MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – The police chiefs of Negros Oriental and the towns of Santa Catalina, Manjuyod, and Canlaon City have been sacked by Philippine National Police (PNP) chief General Oscar Albayalde, the PNP announced on Tuesday, April 2.

They are: 

• Colonel Raul Tacaca – Negros Oriental police chief
• Lieutenant Colonel Patricio Degay – Canlaon City police chief
• Lieutenant Roy Mamaradlo – Manjuyod police chief
• Captain Michael Rubia – Santa Catalina police chief 

This is to allow for an impartial investigation into police operations on Saturday, March 30, that killed 14 people: 8 in Canlaon City, 4 in Manjuyod, and 2 in Santa Catalina.

Tacaca earlier said that all of the fatalities were suspected members of the New People’s Army who allegedly resisted arrest as cops served search warrants for illegal firearms and explosives possession.

But groups have tagged the operations as a “massacre,” and a repeat of killings allegedly masked as operations executed in the Duterte administration’s anti-drug campaign.

Albayalde ordered the PNP’s Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management as well as Internal Affairs Service to look into the deadly Negros Oriental operations.

The investigation will cover possible criminal and administrative charges against the cops. – Rappler.com