MANILA – Following the spate of killings in Negros Island, the Philippine National Police (PNP) has ordered the deployment of over 300 elite Special Action Force (SAF) troops there.
The SAF troops would restore peace and order in Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental provinces, according to Police General Oscar Albayalde, PNP chief, in a press conference yesterday in Camp Crame.
“They would augment local police units in anti-criminality and internal security operations,” said Albayalde.
He also ordered a
thorough investigation on the series of killings in the island to determine if
these were the work of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed
wing, the New People’s Army (NPA).
“In the CPP-NPA they sacrifice their own then accuse government forces of human
rights violation. Itong mga patayan na
ito always tinuturo ‘yung government forces,” Albayalde said.
The spate of killings occurred after four intelligence operatives of the police were tortured and killed in Barangay Mabato in Ayungon, Negros Oriental on July 18.
From July 23 to July 28, a total of 13 people were killed; including a lawyer tagged as sympathetic to the NPA in Guihulngan City, a former mayor of Ayungon town, an incumbent councilor of Canlaon City, a barangay captain in Canlaon City, a school principal and his sister who was an official of the Department of Education (DepEd) in Guihulngan City, and a barangay captain also in Guihulngan City.
“There is also that possibility that the four police officers were tortured and summarily executed,” said Albayalde.
In some of the killings, the gunmen would barge into the house of their target and would leave spray-painted graffiti that indicate the NPA is claiming responsibility.
“The (Central Visayas) regional police director (Brigadier General Debold Sinas) told us their hot pursuit operations together with the Armed Forces of the Philippines are continuing,” said Albayalde. (With a report from the Philippine News Agency/PN)
