The 79th IB Soldiers raided and ransacked the house of the couple Alejandro and Maricel Villamero in Sityo Manaysay, Barangay Cambayobo, Calatrava, Negros Occidental on May 31. The soldiers stole more than ₱7,000 in cash, money the couple set aside for a long time.

The soldiers carried out the robbery at 8 a.m, when the Villamero couple was away working in the sugarcane fields.

After the incident, the soldiers reportedly left in the house a “letter” accusing the couple of supporting and harboring New People’s Army (NPA) members. The couple vehemently denied these allegations.

On June 1, the soldiers returned and encamped at their house and the houses of the victims’ relatives.

Meanwhile, residents of Barangay Cambayobo reported seeing four plainclothes 79th IB soldiers in the community on May 30. The residents witnessed these soldiers monitoring the house of a certain Polin Lausa as a way to pressure him.