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Bacolod City, Philippines Tuesday, February 21, 2012
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Canlusong violence erupts again
BY GILBERT BAYORAN

Violence erupted anew in Sitio Manyake, Brgy. Canlusong, EB Magalona, after a group of persons burned on Sunday three houses owned by the families of suspects also linked to the series of killings in the town hinterlands.

Supt. Samuel Mina, Task Force 3rd district chief, yesterday said the burned houses were owned by Amenardo Seva, grandfather of Mama Seva, one of the suspects in the spate of killings in Brgy. Canlusong, EB Magalona, of Julie Devero and that of his son, Melvin.

Julie and two other farmers identified as Michael Celeste and Gerald Alabe were abducted in June last year by a group of unidentified armed men.  Their fate remains unknown until now.

The abduction of three farmers, that was reportedly linked to rampant timber-poaching in Sitio Manyake and neighboring hinterland sitios of Brgy. Canlusong, EB Magalona, also triggered the series of killings, being blamed on an armed bandit group.

The latest wave of violence was reported yesterday by the victims to the EB Magalona Police Station and to the Canlusong detachment.

Mina said he has ordered Senior Inspector Arnold Mesias, EB Magalona police chief, to assist the Bureau of Fire and Protection probers in of their investigations scheduled today.

He said the arson incident may have been related to the quarrel among families, who are victims of the spate of killings in the place.

Six persons, including three barangay kagawads, were among the victims of killings in the remote barangays of EB Magalona from  June to December last year.

Mina yesterday reiterated his call for the victims to extend their utmost cooperation to the police, in the prosecution of the suspects.

In an interview with MBC Aksyon Radyo, Mama Seva, identified the alleged arson suspects as Onyot Delgado, Herman, Hernani and Pato Cunanan, who were in the company of RPA-ABB members.

He even claimed that the Cunanans attempted to molest one of the occupants of the burned houses. However, Seva said they were prevented from doing so by one of the RPA-ABB member.

 The bandit group, who called themselves  “ The Brothers”, has been reduced to seven from about 20 in previous years, Mina claimed.

Because of the massive manhunt operations against them, remnants of the bandit group reportedly fled towards Murcia and Bago City, where they are being reportedly coddled by their relatives.

Mina said he is now coordinating with the Murcia police and Bacolod City Police Office, following reports that some suspects who figured in recent robbery-hold-up incidents in those areas may have been members the fleeing bandit group.

Police records also show  that the seven suspects have pending arrest warrants for robbery-hold-up and homicide cases in Silay City, on top of three counts of murder filed against them last year,  for   the killing of Kagawad Rolando Lozada, his father, Nicolas,  and brother, Rene, as well as Lauro Delgado Sr.

The families of the kidnapped victims accused the Revolutionary Proletarian Army-Alex Boncayao Brigade of being  behind the abduction of their family members in July last year in Brgy. Canlusong, EB Magalona.

RPA-ABB spokesman Victorino Sumulong, who vehemently denied involvement of their members in the arson incident, said it was done by an individual group, who wanted to malign their organization.

In September last year, former Canlusong barangay kagawad Federico Esguiran and his son, Nilo, were both  also killed before their horrified family members in Brgy. Canlusong, EB Magalona. *GPB

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