THE New People’s Army (NPA) claimed the deaths of a retired army in Canlaon City, Negros Oriental, and a sugarcane planter and his driver in Calatrava, Negros Occidental last week.
In a press statement dated June 25, the Roselyn Pelle Command (RPC) based in Northern Negros confirmed they are behind the killings of Norberto Lumayno, 65, and Danilo Braga, 45 at Barangay Minapasuk, Calatrava last June 22.
Lumayno and Braga were on board a pick-up truck on their way to a farm when their vehicle was riddled with bullets of high-powered firearms.
After the ambush incident, members of the Philippine Army engaged in an encounter with suspected members of NPA at Barangay Bug-ang in the neighboring Toboso town.
Cecil Estrella, spokesperson of RPC, alleged that Lumayno has been involved in land grabbing activities in the towns of Toboso, Calatrava and Salvador Benedicto.
Estrella said that Lumayno even used armed men to threaten farmers and residents in those areas from 2007 until 2009.
He even created a “gun for-hire” to threaten small farmers that resulted to numerous deaths, Estrella added.
The Leonardo Panaligan Command (LPC) Bagong Hukbong Bayan also recently owned the murder of 59-year-old Ronnie Montejo, a retired army in Canlaon City, Negros Oriental.
Last June 20, Montejo was driving his motorcycle on his way to a farm when he was gunned down at Barangay Lumapao. He was last assigned at the 11th Infantry Battalion (IB).
Ka JB Regalado, spokesperson of LPC, said they received complaints that Montejo abused small workers, threatened residents, and was involved in land grabbing activities.
He was an intelligence officer of the 11th IB, who was involved in many crimes even after his retirement, Regalado added.
He also said that Montejo was charged for multiple murder and frustrated murder after he killed two members of NPA and injured another when his team raided a rebel’s camp in 2001.
Montejo also put two NPA members in prison, he added.
With the rebels’ confirmation, the government forces are intensifying their internal security operations in the said areas by adding more troops to prevent the recurrence of the incidents.
