The New People’s Army called the recent encounters reported by the Philippine Army with NPA rebels in Calatrava and La Castellana “fake”.
It also called the Army “shameless” for saying that guerilla fronts in Negros have been dismantled in a press statement Thursday, January 18, issued by Ka Maoche Legislador, NPA Apolinario Gatmaitan Command spokesperson.
He said that the units of the Roselyn Jean Pelle Command-NPA Northern Negros Guerrilla Front are all intact and performing their revolutionary tasks.
The Army is becoming reckless by engaging in heightening degrees of human rights violations, he alleged.
In the alleged encounter in Brgy. Sag-ang, La Castellana, on January 17, Bernard Torres and Boy Baloy were taken and killed by 62nd Infantry Batallion soldiers, Legislador claimed.
Torres, from Brgy. Buenavista, Guihulngan City, was a habal-habal driver and member of PISTON Guihulngan City Chapter, and Baloy, a senior citizen, was a farmer and native of Brgy. Linantuyan, Guihulngan City, he added.
The Army maintains that they were killed in an encounter and that firearms were recovered.
The remains of Dionisio Baloy, 67, and Bernard Torres Sr., 56, were turned over to their families on Thursday, the Army added.*