Suspected New People's Army (NPA) rebels gunned down a barangay tanod (village watchman) in Tandag City, Surigao del Sur on the afternoon of Thursday, March 2.

The victim, Fortunato Jacinto, alias Fortun, 59, lived in Purok Pulotan, Barangay Awasian, Tandag City.

Brig. Gen. Pablo Labra II, Director of Police Regional Office (PRO) 13 (Caraga), said in a statement on Saturday that Jacinto was actively supporting the government's call for the remaining NPA rebels in the area to surrender and return to the fold of the law.

Labra also directed the Tandag City Police Station to conduct an immediate investigation to determine the identities of the perpetrators in order to arrest them immediately.

According to the victim's live-in partner's disclosure, seven armed NPA rebels unexpectedly arrived at their residence on Thursday afternoon and immediately hogtied the victim before shooting him to death with high-powered firearms.

In the preliminary investigation, those responsible for Jacinto's death were members of the NPA's Guerrilla Front 30 and the North Eastern Mindanao Regional Committee.

Authorities also recovered three 5.56 mm rifle cartridges and one.45 caliber pistol cartridge from the crime scene.

He added that the PRO-13, with the support of various stakeholders, remains aggressive and determined to end the local communist armed conflict.