JB Regalado, spokesperson of the LPC-NPA Central Negros Guerilla Front, said the Avelino brothers were farmers and Esmael was reportedly a leader of the farmers group Kahugpungpungan sa Gagmay’ng Mag-uuma sa Oriental Negros Canlaon City chapter, while father and son Rogelio and Ricky Recomono were farmers from Barangay Panubigan.
Karapatan - Negros Island, in a post on their Facebook page, said the group condemned the ceaseless killings brought by massive militarization of peasant communities all over Negros Island.
The Malacanang, on April 1, defended the responding police officers who were accused of murdering 14 farmers during anti-criminality operations conducted in Negros Oriental over the weekend.
Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said the 14 farmers were killed because they resisted arrest when the police carried out search warrant operations against them for violation of the Comprehensive Firearm and Ammunition Regulation Act. (GYM with reports from SunStar Philippines)