Army intelligence officer, ex-Cafgu killed in Negros

Sun.Star: A military intelligence officer and former member of the Citizen Armed Forces Geographical Unit (Cafgu) were gunned down by alleged members of the New People’s Army in separate incidents in Negros Tuesday. The victims were identified as T/Sgt. Abraham Infante of 11th Infantry “Lapu-Lapu" Battalion and former Cafgu member Homber Pangilinan. Infante was gunned down by two unidentified armed suspects in front of his wife, Angelita and niece, Jennylyn Basaran, while they were in the backyard of their house in Barangay 5-Poblacion, Moises Padilla past 5 p.m. Tuesday. But prior to Infante’s assassination, Pangilingan was also shot dead in Sitio Cambugtot, Barangay Camindangan, Sipalay City at around 9:30 a.m. Police in Moises Padilla and Sipalay theorized that the suspects of both Infante’s and Pangilinan’s assassinations were members of a New People Army (NPA’s) urban hit squad. Police Officer 3 Leo Laguna, case investigator from Moises Padilla Police Office, said Infante was shot at close range by two suspects using .45 pistols. He (Infante) was having a chat with his wife and niece when two armed men suddenly appeared at their backyard, and without any provocation, shot him four times, hitting him in the stomach and neck, Laguna said. The victim died on the spot with four fatal gunshot wounds- two in his neck and another two in his stomach. The suspects then fled on board a red-colored Honda XRM single motorcycle towards Barangay Manghanoy, La Castellana. Laguna said based on their initial investigation, the attack was probably caused by the recent recovery of the army of several guns and ammunitions in an alleged NPA safehouse in the boundary of Isabela town in Negros Occidental and Guihulngan area in Oriental. Infante was probably suspected as the one behind the recovery of the NPA’s guns and ammos, Laguna added. Lt. Col. Jesus Manangquil, commanding officer of the 11th IB, on the other hand, cannot be contacted for comment as of press time. Brig.Gen. Gregorio Fajardo, commanding general of the Army’s 303 Infantry Brigade, meanwhile, ordered an immediate investigation. The twin killings, on the other hand, came a day before the turn-over of command at the Army 61st Infantry “Hunter Battalion. Colonel Norman Marcos Flores will finally turn-over the 61st IB command to his successor, Lt. Col. Romeo Basco, an intelligence officer of 3rd Infantry Division in Camp Macario Peralta in Jamindan, Capiz. The incidents also serve a “worse sequel" of peace dialog between the military and militants in Negros held recently at West Negros College Monday morning. Provincial Board Member Patrick Leonard Lacson said he was extremely saddened by the assassinations. “It happened only after we held a peace dialog with the theme: Non-Violent Na Kita," the board member lamented. Lacson, chairman of the committee on Human Rights, vowed to look into the matter and probably, call for another peace dialog. “My dream," he said is for Negros to be a place loved by other Filipinos because of its peaceful culture, rich natural resources, among others. “And such stories, of violence, the thought of it, simply hurts," Lacson said. Therefore, I urge every Negrense to simply practice non-violence and show the whole country that we’ll live in peace and harmony in order to build a nation, he said. “I firmly believe if all Negrenses, especially the youth, will join me in a cause for a non-violent Negros, we can use that one big voice to demand what’s due to us as Filipinos and as Christians and enjoy the blessings God had given us in this beautiful island since the dawn of time," Lacon added. - Sun.Star