BACOLOD CITY - A former councilman and his son were gunned down by members of the New People’s Army (NPA) at their house in Barangay Malangsa, Vallehermoso, Negros Oriental on Wednesday, Feb. 16.
Killed were former Barangay Kagawad Lucio Perater, 61, husband of incumbent Barangay Captain Beatriz Perater, and their 37-year-old son.
According to the Army, four unidentified armed men reportedly entered the house of Perater and shot the victims on their chest and head which caused their immediate death.
Ka JB Regalado, spokesperson of Leonardo Panaligan Command -NPA Central Negros Front, in a statement, claimed the killing after the two victims allegedly fired at them when they raided their house on Wednesday, Feb. 16.
The NPA claimed the Peraters are intelligence assets of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and conducted the raid against them, wherein a shotgun, a .45 caliber pistol, a .38 caliber pistol, a .357 caliber pistols, and bullets were seized.
Regalado said the barangay captain was subjected to revolutionary justice and was warned in 2020 to discontinue the family's involvement with the AFP and National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).
Regalado said this is a warning to individuals in Central Negros who are part of the AFP's intelligence network.
The group also urged politicians to surrender their firearms to a nearby party branch or NPA unit and to respect the authority of the People's Democratic Government and its policies regarding the campaign season of reactionary elections this year or face consequences.
The group also said that it will persevere to mount tactical offensives and other military actions to defend the masses. “The more they try to prevent the just cause of the armed revolution, the more it will persist and flourish, overcoming obstacles to establish a society that caters to the needs of the majority,” the group added.
Brig. Gen. Inocencio Pasaporte, commander of 303rd Infantry Brigade (IBde), slammed the Communist Terrorist Groups (CTGs) for the killing.
“Such killings of innocent civilians by the NPA terrorist group and the use of disproportionate force in armed conflict are direct violations of the international humanitarian law and a blatant violation of the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL),” Pasaporte said.
He said the families of the victims were left traumatized by the “barbaric acts” of the terrorist group.
He assured that assistance will be provided to the family of the victims and the Army will continue to ensure peace and development in the area saying that the insurgency situation in the area is manageable.
Mayor Marianne Gustilo, in a statement, condemned in the highest possible terms the brutal and merciless killing of the Peraters.
"This barbaric act perpetuated by the members of the NPA is despicable and unacceptable, especially executing people who refuse to pay revolutionary taxes," the mayor said.
She added that the local government condemns all sorts of violent acts which must not be tolerated.