Church worker latest victim of NPA's killing spree in Negros

BINALBAGAN, Negros Occidental — A church worker was shot dead Tuesday afternoon in what the New People’s Army (NPA) claimed was a “punitive action” carried out by its Romeo Nanta Command (RNC) in Binalbagan town, marking what peace advocates describe as the latest in a string of civilian killings in Negros.

In a statement dated February 18, Dionesio Magbuelas, spokesperson of the Romeo Nanta Command–NPA South Central Negros, said their unit “carried out a punitive action” against Rey Norquiana at around 3 p.m. on February 17 in Sitio Solbud, Barangay Santol.

The NPA accused Norquiana of being an intelligence asset of the 94th Infantry Battalion and claimed he had long served as part of a military intelligence network in the area. The rebel group said Norquiana had previously been warned by its so-called “people’s court” but allegedly returned to “anti-revolutionary activities” in 2023.

The statement further warned other alleged local assets to contact the NPA and described the killing as a message to the AFP-PNP and NTF-ELCAC.

Strong condemnation

Peace and reintegration advocates swiftly condemned the killing. Noel Legaspi, national president of Buklod Kapayapaan Federation Inc., denounced the extra-judicial execution of Norquiana, the 28th victim of the NPA in Negros Island since 20205, in what he described as the “systematic, coordinated liquidation of civilians.”

“This systematic, coordinated liquidation of civilians is nothing short of terrorism against our own people,” Legaspi said. “Branding unarmed civilians as ‘assets’ and executing them under the guise of revolutionary justice exposes the NPA’s utter disregard for human rights and due process.”

Fact-finding mission urged

In a statement issued last week, Buklod Kapayapaan said that from January 2025 to the present, “at least 27 civilians have been recorded as killed in a series of attacks that have instilled fear and insecurity among communities, particularly in Negros Occidental.”

The group cited the recent killing of 74-year-old Leonora Anguit inside her home after being accused of being a military informant, describing it as a “cold-blooded and heartless crime.”

“These incidents constitute grave violations of human rights and international humanitarian norms,” Buklod Kapayapaan said, adding that “civilians should never be treated as targets in any armed struggle.”

The federation called for an independent fact-finding mission and a legislative inquiry into the series of killings in Negros to establish accountability and ensure justice for the victims and their families.