Two civilians were killed in an ambush in Negros Occidental on Thursday morning, a military officer said Friday.

Captain Eduardo Precioso, public affairs chief of the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division, said a hacienda owner and his driver were killed in an ambush reportedly by New People’s Army in Barangay Minapasok, Calatrava around 6:50 am.

He said the victims identified as Bebing Lumayno, owner of sugar cane plantations at Barangay Bug-ang, Toboso and Barangay Minapasok and his driver Danilo Braga were on their way to a sugar plantation in Minapasok on board an Isuzu D-Max pick-up when they were fired upon by around 12 NPAs.

“The assailants immediately fled from the crime scene towards Barangay Cambayobo while boisterously shouted “Mabuhay ang NPA!” (Long live NPA!), leaving the lifeless bodies of the victims,” Precioso said quoting a statement of the witness.

He said Lt. Col. Darell Ba?ez, commander of the Army’s 62 nd Infantry Battalion, condemned the killing of the victims, saying it is a clear violation of Human Rights.

Ba?ez tagged the rebels “as anti-development, anti-people, anti-morals, anti-spirituals and anti-peace, and that their mere presence already creates physical and psychological fear on the people.”

“The tip-off from the civilians only manifest that they are already tired of the CPP-NPA’s extortion activities and terroristic acts,” he said.

Precioso said Ba?ez also called upon the people to report the presence of the communist terrorists to put an end to the communist insurgency in the area. Robina Asido/DMS