CONTRARY to earlier reports, there were no survivors in the massacre that occurred Saturday night in Sagay City, Negros Occidental.
Chief Superintendent John Bulalacao, regional director of Western Visayas Police Regional Office (PRO-6), said all nine victims were the only ones inside the makeshift tent at Hacienda Nene in Purok Firetree in Barangay Bulanon.
“Siyam lang sila at lahat sila namatay doon,” Bulalacao told reporters yesterday in a press briefing in Camp Crame, Quezon City.
The victims were all new recruits of the National Federation of Sugar Workers (NFSW), allegedly a left-leaning group with ties to the New People’s Army (NPA), according to Bulalacao.
They were accompanied by three core members of the NFSW who curiously left them minutes before the attack, Bulalacao said.
“Lumalabas na parang ipinain sila doon. That’s why we came up with our angle that this was perpetrated by the NPA in pursuance of their campaign to discredit the Philippine government. Para isisi sa gobyerno,” Bulalacao added.
This was echoed by PNP chief, Director General Oscar Albayalde who said that “indications suggest the participation of the CPP-NPA [Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army] in pursuit of their ‘Oplan Bungkalan at Okupasyon.”
Police said they are still puzzled how the suspects arrived in the area and how far were they when they opened fire.
“Actually wala pang makapagsabi kung paano sila nakarating sa lugar at kung paano ginawa ‘yung pagbaril. Ang kasalukuyang imbestigasyon ay para lamang ma-identify kung sino muna ang mga nandoon at ano ang ginagawa ng mga naging biktima,” Bulalacao said.
It was not the first time that farmer-members of the NFSW were killed in Sagay City.
On Dec. 21, 2017, Flora Jemola, chairperson of NFSW-Sagay City was stabbed to death in Hacienda Susan. She sustained 13 stab wounds, which according to the NFSW, was allegedly perpetrated by suspected CAFGU members.
On Feb. 21, 2018, Ronald Manlanat, a member of a local chapter of NFSW in Hacienda Joefred in Barangay General Luna, Sagay City, was killed by suspected CAFGU members, the NFSW added. (Martin Sadongdong)
