The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) yesterday blamed the communist New People’s Army (NPA) for 31 cases extra-judicial killings out of the total 32 recorded in Bicol region since January this year.
Army 9th Infantry Division (ID) spokesman Maj. Angelo Guzman said that among the victims of the NPA’s extra-judicial killings were a soldier, four policemen, three government militiamen, four military informants, a rebel returnee and 18 civilians.
Guzman stressed that the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and the NPA owned up to several of the killings.
“The CPP-NPA has owned responsibility to the summary killings of several innocent civilians in the region. They usually tag them as military informant to justify their criminal acts,” said Guzman.
Guzmman said the latest victims of the NPA extra-judicial killings were civilians Ruel Macalla and Jun Vasquez, who were slain this month in Albay and Camarines Sur, respectively. He said the NPA had admitted responsibility over these deaths.
Guzman said a total of 37 extra-judicial killings were recorded to have been perpetrated by the NPAs in the region last year. However, he could not immediately say how many cases were reported to have been committed by soldiers during the period.
Guzman said that only one EJK case was blamed to the military, that killing of Elmer Estrellado, who was reportedly abducted in Albay but his lifeless body was recovered in Camarines Sur. Several soldiers were implicated in the case and are now facing criminal case.
“A case was already filed by the (police)…The soldiers involved are in the division’s headquarters so that in case they are needed for (preliminary) investigation, they are readily available,” said Guzman
Guzman lashed at the CPP-NPA and its militant groups for projecting that the military is behind the rash of extra-judicial killings in the country. This propaganda, he said, were used as a medium for NPA recruitment in the countryside.
The official said the communist propaganda is well countered by the deployment of Peace and Development Teams, which had also cleared 26 barangays in Camarines Norte and Sorsogon from rebel influence this year. –Mario J. Mallari, Daily Tribune
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