The New People’s Army claimed responsibility for the killing of a 43-year-old farmer whose body was found inside his house in Cauayan, Negros Occidental, police said.
The victim, identified by police as alias “Arnel,” was found dead with multiple gunshot wounds in Sitio Badyang, Brgy. Camindangan, on June 21.
The Cauayan police said the shooting occurred at around 7 p.m. on June 19.
The victim’s sister told investigators that she heard several gunshots about 500 meters from her house that evening but did not immediately check the area.
Another relative informed her two days later that the victim had been found dead inside his residence.
Police said the body was already in an advanced state of decomposition when it was discovered.
The family immediately buried the victim beside his house without reporting the incident to authorities because of fear of possible retaliation, police added.
The case came to the attention of the Cauayan Municipal Police Station on Saturday, June 27, after investigators monitored an online statement attributed to the Armando Sumayang Jr. Command of the NPA’s Southwest Negros Guerrilla Front.
In the statement dated June 23, the rebel group claimed it carried out what it called a “punitive action” against the victim over allegations that he was an intelligence asset of the military and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.
The allegations made by the NPA have not been independently verified.
Personnel of the Cauayan police went to the area to verify the report and conduct further investigation.
Authorities are continuing efforts to establish the full circumstances surrounding the killing and identify those responsible.*
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