Reports that 13 top private and public officials and five policemen in Negros Occidental are on a New People's Army hit list are being validated, Bacolod City police director Senior Supt. Pedro Merced, said yesterday.

Merced said the information received by Bacolod police intelligence operatives is still raw.

Negros Occidental Governor Joseph Marañon, SPO1 Rex Noble of the Bacolod police office, Bacolod Real Estate Development Corp. president Simplicio Palanca, businessman tycoon Eduardo Cojuangco, Nehemias dela Cruz -- former mayor of Don Salvador Benedicto, Nilo dela Cruz of the Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa -- Pilipinas, Carapali Lualhati -- Revolutionary Proletarian Army-Alex Boncayao Brigade head, sugar planters Bunny and Magdaleno Peña and five other policemen in Bacolod are allegedly on the NPA hitlist, RGMA-Super Radyo Bacolod reported.

A police intelligence report also revealed that Rep. Ignacio Arroyo (5th District), former 303rd Brigade commander Jogy Leo Fojas, American businessman Charles Mosser, Escalante Mayor Santiago Barcelona and Cadiz Mayor Salvador Escalante are reportedly in the NPA hit list.

A source close to the NPA said the list probably was released as a money-making venture of some people on those on the list.

He is hesitant to accept the report as it could be loose information aimed to mislead and sow fear and panic, Merced said.

Merced said he doubted the inclusion of Palanca in the list although a few days earlier the CPP-NPA released a statement saying that the BREDCO port had been used for illegal drug activity. Merced said Palanca had already been cleared by the BCPO intelligence operatives of the allegation.

If the report is proven to be true, Merced said he will advise the people in the alleged hitlist on what to do to ensure their safety.

Marañon said the alleged inclusion of his name on the NPA hit list is nothing new, "Only those who are not fit to live are afraid to die. I only wish the NPA will look at my programs that are all designed to help the poor", he said.

Nehemias dela Cruz, former mayor of Don Salvador Benedicto and presently vice-president of the National Congress of Union in the Sugar Industry of the Philippines, said he was surprised to learn that his name has reportedly been included in the NPA hit list. He said he believes the reports are based on an old NPA hitlist and is only "hearsay".

He does not believe the NPA will include his name in their target list because of his pro-people programs, dela Cruz added.*DMG

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