NPA owns up to kagawad’s slay in Negros Oriental

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – The Leonardo Panaligan Command-New People’s Army (LPC-NPA) Central Negros Guerrilla Front claimed the killing of a barangay councilman at Sitio Banban, Barangay Guba, Vallehermoso, Negros Oriental last Saturday.

In a statement released to the media on Sunday, Ka JB Regalado, spokesperson of LPC-NPA, said the death of Cerilo Balasabas stemmed from his actions against the revolutionary movement.

Balasabas, 48, of Barangay Guba, was gunned down by three unidentified persons outside their house, based on a police report. He was declared dead on arrival at a hospital.

The rebel group said that an Ingram submachine gun, three magazines, and ammunition were allegedly recovered from the barangay official.

The group alleged that Balasabas was an intelligence asset of the Army’s 62nd Infantry Battalion (IB), and allegedly responsible for threatening and red-tagging residents to force them to surrender to the government.

Regalado said that they tried to talk to Balasabas in August last year, but the latter allegedly refused and continued working with the military.

Despite this, the group clarified that not all barangay councilmen and intelligence assets of the military are targets of the NPA, but only those that are against the people and the revolutionary movement.

The group said that the death of Balasabas will serve as a stern warning to all who have cases with the revolutionary court.

“Sekreto magpakig-angot sa malapit nga mga unit sang Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)-NPA sa inyo lugar agud ayuson ini. Ang NPA indi magduha-duha sa pagsilot sa inyo sandig sa kabug-aton sang kaso nga inyo nakomiter,” the group said in a statement.