ANTIQUE SHOOTING
NPA command eyes
'revolutionary justice'

The Napoleon Tumagtang Command of the New People's Army has vowed to "exact revolutionary justice" against those responsible for the shooting of a family of a Civilian Volunteers' Organization member in San Remegio, Antique, on May 6.

In a statement, the NPA said: "Soldiers and their commanders responsible for this dastardly act should be punished and prosecuted". Army chief Hermogenes Esperon, who had asked for an apology and extended his sympathies to the victims, ordered a review on the rules and procedures on engagement.

The incident led to the killing of Efipania Cabaya, wife of CVO member Federico Cabaya, who also sustained a gunshot wound in his left foot, and injuries to their grandchildren -- Justin, 9, Joylen, 11, and another family member, Abelardo, 64.

The NPA claimed that soldiers have been sowing terror among residents in the upland barangays of San Remegio and Sibalom in Antique, as well as Miag-ao, Tubungan and Igbaras in Iloilo.

Col. Gregorio Fajardo, Task Force Panay commander, earlier ordered the relief of 1Lt. Rey Auguis, commanding officer of the 31st Reconnaisance Company, under the principle of command responsibility, and the Army sergeant who led the troops involved in the incident.

Fajardo said, though, the soldiers who responded to reports on the presence of armed men in the area had to defend themselves after being fired upon by armed civilians. The Task Force Panay has initially extended P25,000 financial assistance to the Cabaya family, for burial of Efipania.*GPB

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Minor nabbed for
carnapping in Kabankalan

A minor linked to a carnapping case was arrested by the Kabankalan police led by Supt. Roderick Alba at about 10:30 p.m. Thursday.

The suspect, whose name is being withheld by the DAILY STAR, was accused of stealing the motorcycle owned by public school teacher Tiburcio Barrios, of Vasquez Extension, Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental. Barrios said the motorcycle was parked outside his residence when the suspect carted it.

The minor, a native of Cauayan, was turned over the Himamaylan Bureau of Jail Management and Penology.

Meanwhile, Kabankalan deputy chief, Insp. Louie Figueroa, led a team that arrested frustrated homicide suspect Jerry Tadia, 32, of Texas St., Kabankalan, at about 10 a.m. on May 6.

The arrest of Tadia was made on the strength of a warrant issued by Judge Henry Arles of the Regional Trial Court Branch 61 in Kabankalan City.*

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Merced: Police blotter
should be made public

"Blotter reports are public documents and they should not be kept away from the public," Bacolod City police director, Senior Supt. Pedro Merced, yesterday said following complaints from several local media.

Merced said he called all police precinct commanders to a conference in his office recently to remind them to make blotter reports available to the public, unless those involved have requested otherwise.

He encouraged local media practitioners to file formal complaints on the matter so that he can act on them.

He also said he has directed police precinct commanders to act on the alleged hiding of police blotters as soon as possible.

If they can not straighten out the problem, I will replace them, Merced said.

He said he is planning to provide logbooks to all police precincts and Women and Children Concern's Desk to record blotter entries, instead of typing the complaints in a bond paper. Merced said desk officers should write the blotter entries in the logbook with corresponding page and entry numbers so that they can be located easily.*DMG

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