NPA owns up to cop's slay

BATANGAS, Philippines – The New People’s Army (NPA) has owned up to the killing of a police official as supposed “blood payment” for his alleged involvement in the killing of militants in Southern Tagalog.

In an e-mail to The STAR, Apolinario Matienza, spokesman of the NPA’s Eduardo Dagil Command, said they imposed the death penalty on Superintendent Rodney Ramirez for also allegedly heading the demolition of houses of poor families in Sta. Rosa City, Laguna when he was the police chief there.

Ramirez was gunned down while riding his bicycle in Taal town last Tuesday morning by at least six men onboard a Mitsubishi L-300 van.