500 soldiers sent to Negros Oriental NORPPO task group probes shooting of barangay chief

CEBU, Philippines — While 500 soldiers of the 94th Infantry Battalion are now in Guihulngan City, the Negros Oriental Provincial Police Office (NORPPO) has formed another special task group to look into the shooting and wounding of a newly-elected chairman of Barangay Humay-humay in that city.

Barangay Chairman Mike Jakosalem is still in critical condition after he was shot at his residence by New People’s Army rebels on Monday, and a neighbor, identified as Lenmar Cabasag, who was reportedly mistaken by rebels as Jakosalem, was also shot dead, according to the Guihulngan City Police.

Initial investigations pointed to the New Peoples Army (NPA) as responsible for the murder of Cabasag and the wounding of Jakosalem. The rebels, after the shooting, fled through the hilly portion of the barangay and shouted “mabuhay ang NPA,” according to the police.

The police is now also looking into reports of looting at the crime scene by the rebels, while the male residents were being hogtied and the females ordered to drop.

The 3rd Infantry Division deployed the 500 soldiers of the 94th IB to Guihulngan to track down the rebels who, aside from the attack at Humay-humay, were behind the atrocities in the central part of Negros Island, especially in the hinterlands of Guihulngan and Canlaon cities, as well as in Mabinay town of Negros Oriental, and the towns of Moises Padilla, La Castellana, Isabela, and Moises Padilla, and the city of Kabankalan in Negros Occidental.

Major General Dinoh Dolina, 3rd ID commander, reminded 94th IB troopers to continue adhering to International Humanitarian Law, human rights and the rule of law, as they perform their mandate of serving and securing Negrenses.

The arrival of the 94th IB soldiers on Tuesday brought to four the number of Philippine Army battalions deployed to Negros Island, which is now the focus of clearing operations of the 3rd ID.

Senior Superintendent Raul Tacaca, NORPPO director, said Jakosalem was the target of the NPA’s liquidation plan because of his openness to support the government in its anti-insurgency campaign. The victim had received threats and previously warned by the communist terrorists.

Cabasag’s father Ladi, in a cellphone interview, disclosed that one of the armed men who he asked on why his son was killed, told him: “Dako na og atraso ngadto kanila (rebels) ang napili nga kapitan.”

Jakosalem is a successful businessman in Cebu, of stone works, customized kitchen, welding, plumbing, cabinetry, construction, and electrical, among others.