Rebels own up ‘military asset’ slay in Himamaylan

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – The Mt. Cansermon Command – New People’s Army (NPA)

South Central Negros Guerrilla Front has claimed the death of a man in Barangay Buenavista, Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental on May 25.

In a statement dated June 1, Ka Dionesio Magbuelas, spokesperson of the rebel group, said that 49-year-old Raul Enmacino was an alleged intelligence asset of the government forces.

The rebel group also alleged that the victim was one of the suspects in the death of an NPA couple at his residence in April 2022.

Magbuelas said they invited the victim to answer the allegations against him, but he allegedly continued monitoring the group’s movement and reported it to the military.

Based on police investigation, Enmacino and his wife were at the rice field near their house, when the victim was approached by two unidentified persons.

The perpetrators told the victim’s wife to go home, as they have something to talk about with the victim. But, gunshots were then heard after his wife left the rice field.

The victim succumbed to gunshot wounds in the head and chest, according to the police.

The victim’s wife turned over to the police a cartridge case of a 5.56mm caliber firearm.

A week after the shooting incident, a man was also gunned down by two unidentified persons in Barangay Carabalan last Friday.

Police identified the victim as Michael Soledad, 36, of the said village.

According to the police, the victim was having a drinking session with some friends, when one of the perpetrators arrived and asked his wife about him.

The victim heard their conversation and introduced himself to the suspect, who then shot him twice, and fled, along with a companion.

Police recovered from the crime scene two fired bullets of a .9mm caliber pistol.

Policemen do not discount the possibility that it could be insurgency-related.

Barangays Buenavista and Carabalan are two areas in central Negros, where series of encounters between the NPA rebels and soldiers have been reported.