Another farmer in Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental was gunned down by nine assailants believed to be communist-terrorists of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Sitio Asaran, Barangay Buenavista on Sunday afternoon.
A report of the Philippine Army’s 303rd Infantry Brigade (IBde) on Tuesday afternoon identified the victim as Randy Rociana, 38, a resident of Barangay Mahalang of the southern Negros city.
Rociana was killed a month after Joelito Hilacio, 49, was also shot dead allegedly by the same perpetrators inside his house in Barangay Carabalan in the same city.
Col. Inocencio Pasaporte, commander of the 303rd IBde, strongly condemned the murders of Rociana and Hilacio, which he tagged as blatant violations of the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL).
“Such savagely cruel acts are proof that the CPP-NPA do not respect human rights and are indeed terrorists. These heinous murders should be stopped now,” he said.
Pasaporte urged the local government units and other stakeholders in Negros Occidental to condemn the killings.
“I also challenge Karapatan, who had been very silent about human rights violations of the NPA, to condemn such terroristic acts if they are not bogus human rights advocates,” he added.
Rociana suffered multiple wounds from the shooting.
According to police reports, the armed men first went to the victim’s house but when they learned that he was not around and was working in the rice field, they proceeded to the location, where they shot him.
Barangay Buenavista is apparently frequented by communist rebels, who had figured in several encounters with government troops in the area.
Last May, soldiers of the 94th Infantry Battalion discovered three NPA hideouts in the village after weeks of combat clearing operation.
These are located in Sitio Mabunga, Sitio Bunsad, and Sitio Lower Olitao. (Nanette Guadalquiver ndb via pna, photo courtesy of pna)