The New People’s Army (NPA)-Masbate condemned the 2nd IB and Philippine National Police (PNP)-Masbate for abducting and killing three farmers to claim the reward offered by PNP Chief Guillermo Eleazar for the capture of the NPA fighters involved during an offensive last June 6.

State forces abducted Ailyn Ekit Bulalacao, 38, Ramon Boy Valenzuela Brioso, 58, and Antonio Poligrates, 61, from various towns in the evening of June 7 and brought to Barangay Anas, Masbate City where they were massacred on June 8. Soldiers claimed that the victims were NPA members and were killed during the encounter. Relatives of the victims however said that they were civilians. In fact, Poligrates was a watchman of Barangay Villahermosa, Cawayan.

They also abducted two youngsters identified as Joseph Dalera and Judy Serapin in Barangay Guiom, Cawayan, Masbate on June 19. They are yet to be surfaced by their abductors.