Human remains, believed to be a victim of New People’s Army execution, were exhumed by the military and police at Purok Pag-asa, Barangay Proper, Paquibato District on Tuesday.
1Lt Jeffrey Paulo Alba, the civil-military operations officer of the 16th Infantry Battalion, said they received a tip from a concerned citizen regarding human bones buried in the area.
According to the information they received, the bones belonged to someone who was executed by the communist group in 2012. When they went to the area, they found that the grave was very shallow, or less than a meter deep.
The individual was wearing a pair of green shorts and a black shirt with the word “freedom” printed across the chest.
Lt Col. Joel Salaguinto, the 16IB commander, said, “This discovery manifests the cooperation of the citizens of Paquibato District in order to expose the cruelty of the communist terrorist group.”
“I urged everyone, especially in Paquibato, to continue giving their full support, cooperation, and participation in all government’s initiatives to sustain peace and conflict-resilient communities,” Salaguinto said.
The remains were transferred to the Police Regional Office Crime Laboratory to possibly identify the victim.
