THE police task force investigating the unexplained killings of political activists and journalists has so far arrested 27 suspects in 141 verified incidents.

Task Force Usig reported over the weekend that of these 141 verified incidents of political and media killings, 29 were found to have been perpetrated by cadres of the Communist Party of the Philippines’ New People’s Army  (CPP-NPA), 15 involved military and paramilitary men and three involved police personnel.

The task force report to the Department of the Interior and Local Government showed that as of the end-April, a warrant of arrest has already been issued by the trial court in Western Samar against the alleged killers of Norberto Cabigayan, who was identified as a supporter of the CPP-NPA and a revolutionary-tax collector.

A warrant of arrest has been issued against Romeo Paday for the killing of Cabigayan.

In the case of Norman Bocar, a lawyer and Bayan Muna regional coordinator for Eastern Samar, a case for murder was already filed before the Regional Trial Court in Borongan City against suspects Elejandro Aragon Jr. and one still unidentified person for the killing.

Assistant Secretary for the Interior Danilo Valero said that the Task Force Usig report bared that a total of 28 killings of political activists involved members of the CPP-NPA while 13 involved military and paramilitary elements as suspects—five of these cases involved civilians with alleged links to the military and one is still under investigation.

Gun ban leads to more crimes–group

GUNS being inanimate objects do not cause such crimes. Rather, it is the criminals who misuse unlicensed guns that commit crimes, and must be brought to justice.

THE state-owned National Power Corp. (Napocor) has slashed its generation rates by as much as P1.44 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) in Luzon between January last year and April this year.

AMID the reported foreclosures of real-estate mortgages, House Speaker Prospero Nograles has directed the House Committee on Housing and Urban Development to investigate the Balikatan Housing Financial Inc. (BHFI), which has entered into a joint venture with the National Home Mortgage Finance Corp. (NHMFC) to manage nonperforming residential mortgage loans.

COMBINED forces of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Abu Sayyaf Group attacked a Marine detachment in Basilan on Sunday, but the troops fought them, killing two gunmen.

SENATE whistle-blower Rodolfo Lozada Jr. on Sunday said that he will continue going on out-of-town trips, saying he will carry on with his provincial sorties until July despite the reduction of his security detail by the Senate.

THE police task force investigating the unexplained killings of political activists and journalists has so far arrested 27 suspects in 141 verified incidents.

THE Zobel de Ayala family clarified that there is no Supreme Court (SC) decision ordering any member of the family to distribute any land in Calatagan, Batangas, to agrarian-reform beneficiaries.