The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) through its Region VI office has launched an independent investigation into the brutal shooting of a family in Sitio Kangkiling, Barangay Buenavista, Himamaylan City in Negros Occidental.
“CHR, through its office in Region VI, already dispatched investigators to pursue the truth behind the killings and seek justice for the victims,” CHR said in a press statement issued on Saturday, June 17.
It said all possible motives behind the killing, including the alleged insurgency-related angle, will be probed.
“CHR stresses the primacy of the right to life. Any instance to arbitrarily deprive a person of their life, moreso if vulnerable sectors are involved, should be faced with the full force of the law,” the Commission underscored.
“We hope witnesses also surface towards the resolution of this case and in defense of human rights,” it added.
Based on Himamaylan City Police’s initial investigation, the shooting incident happened on the morning of June 14.
The victims were identified as Rolly Fausto, 52; his wife Emilda, 49; and their sons Ben, 11, and Raben, 15.
The Himamaylan police said Rolly was found in the cornfield, approximately 50 meters far from their house while his wife and their sons were retrieved inside and outside their house.
A close-range gunshot wounds, allegedly from an M16 rifle, were found in the victims' lifeless bodies.
The Himamaylan police said that the family’s eldest daughter, who was not present during the shooting, reported the incident the following day.
Meanwhile, in a Facebook post, Himamaylan City Police said that its chief Pltcol Reynante Jomocan together with other police officers personally visited the remaining family members of the shooting victims and gave them financial assistance.
Jomocan and Himamaylan cops also joined the burial ceremony of the slain four family members that was held on Saturday, June 18.
