Commission on Human Rights Negros Occidental head Vincent Parra said that until this time, no murder charges have been filed against the members of the New People's Army (NPA) relative to the massacre of the Fausto family in Barangay Buenavista, Himamaylan City, on June 14.
Parra said that the Himamaylan police have not yet filed murder charges
and that only charges for grave coercion were filed by the police against the members of the NPA for allegedly forcing the neighbors of the Fausto family to locate their house.
He said he also thought that murder or other related cases were already filed.
However, he said that Emily, daughter of Rolly and Emelda Fausto, could not be found until now.
"In fact, I got the information that she is no longer here in Negros or that her whereabouts are unknown until this time," Parra said.
However, he said, Emily was not a witness to the incident because she was not in the vicinity of her parent's house when the incident happened. She was supposed to be a complainant, Parra said.
The police and other law enforcement agencies can file murder charges, Parra said.
The CHR is closely monitoring for any human rights violations but cannot file a case because it is an independent body and not a law enforcement agency.
The Fausto family of four, 50-year-old Emelda Fausto, 52-year-old Roly Fausto, and their two sons aged 15 and 11, were brutally killed in their house.
Rolly's body was found with multiple gunshot wounds in a corn plantation at the back of their house, while Emelda had a broken skull with multiple gunshot wounds in different parts of her body. One of their sons died in his sleep while the other one was hanging from the ladder of their house. Both also suffered from multiple gunshot wounds.
Meanwhile, the CHR will start its independent investigation into an encounter that resulted in the deaths of six reported members of the New People's Army in Purok Lubi, Barangay Tabuhon, Kabankalan City, on September 21.
Parra said they still have to conduct investigations into an incident in Talisay City after a dead body was found and also a reported summary execution that led to the deaths of two individuals in Barangay Dulao, Bago City, and then they will proceed to Kabankalan City on Thursday, September 28.
"Both sides, the military and the NPA, have different versions of the Kabankalan incident, so we will coordinate with the PNP (Philippine National Police) and look for their report of the incident," Parra said.
The NPA, in a statement, claimed that it was a massacre and that no encounter happened between the victims, who are members of the movement's medical team, while the military claimed that it was an encounter.
The wife of the tricycle driver, identified as Ruben Gaitan, who was also killed, claimed that he was not a member of the communist insurgents and that his vehicle was only hired by the members of the NPA.
"We will look into the background and the police report as first responders," Parra said.*