IN HIMAMAYLAN
Residents denounce
atrocities of rebels

HIMAMAYLAN CITY - The military yesterday enumerated what it calls as "human rights violations" of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army in southern Negros, within a 15-month period.

Hundreds of residents from 19 barangays of the city carrying placards and streamers denouncing CPP-NPA atrocities, participated in a peace rally held yesterday at the public plaza here.

Lt. Col. Norman Flores, 61st Infantry Battalion commander, said they have recorded the summary executions of 11 civilians, harassments of six Army detachments, a case of abduction, and countless extortion activities of the New People's Army in southern Negros. Flores also noted the conduct of what he described as "fault-finding missions" by the CPP-National Democratic Front legal fronts on areas where soldiers inflicted casualties on New People's Army guerillas.

"The communist front organizations usually fabricate issues and accusations which are aimed at hampering or delaying our operations, and to harass soldiers who were conducting pursuit operations against the New People's Army," he added.

The peace rally, which was also joined by Negros Occidental Board Member Francis Gerald Tuvilla, Himamaylan Councilor Antonio Limsiaco, Sangguniang Kabataan president Jose Maria Limsiaco, and Fr. Jose Ma. Cadungon, was highlighted by testimonies of several rebel returnees, victims of NPA abuses, and anti-communist group leader Jun Alcover, chairman of the Alliance for National Democracy.

Brgy. Capt. Mario Lamela, of San Antonio Himamaylan who was among the barangay leaders who attended the peace rally, also expressed his support to the Army programs being implemented in his barangay.

Ka Jessie, a former political officer of the defunct CPP-NPA Front Committee 2, recounted how he and his two brothers, father and two brothers-in-law were enticed to join the underground movement because of propaganda.

One of the security escorts of former top CPP- NPA leaders Arturo Tabara and Romulo Kintanara, Ka Jessie, said he and other members of his family who had served the rebel movement for several years, were dismayed over what he called "inequality" between their leaders and the ordinary followers.

Military records show that 61st Infantry Battalion soldiers also figured in five encounters with the New People's Army which led to the killing of 10 rebels, overran four rebel camps and recovered 30 firearms, within the first quarter of 2006.*GPB

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Suspect in
snatching nabbed

A 38-year-old man suspected of snatching the bag of a bank employee at Gatusalo Street, Brgy. 9, Tuesday, was arrested by Precinct 2 policemen in his residence in Purok Cabugwason, Brgy. Mansilingan, Bacolod City at about 8:30 p.m. Thursday.

Insp. Levy Pangue, Precinct 2 commander and his operatives apprehended Juanito Cabalfin.

Pangue said he received a text message from a concerned person tagging the suspect as the one who snatched the bag of Dolores Murillo, acting supervising bank teller of the Land Bank of the Philippines.

Pangue said Murillo's bag was endorsed by a street cleaner to the police station Wednesday morning, while its contents, including the cellphone, ATM and visa cards were surrendered by Cabalfin Thursday.

However, Murillo's Timex wristwatch and tricolor bracelet both worth P3,500 had not been found up to press time yesterday, police said.

Police records showed that Cabalfin, a former resident of Brgy. 6 had been arrested by then Bacolod Vice Squad operatives in 1994, for violation of Republic Act 6425 as amended by Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.*DMG

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Fetus found at riverbank

Thirteen days after a dead baby boy was found under the Maupay bridge at San Juan Street, Bacolod City, another fetus, this time a girl, was found by two boys in the riverbank at Bangga Chapel, Purok Santan, Brgy. Taculing, Bacolod City at about 8:45 a.m. yesterday.

RG Mendoza told ABS-CBN Bacolod that he and his friend "Bonie" were looking for spiders under the Taculing river when he accidentally saw the fetus in the riverbank. He said he and his friend decided to inform the nearby residents.

The naked fetus was about 8 months old. It was endorsed to the Bacolod City Health Office yesterday.

Nobody noticed any suspicious-looking person who could possibly have dropped the fetus in the riverbank, police reports said.

On March 24, a dead fetus between eight and nine months placed in a handbag, was found by a trisikad driver in the Maupay creek in front of Silos building at San Juan Street, in the city.

On March 8, the body of a baby boy, about six to seven months old, placed in a paper bag and deposited at the baggage counter of a department store at downtown Bacolod, was also found by a security guard.*DMG

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