The three suspected members of the New People’s Army who were arrested in Badian, Cebu on July 31, 2019, are brought to the Cebu Provincial Prosecutor’s Office on Aug. 2, 2019, for inquest proceedings. |CDN Digital photo/ Alven Marie A. Timtim
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Police today identified ten of the about 20 to 40 suspects involved in the brutal killing of the four policemen in Sitio Yamot, Barangay Mabato, Ayungon, Negros Oriental on July 18.
The suspects, all of whom were alleged members of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed wing, New People’s Army (NPA), will be facing multiple murder and robbery charges for the summary execution of Police Corporal Relebert Beronio, Patrolman Raffy Callao, Patrolman Roel Cabellon and Patrolman Marquino De Leon.
Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) director Police Brigadier General Debold Sinas, speaking to reporters on Friday, August 16, identified the suspects as Mitchell Fat, allegedly the group’s leader; and Victoriano Anadon, Jonathan Baldivino, Renqie Anadon, Gelie Ebedo, Josep Ogatis, Jelly Ebedo, Danny Tansico, Ronnie Heribios and Jojo Ogatis.
Of the ten, however, only three are in police custody, namely Anadon, Tansico and Heribios.
Sinas alleged that Fat was pinpointed by witnesses as the one who allegedly led the attack against the policemen.
The four policemen were in Barangay Mabato heading to the house of Anadon supposedly to verify reports about the presence of suspected rebels in the place when they were greeted by armed men believed to be NPA rebels who started beating them up before they were summarily executed.
Sinas said that a witness had told them that the missing guns of three of the slain cops were taken by Fat while a certain “James,” who was identified as one of those who shot the policemen, took the other gun.
Of the suspects now in police custody, Anadon was the first to be arrested at his residence in Sitio Yamot of Barangay Mabato on July 19, 2019. Tansico and Heribios were nabbed on July 31 at the shoreline in Badian town in southern Cebu in the company of another suspected rebel identified as Marlon Basalo.
Sinas said manhunt operations for the remaining suspects were still ongoing.