BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL G. BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) in Negros Occidental revealed yesterday morning that the house of the Fausto family in Himamaylan City was ransacked several times prior to their massacre on June 14.
CHR-Negros Occidental head Vincent Parra said based on their initial investigation, one of the victims, Emilda Fausto, went to the barangay hall of Barangay Buenavista three times to report that their house was broken into by armed individuals.
The first incident took place on March 13 this year. Emilda reported that while they were working on their field, a neighbor told them that armed individuals in military uniform broke into their house and ransacked their belongings as if they were looking for something.
The second incident took place a few days later on March 18 while the family was out; this time several individuals in civilian clothes ransacked their belongings .
The third incident took place on May 12. Upon returning home they found the door of their house destroyed and their belongings scattered all over the place.
Parra said they already coordinated with the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples regarding the information that Emilda was a member of the Carol-an Tribe, an indigenous tribe from Barangay Carol-an, Kabankalan City.
Meanwhile, Parra confirmed they are currently looking for Fausto family’s daughter, Emily Hermino, who survived the massacre and the one who reported the incident to the police.
Parra said they want to talk to Emily as part of their ongoing investigation.
The CHR-Negros Occidental is also trying to find out Emily’s relationship to alleged New People’s Army (NPA) leader Fernando Hermino.
Reports suggested that Emily was married to Fernando’s son, and therefore Fernando is her father-in-law.
Fernando was identified by police as one of the leaders of the NPA’s Central Negros 2, Komiteng Rehiyonal Negros, Cebu Bohol at Siquijor.
He and 15 other NPA rebels are the primary suspects of the police in the massacre, based on witness’ statements given to police.
On June 14, Rolly, his wife Emilda and their two sons, 11-year-old Ben and 15-year-old Raben, were gunned down by still unidentified assailants at their house in Sitio Kangkiling, Barangay Buenavista, Himamaylan.
Barangay Buenavista is one of several NPA-influenced areas in central Negros where clashes that claimed the lives of several communist rebels and government troops have taken place in recent years./PN
