No child warriors in NPA, say Reds
By Jerome Aning
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Monday, May 31, 2010
MANILA, Philippines—The New People’s Army (NPA) does not recruit child warriors or brutalize children caught up in its struggle with government forces, a leader of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) on self-exile in the Netherlands said yesterday.
The CPP was reacting to a United Nations report that included the NPA among armed groups around the world “that subject children to brutal violence, such as killings, maiming, rape, and other forms of sexual assault. The two other groups were the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, which has issued a denial, and the Abu Sayyaf.
CPP official Fidel Agcaoili said the NPA “strictly abides by the policy of the CPP against the recruitment as combatants of children below 18.”
The NPA also protects children from physical and mental abuse as provided for under the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law, one of the documents guiding peace negotiations with the government, he added.
The 51-page report was prepared by Radhika Coomaraswamy, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon’s special representative for children in armed conflict. The UN Security Council will hold a debate on the matter this month.
6 soldiers killed in Camarines Sur NPA attack
By Alexis Romero
The Philippine Star – www.philstar.com
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
MANILA, Philippines - The Armed Forces of the Philippines has deployed around 300 soldiers to run after the communist rebels who staged an ambush on Sunday in Camarines Sur, which resulted to the death of six soldiers.
The Army’s 9th Infantry Division (ID) Maj. Harold Cabunoc said the troops will come from the Third Scout Rangers Battalion and the 42nd Infantry Battalion. He said the pursuit operations will be concentrated in the areas of Presentacion, Garchitorena, Goa and Ginapa.
“The civilians are giving us information so anytime we can catch the perpetrators of the ambush,” Cabunoc said adding that they are pursuing around 30 to 40 insurgents.
He said two helicopters from the Tactical Operations Group-5 are also on standby in case the troops would need them on their operations.
Killed during the ambush in Presentacion, Camarines Sur were 1Lt. Miguel Logronio Jr., Cpl. Arturo Hernandez, Pfc. Albert Jamera, Pfc. Edwin Britannico and two others who were not named. They, along with eight other companions, were running after insurgents who attacked soldiers securing an infrastructure project in the province on Saturday.
Soldiers who were part of the ambushed squad claimed that the New People’s Army also suffered casualties but did not cite speci-fic figures.
NPA a spent force
Cabunoc said they are not treating the incident as a huge setback and even praised the soldiers who fought the attacking rebels.
“They scored against the 9th ID but it was not a big loss. It highlighted the bravery of our soldiers. They fought and they did not surrender even if they were outnumbered, even if the enemies used huge explosives,” Cabunoc said.
“They (soldiers) fought even if they were wounded, they fought until they lost ammunitions,” he added.
Despite the setback, the AFP maintained that the NPA is already a “spent force.”
“The atrocities of the NPA had been confined to few areas. That will be subject of focus in our next campaign. Their actions are confined to Samar, Bicol, Compostela Valley, Davao and Negros. That will be the focus of our next campaign,” AFP spokesman Lt. Col. Arnulfo Burgos Jr. said.
“The NPA wants to project a semblance of strength,” he added.
Cabunoc said they will continue to convince the NPA rebels to surrender and to return to the fold of law.
“Firefights and killings are not the solutions to the problem. The government is showing the people that it is serious in addressing social problems,” he said.
The AFP had previously admitted that it cannot meet the June 30 deadline of wiping out insurgency in the country. Military data showed that the communist movement has around 4,700 followers nationwide. – With Cet Dematera, AP
Families of 4 held by NPA air appeal
By Frinston Lim
www.inquirer.net
Monday, June 7, 2010
TAGUM CITY, Philippines—Families of three Army soldiers and a militiaman being held by communist rebels in Mawab town in Compostela Valley have asked local church leaders for help in the speedy release of their loved ones.
The wives of Corporals Marcial Bawagan, Ariel Asumo and Eduardo Alcala and militiaman Victor Pitogo also made an appeal for prayers to “free their husbands and also free them from being imprisoned in grief and worry,” said Fr. Christopher Segura Jr. of the town’s San Roque parish.
