Gold miner linked to massacre killed

LEGAZPI CITY—A gold miner who was earlier named the police tipster in the massacre of 13 people in Atimonan, Quezon province, at a police-military checkpoint on Jan. 6, 2013, was shot dead in his house by suspected rebels in Jose Panganiban, Camarines Norte province, on Monday.

Senior Supt. Harris Fama, Camarines Norte police chief, said some 10 assailants wielding long firearms and clad in Army uniforms forcibly entered Ronnie Habitan’s residence in Barangay (village) Plaridel, Jose Panganiban, around 9:10 a.m.

Four responding policemen led by Chief Insp. Martin Ngadao Jr., municipal police chief, were intercepted by the gunmen on their way to the house, Fama said. Habitan’s worker, identified as Junny dela Cruz, 41, earlier went to the police station to report the incident.

The policemen were disarmed by the intruders before Habitan was shot in the head, he said.

The victim was brought to Primary Hospital in the same town but was declared dead on arrival by doctors, he said.

Citing investigation, Lt. Col. Medel Aguilar, commander of the 49th Infantry Battalion, said Habitan was alleged to be involved in illegal mining in the area.

Habitan was named by Supt. Hansel Marantan, leader of the police team in the Atimonan operation, as the one who informed him of the visit of alleged illegal gambling lord Victor Siman and his group in Jose Panganiban town, hours before the massacre in Atimonan.

The miner had denied that he was Marantan’s tipster and said he could not have offered to help a police officer who once extorted money from him. He also denied having differences with Siman, his business partner, who he said was good to him.

Aguilar said improvised explosive devices were planted in the streets as the killers, believed to be members of the communist New People’s Army, were escaping. This might be intended to slow down Army soldiers and Jose Panganiban policemen pursuing them, he said.

Three of the bombs exploded while eight were discovered by soldiers, Aguilar said.

Lt. Col. Michael Buhat, who is involved in the Army operation in Bicol Region, said two of the pursing soldiers were wounded when a land mine blew up.