CAMP ELIAS ANGELES, Pili, Camarines Sur – Two hapless civilians were murdered by NPA terrorist rebels in separate incidents around Bicol today, a military officer said.
LtCol Ernesto Cruz, Commander of the 42nd Infantry Battalion said that Barangay Captain Maritess Toldanes of Pulang Daga village in Balatan, Camarines Sur, was gunned down by three suspected NPA rebels outside her residence at around 1:30pm today (June 27).
Toldanes sustained a gunshot wound to the head and to her chest, causing her instantaneous death. Army investigators found spent shells for Cal .45 pistol near the crime scene.
Cruz said that Toldanes had received numerous death threats because of her refusal to support the NPA rebels who persistently demanded extortion money from her.
“Bgy Captain Toldanes openly cooperated with the military in its peace and development programs, earning the ire of the NPA terrorists. It is aggravated by the fact that she has a son-in-law and also a son who are serving the Philippine Army,” revealed Cruz.
Earlier in the day, another man was also shot and killed by suspected NPA rebels in Poblacion Sur, Barcelona, Sorsogon.
Colonel Leoncio Cirunay, Commander of the 22nd Infantry Battalion, said that Rodrigo Felonia, 35, was gunned down by 2 armed rebels at around 9:30am, while the victim was walking towards his house.
Felonia died instantly after sustaining multiple gunshot wounds in the different parts of his body. Responding policemen found 7 spent shells for Cal .45 pistol and 15 spent shells for 9mm pistol near the scene of the crime.
Cirunay said that Felonia had served in the past as a militiaman (CAFGU) under his battalion’s supervision.
“My intelligence operatives had received information that Felonia had been receiving death threats from NPA rebels who accused him of wrongdoings,” said Cirunay.
Major Harold Cabunoc, Spokesperson of the 9th Infantry Division said that Felonia and Toldanes are the 5th and 6th civilian victims of extra-judicial killings perpetrated by the CPP-NPA-NDF terrorists in CY 2010 alone.
Cabunoc said that the terrorists had also killed 1 soldier and 7 militiamen in the past five months.
In 2009, the NPA terrorists had killed 52 people in the Bicol Region. The list of the victims include 30 innocent civilians who were accused of being military informants and those who refused to pay the extortion demands.
Major General Ruperto Pabustan, Commander of the 9th Infantry Division has condemned the series of murders perpetrated by the communist terrorist rebels. He has also directed the Army’s legal officer to help the victims’ relatives file criminal cases as well as complaints of human rights violations against the members of the CPP-NPA-NDF who are behind the series of killings.
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