A MUNICIPAL councilor in Baggao, Cagayan was shot dead on Saturday morning, December 2, by suspected members of the New People’s Army (NPA), a military official said Sunday.
Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom) public information officer Lieutenant Colonel Isagani Nato said a witness related that around 30 fully armed men in military uniforms swooped down on the residence of the victim - identified as Angelo Luis, 56 - in Zone 1, Barangay Awallan, Baggao, Cagayan.
The witness said Luis was then in his farm in Barangay Lasilat.
Nato said about six NPA members, recently branded as terrorists by President Rodrigo Duterte, were in Zone 5 of the same barangay, where they conducted a checkpoint.
Upon the arrival of the victim, four NPA rebels forcibly entered his house and shot him dead.
Nato said the group was allegedly under the Henry Abraham Command, the NPA unit operating in Eastern Cagayan. They fled towards Sitio Kagurongan, Barangay Awallan.
Nato said the NPA even scattered leaflets along their route of withdrawal with a propaganda line of “Gubat ti Umili sungbat ti martial law ni Duterte” (Kagubatan ang humiling sagot martial law ni Duterte) and “Kabataan sumampa sa NPA- Henry Abraham Command, NPA Eastern Cagayan.
Nato said the attackers also claimed that Luis’ killing serves as a capital punishment for committing grave offenses against the people.
“Nolcom condemns this treacherous act of killing of honorable Angelo Luis as this only reflects the real intention of the NPA criminal group of sowing terror and instilling fear to the society to attain their inhumane and unlawful cause. This further manifest that the NPA terrorists disregard the rights and the right to life of their innocent victims,” he said.
The President earlier ordered through a proclamation the cancellation of the peace talks with the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)- National Democratic Front (NDF) because of continued attacks by the NPA, its armed wing, which have victimized innocent civilians, even the young ones. (SunStar Philippines)