Members of the New People's Army responsible for the ambush in Brgy. Puso, La Castellana, Negros Occidental, on Jan. 27, 2013 have been penalized because of the incident, the Apolinario Gatmaitan Command, said in a statement it issued, yesterday.

The incident, described by the military and police as a massacre, claimed the lives of eight civilians and a policeman, and caused injuries to 12 others.

Rebel spokesman Juanito Magbanua, however, maintained that the members of the Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team who were killed in the ambush had firearms, based on their witnesses.

Magbanua said BPAT members, armed with M-16 armalite rifles, accompanied members of the Philippine Army in the raid on those accused of coddling and hiding NPA members.

In a tape-recorded statement, the NPA Leonardo Panaligan Command, through its spokesman,  Ka JB Regalado, had earlier apologized for the deaths of the civilians, and admitted lapses committed by the guerrillas. He claimed that it was being investigated.

The victims, who were on board a Fuzo Canter vehicle, were on their way home after attending a fiesta when they were ambushed by about 20 rebels on January 27 in Barangay Puso, La Castellana.

Magbanua said leaders and members of a squad-size rebel unit who staged the ambush, had violated the rules and regulations of the NPA.*GPB

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