WHERE IS EMILY?: Cops await kin of Fausto family to file raps vs Himamaylan massacre suspects

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – The Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (Nocppo) here is still waiting for the eldest daughter of the Fausto couple to surface and file a case against the perpetrators who killed her parents and two brothers in Himamaylan City last month.

In a virtual press briefing yesterday, Police Captain Judesses Catalogo, Nocppo public information officer, said that Emily Fausto must stand as primary complainant on the filing of charges against the perpetrators.

Catalogo said they even exceeded the one-month grace period waiting for Emily to surface, out of respect to the grieving family.

“This is the last grace period nga ginhatag sang Himamaylan City Police Station,” he added.

Catalogo said they have received information regarding Emily’s attempts to surface, but eventually, it did not happen.

“Gabitin aton process sang investigation because sang ginahulat ta,” he added.

The Fausto family – Emilda, 49, her husband Rolly, 52, and their two sons aged 11 and 15 – were killed when unidentified armed men strafed their house at Sitio Kangkiling, Barangay Buenavista evening of June 14, 2023.

Emily was not home when the incident happened and she only discovered the lifeless bodies of her family members the following day.

Police earlier tagged the New People’s Army (NPA), particularly the members of Central Negros 2 unit, as the alleged suspects in the brutal killing, following the statements executed by witnesses.

The NPA has denied the allegation.

“We’re praying hopefully na ma surface siya. If not, ready naman ang police to file a case based on the explanation of the legal experts,” Catalogo said.

He, however, said that the case will be stronger if the immediate family of the victims will stand as complainant.

It’s been a month since the incident happened, and no cases have been filed yet against the suspects.

In a recent media interview here, Police Brigadier General Sidney Villaflor, director of Police Regional Office (PRO)-6, said they are balancing the prompt filing of case against the evidence that will be studied in court.

Villaflor said they have many pieces of evidence – both in affidavits and forensics, but they need to balance the urgency of the filing of the case.

Villaflor said that based on the investigation, one of the victims was then encouraging his brother-in-law to return to the folds of the law. But unfortunately, the massacre happened.