NPA owns up tanod’s slay

A village watchman or tanod was gunned down by unidentified armed persons in front of his minor-son in Barangay Quintin Remo, Moises Padilla, Negros Occidental Tuesday. (Photo courtesy of Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office)

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – The New People’s Army (NPA) has claimed the killing of a village watchman at Sitio Tibobong, Barangay Quintin Remo, Moises Padilla, Negros Occidental last Tuesday.

In a statement dated March 30, the Leonardo Panaligan Command (LPC)-NPA Central Negros Guerilla Front linked 50-year-old Marvin Caramihan to the death of a 60-year-old man in the said village in July 2016 and the death of their two colleagues in November 2022.

Ka JB Regalado, LPC-NPA spokesperson, said that Caramihan was also reportedly using the name of the NPA to allegedly extort money from the people in the town, particularly in the said village.

The rebel group also alleged that the victim was an asset or informant of the Army.

Regalado said they have reached out to the victim many times, and even warned him, but the latter reportedly continued his link with the government forces.

Caramihan and his son were on their way home on board a motorcycle when they were waylaid by unidentified armed persons on March 28.

The victim succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds, while his six-year-old son, who witnessed the incident, was unharmed.

Police Major Jovito Bose, Moises Padilla town police chief, said this is the third insurgency-related incident in the town this year, citing two previous murder cases in the past months.