Minor stabbed
dead in Isabela

A farm laborer has been jailed for allegedly stabbing a 12-year-old girl and her mother on Dec. 6 in Brgy. Mansablay, Isabela, Negros Occidental, the police said.

The minor identified as Bonajean Maninantan, 12, died of a lone stab wound in her breast, while her mother, Leah, 54, survived, although she sustained 12 stab wounds in different parts of her body, a police report said.

The suspect identified as Noel Tacalinar, 21, who was drunk when he allegedly committed the crime, was arrested by Isabela policemen with the help of neighbors of the suspect, the report added.

Leah Maninantan, who is the neighbor of the suspect, had helped the wife of Tacalinar in securing a job in Bacolod City, initial police investigation showed.

. The suspect, armed with a double bladed weapon, entered the house of the victims who were sleeping at the time of incident, and stabbed them.

Tacalinar is now detained at the Isabela police jail, pending the filing of murder and frustrated murder charges against him in court. Senior Supt. Rosendo Franco, provincial police director of Negros Occidental, yesterday ordered Senior Inspector Alexander Munoz to expedite the filing of charges.*GPB

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Three injured in
stabbing incident

Three men were injured in separate stabbing incidents in Bacolod City during the weekend.

Romel Lopez, 30, married, of Purok Sunriser, Zone III, Brgy. Bata, Bacolod City, was rushed to the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Regional Hospital with stab wounds on his chest and left armpit allegedly inflicted by Joel Gabayoyo, 28, in the barangay at about 9:30 p.m. Friday.

Lopez was drinking with his friends in an eatery when Gabayoyo, a construction worker, stabbed him with a screw driver, police reports said.

Gabayoyo, of Purok Paraiso, Brgy. Pta. Taytay, attempted to escape, but was chased by Lopez's companions who mauled him, police reports also said.

SPO2 Juanito Eyoy and his men, all of Police Station 3 rushed Gabayoyo to the CLMMRH with several injuries, police reports said.

Meanwhile, Rackman Galman Ali, 16, of Purok Dalawidaw, Brgy. 16, Bacolod City was also rushed to the CLMMRH with a stab wound on his left shoulder allegedly inflicted by a 15-year-old boy in Purok Kingfisher, in the barangay at about 8 p.m. Saturday.

Ruel Cabaljen Abaring, 44, married, of Yanson I, Eroreco Subdivision, Brgy. Mandalagan was also stabbed by Alfredo Tovilla Lucot in front of a hotel at Lacson Street at about 1:30 a.m. yesterday, police reports said.

Abaring sustained a stab wound on his left forearm, while Lucot managed to escape and remains at-large, police reports said. *DMG

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Melo Commission scored

The Coalition Against State Terrorism yesterday slammed the Melo Commission and Task Force Usig for absolving government forces of responsibility for what it calls political killings in Negros.

They have not even looked into the connections of the suspected perpetrators, especially those involved in the killing of farmer leader Porferio Maglasang in Kabankalan City in May, who are "military assets", CAST claimed in a statement said.

However, the police had claimed that Maglasang was summarily executed by suspected New People's Army rebels at his residence in Kabankalan City.

Chief State Prosecutor Jovencito Zunio who is a member of the Melo Commission, which recently conducted a hearing on extra judicial killings in Negros Occidental, said the killing of union leaders and farmers arose from long standing land disputes with influential landlords who reportedly hired NPA members or goons.

Zunio also noted that some of families of the victims of executions refused to cooperate with the government in identifying the suspects, allegedly on the advice of militant groups.

Contrary to press announcements, CAST said not a single case of political killings has been resolved in Negros, as the police and justice department had not ensured the filing of cases in courts and the issuance of arrest warrants against the suspected murderers.

In line with the annual celebration of the National Human Rights Consciousness Week, which started Dec. 4 and ended yesterday, PNP chief Oscar Calderon, in his memorandum to all regional police offices, yesterday reminded policemen to strictly follow and uphold human rights in all police operations.

" Respect for human rights is not a mere requirement, it is a policy,' Calderon said. The CAST, however, said justice has not been rendered in any of the cases. " For no victim's family has been indemnified; no perpetrator has been incarcerated and punished and the killing continues with impunity", it added.*GPB

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