BACOLOD CITY – The New People’s Army (NPA) has claimed responsibility for the killing of two men in Negros Occidental recently.
Police identified the victims as farmer Silas Granada, 65, of Barangay Pinggot, Ilog municipality, and Jose Rammel Europa, 47, of Barangay Camandag, La Castellana town.
Police investigation said around 30 unidentified heavily armed persons visited Granada on Saturday, Jan. 28. A heated confrontation occurred until the victim was shot outside his house.
Andrea Guerrero, spokesperson of the Armando Sumayang Jr. Command of the NPA, Southwest Guerilla Front, said Granada was involved in a land conflict in the area and that he was an intelligence agent of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
But according to the police, the victim was allegedly threatened by illegal settlers occupying a land that he inherited.
Europa was found lifeless beside a creek in Sitio Sambag, Barangay Manghanoy on Monday, Jan. 23. Police tagged a relative of Europa as a person of interest in the killing as he was last seen alive with him.
However, JB Regalado, spokesperson of the LPC, said Europa threatened and was violent on civilians, particularly in Barangay Camandag.
Regalado tagged Europa as a member of the Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa-Pilipinas-Revolutionary Proletarian Army-Alex Boncayao Brigade (RPM-P/RPA-ABB) from 1998 to 2015.