Oriental Negros police provincial director, Senior Supt. Melvin Ramon Buenafe, said he was saddened by the sudden transfer to Cebu City of witnesses in the ambush that killed a barangay captain and six others on March 9 in La Libertad town.

Buenafe said he was not informed of the transfer last Saturday by operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group. He tagged the move as "highly irregular" and may lead to suspicion. Reports said the witnesses, who were recuperating at the Negros Oriental Provincial Hospital, boarded an ambulance bound for Cebu.

The Task Force Manluminsag, a joint team of Philippine National Police provincial command, National Bureau of Investigation-Dumaguete headed by Dominador Cimafranca, and the CIDG, is investigating the incident.

Killed in the ambush was Aya Barangay Captain Lydio Baylon and six others.

Five wounded survivors were brought to the NOPH for treatment and recovery, and Buenafe said, two of them are considered "material witnesses" in the filing of murder cases in court.

A conference was held Tuesday at the PNP Provincial Headquarters in Agan-an, Sibulan attended by task force members, and representatives from the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

One of the concerns raised was the pulling out of witnesses, but CIDG head Senior Insp. Richard Caballero did not offer any explanation. He said he was just following orders from CIDG-Cebu.

Reports revealed that the CIDG Cebu ordered its Oriental Negros office to bring the witnesses to Cebu for investigation. The CIDG Cebu has vowed to bring the witnesses back to the custody of the Task Force Manluminsag in Oriental Negros, although the date was not fixed.

Buenafe said the task force was about to file the case against those responsible for the ambush in La Libertad, when the transfer was made. Upon their return to the province, the witnesses will execute affidavits for the filing of the cases.*MA

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