By Gabriela Baron
The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) condemned the brutal killing of a family of four in Himaymaylan City, Negros Occidental.
In a statement released Saturday, June 17, the CHR said the family was murdered at their home in Sitio Kangkiling, Barangay Buenavista in Himamaylan City on June 14.
“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.
The CHR said there were reports that the killings were insurgency-related, however, there were also allegations linking it to state forces.
“All possible angles will be pursued in the course of CHR’s independent investigation,” the commission noted.
The victims were identified as Rolly Fausto, 52; his wife Emilda, 49; and their sons, Ben, 11 and Raben, 15.
Based on the Himamaylan City police, their bodies sustained close-range gunshot wounds allegedly from an M16 rifle.
It was their eldest daughter who got information on the killing and reported the incident to the authorities.
The bodies were retrieved in different locations, the father was found in a cornfield 50 meters away from their house, while Emilda and their sons were found inside and outside their houses.
“Any instance to arbitrarily deprive a person of their lives, moreso if vulnerable sectors are involved, should be faced with the full force of the law,” CHR said.
“We hope witnesses also surface towards the resolution of this case and in defense of human rights,” it added.
