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CEBU CITY, Philippines — The top official of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) has directed his men to track down the perpetrators, whom police believed to be members of the New People’s Army, who killed a father and a son in Sitio Mampayao Gamay, Barangay Malangsa in Vallehermoso, Negros Oriental last February 16, 2022.
Police identified the victims as Lucio Perater, 61, and his son, Fernando, 37. The victims were both farmers.
Police Brigadier General Roque Eduardo Vega, PRO-7 director, clarified in a statement on Friday, February 18, that this incident was not election-related despite Lucio’s wife, Beatriz, currently sitting as a barangay chairwoman of Malangsa in this Negros Oriental town.
Vega said that Beatriz is not running for any electoral position for this May 2022 election. Beatriz also has no relatives running for the upcoming poll as well.
In his statement, Vega said that based on their reports, the four armed men who killed the two victims were suspected members of the New People’s Army and were against developments in Barangay Malangsa.
Vega is referring to the program that Beatriz and the local government unit there together with the Philippine Army had been working on where they allowed the conduct of cadastral land survey intended for the 62nd Infantry Battalion, Philippine Army Detachment.
Police still have no information about the identity of the perpetrators as they continue to conduct their further investigation on the shooting incident in this town of Negros Oriental.
Quoting the outcome of their initial investigation, it was around 7 p.m. on Wednesday, February 16, when the attack happened. According to Vega, these four alleged NPA members attacked the house of the Peraters and shot dead the husband of Beatriz, Lucio, and their son, Fernando, while these two were inside their house in the barangay in Vallehermoso town, Negros Oriental.
Lucio suffered a gunshot wound on his chest and head while his son was shot also on his head. The victims were rushed to the hospital in Negros Oriental for treatment, but the attending physician declared them dead on arrival.
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