Murder complaints, which include extra judicial killings in relation to drugs, dropped but the number of deaths in encounters between government and rebel forces increased in Negros Occidental in 2023, the Commission Commission on Human Rights (CHR) reported Thursday, February 1.
There were 71 complaints filed before the CHR in Negros Occidental in 2023 compared to 81 in 2022, its head Vincent Parra said.
There were 45 murder cases reported in 2023 compared to 64 in 2022, Parra said. The murder complaints also included killings admitted by the New People’s Army, he said.
But there were 12 complaints of deaths in encounters in 2023 compared to three in 2022, he added.
Other complaints were for frustrated murder -1, enforced disappearance – 1, violation of right to liberty and security – 1, oral defamation – 1, arbitrary detention – 1, violence against children – 8, divestment of property – 1 and internal displacement – 1.*