BACOLOD City – The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) has recorded 45 extrajudicial killings (EJKs) in Negros Occidental in 2023.
Vincent Parra, head of the CHR in Negros Occidental, revealed that most of the EJKs were perpetrated and claimed by insurgents from the New People’s Army (NPA), while others were drug-related deaths perpetrated by unidentified suspects.
Murder cases in the province have also dropped from the 54 cases they recorded in 2022, Parra said.
However, he noted that there was an increase in the number of deaths from alleged encounters between government forces and suspected NPA rebels in 2023 compared to only three in 2022.
Human rights cases are also down with only 71 recorded in 2023 compared to 81 cases in the previous year.
Parra refused to reveal the sector with the most number of alleged human rights violations.
The CHR Negros Occidental has also logged several cases of frustrated murder, enforced disappearance, arbitrary detention, divestment of property and internal displacement last year. (Watchmen Daily Journal)/PN
