Kabankalan mayor condemns NPA killing of senior

By Glazyl M. Jopson

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — Kabankalan City Mayor Benjie Miranda condemned the killing of a 74-year-old woman in Barangay Tapi on Feb. 3 and called for the attacks to stop.

The Armando Sumayang Jr. Command-NPA Southwest Negros Guerrilla Front, in a statement, claimed responsibility for the killing of Leonora “Leonor” Anguit and tagged her as an alleged military spy.

The group alleged Anguit told the military about the presence of NPA rebels, leading to an encounter in April 2025 in the same village that killed seven rebels.

Miranda, in a radio interview, said he was saddened by the incident because he personally knew Anguit and had her house repaired after last year’s clash.

“She was a victim,” the mayor said.

Miranda said the city does not tolerate such violence.

“It is not a solution to kill a person. It causes unbearable pain for the family left behind,” he added.

Miranda said the city government is willing to help and continues to assist those who return to the folds of the law.

“We do not discriminate because we want an insurgency-free city,” he added.

Miranda said the incident could cause fear, especially among those planning to invest in the city.

“I hope there’s no more hatred, and each of us must learn to forgive. Let’s help one another for the progress of our city,” Miranda said.

Based on the police investigation, three armed men arrived at the victim’s residence and were accompanied by her husband to the house of the victim’s sister.

Police said the suspects told the husband to go inside and introduced themselves as NPA members, while Anguit was instructed to go to the balcony.

Police said a gunshot followed, and Anguit was found lying on the ground with a gunshot wound to the head.

Last year, five insurgency-related incidents were also reported in the city and were claimed by the NPA.

In a statement, the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict also condemned Anguit’s killing, calling it a clear case of “spy-tagging” turned into summary execution and part of a pattern it said has terrorized civilian communities in Negros.

“This was not a robbery. This was not an accident. This was an execution,” said Ernesto Torres Jr., NTF-ELCAC executive director.

“Leonor was branded a ‘spy’ and killed. Spy-tagging is not just a label — it is a death sentence,” he stressed.

Torres said the method of the killing was familiar and horrifying.

“Accuse without proof, threaten without mercy, and kill without due process,” he added.

Torres said Anguit’s supposed “crime” stemmed from NPA elements having previously used her property and later suffering losses in encounters with government forces.

“Instead of taking responsibility for their own actions, they turned their anger on an elderly civilian. Suspicion became a death warrant,” Torres said.

The task force said Anguit’s killing fits a documented pattern of systematic spy-tagging and liquidation in Negros.

“These killings were even claimed by NPA units and formations,” Torres said.

“That shows intent — and a disturbing pride in targeting unarmed people. This is not a revolution. It is terror.”

The task force urged swift, coordinated action among concerned government agencies to prevent further deaths.

It called for strengthened manhunts, evidence-gathering, and case buildup by police to ensure arrests and strong prosecutions.

It also urged the fast-tracking of inquests and prosecutions and the prioritization by the Department of Justice of cases involving summary execution and armed intimidation.

The task force also cited the need to intensify focused intelligence operations by the Armed Forces of the Philippines against armed groups conducting “liquidations,” especially in threatened barangays.

It urged local government units and barangay councils to activate community protection mechanisms, establish safe reporting channels, and coordinate immediate security for residents under threat.

The task force also called for expanded access to witness protection, emergency shelter, psychosocial support, and assistance for bereaved families.

Torres urged citizens to report threats, harassment, or so-called “trials” conducted in communities.

“Silence is dangerous. Silence gives killers time,” he said.

The task force extended condolences to Anguit’s family and to families who have lost loved ones in spy-tagging killings.

“We will continue to expose these crimes, support the pursuit of justice, and work with communities so that these murders are not normalized, not excused, and not repeated,” Torres said.