Negros Oriental village chief linked to cops’ slay ‘kills’ self

CEBU, Philippines — A barangay captain implicated in the brutal slay of four police officers in Ayungon, Negros Oriental died yesterday from an apparent suicide.

Barangay Captain Sunny Caldera, 51, of Mabato village died while undergoing medical treatment at the Silliman University Medical Center in Dumaguete City.

He died at around 11 a.m., said Negros Oriental Police Director Colonel Raul Tacaca.

Caldera drank pesticide while in Barangay Awa-An in Ayungon at around 3 p.m. He was initially brought to the Bindoy District Hospital, but physicians recommended that he be transferred to the more advanced Silliman Medical Center.

Tacaca said they are investigating what prompted Caldera to commit suicide.

General Oscar Albayalde, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, said Caldera is under investigation for the killings of four policemen from the 704th Company of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion in Central Visayas last week.

Around 30 rebels attacked the victims, namely Police Corporal Relebert Beronio and Patrolmen Raffy Callo, Roel Cabellon and Marquinto de Leon.

According to Albayalde, Caldera was aware of the presence of heavily armed rebels who arrived in their community, but did not inform the police officers when he met them at around 7:30 a.m.

The victims were tortured and summarily executed by the rebels in front of villagers at around 2:30 p.m.

“That's a very long time para hindi nya alam na may nangyari doon sa lugar na yun,” Albayalde said of Caldera.

Albayalde said they already identified at least 11 of the rebels who were involved in the killing.

Albayalde likewise lauded President Rodrigo Duterte's offer of a P1 million bounty for the arrest of the suspects and an additional P300,000 for every rebel that is killed.

“It will entice people to come out and speak,” said Albayalde. — Philippine Star News Service/KBQ (FREEMAN)