New People’s Army (NPA) members seized the government troopers while they were attending the birthday celebration of one of Bawagan’s children in Barangay (village) Sawangan in Mawab on May 12.
At gunpoint, the rebels herded them to a vehicle and took them to the hinterlands of Compostela Valley, the military said.
Bawagan’s wife, Genie, an elementary school teacher, said her family had been experiencing “mental and emotional torture” due to what happened.
Last week, the NPA, through its Davao region spokesperson Simon Santiago, released a video clip to local television stations to prove that the four captives were alive and were being treated properly.
Santiago said they were arrested for human rights abuses they allegedly committed as militia detachment commanders in Mabini and Maco towns in Compostela Valley.
Masses for the safety and immediate release of the government troopers are to be scheduled in the town parish and 67 Gagmayng Kristohanong Katilingban (basic ecclesial communities or BECs) in Mawab, Segura said.
The priest presented Genie and the wives of the two other soldiers—Jovelyn Alcala and Ladybelle Asumo—to the BEC leaders and prayed over them.
Segura said the NPA had yet to reply to the letter of appeal of the victims’ families.
Local officials and the Maco parish priest were reportedly establishing negotiation lines with the rebels, but Segura noted that the efforts were moving slow.
Two Army battalions have arrived in Compostela Valley to help in the rescue mission, Capt. Emmanuel Garcia, 10th Infantry Division public affairs officer, said.
Anvil Guinto, spokesperson of the NPA unit holding the four, said in a statement that the “massive” military operations had compromised their safety of the captives and the possibility of their early release.
“The whole security aspect of the situation can only be addressed by a cessation of … offensive military operations” within the areas held by the NPA’s Crucifino Uballas Command, he said.
Victim of summary execution exhumed in Quezon
The Manila Times – www.manilatimes.net
By Roselle R. Aquino
Sunday, 13 June 2010
CAMP VICENTE LIM, Calamba City: One of the victims of the New People’s Army (NPA) summary execution was recovered at Barangay Salipsip, Polilio, Quezon province around 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday.
Chief Supt. Rolando Añonuevo, regional director of Calabarzon, said that he received information through commanding officer of First and Second Infantry Batallion, Philippine Army that they found the grave of Angelito Prudencio Astejada, a victim of the rebel group’s summary execution.
Añonuevo directed the Polilio Municipal Police to verify and confirm the information, sending a seven-man team to proceed to the grave and dig up Astejada’s remains.
After being exhumed, the cadaver was brought to Polilio for proper identification and disposition. The Municipal Health Office was immediately requested to examine and determine the victim’s cause of death.
“We are determining the names and identity of alias “Jean” and five other unidentified NPA members involved in this horrendous murder, so that appropriate legal action can be imputed against these suspects,” Añonuevo stated.
Eight policemen blamed for death, shooting of poll volunteers
Francis C. Hidalgo Jr.
The Manila Times – www.manilatimes.net
Tuesday, 15 June 2010
SANTIAGO CITY, Isabela: Multiple murder cases have been filed against eight policemen for the killing of a volunteer and the wounding of four other supporters of a Liberal Party (LP) mayoralty bet here during the last elections. Facing charges before the city pro-secutor’s office were city Police Director Supt. Reynaldo Sinaon, Chief Insp. Charlie Ang-yaon, Senior Insp. Cleto Atluna, Senior Police Officer 3 Allan Pascual, Senior Police Officer 3 Charlie Viernes, Senior Police Officer 1 Anthony Caser, Police Officer 3 John Lapat and Police Officer 3 Joel Saraos. A city hall official, Miguel Salomon, is also facing charges. Salomon is the deputy head of the public safety and order unit of the city government.
The men will face court trial for the shooting of 21-year-old Allan Castañeto and the wounding of four others namely Josemari Galapon, Harrison Corpuz, Villamor Laguit and Jennifer Layugan. All five victims are campaign coordinators and election volunteers of mayoralty bet Armando Tan, who was the city’s former vice mayor.
The eight suspects have been accused of attacking the victims, along with 20 other companions, while on their way back to their campaign headquarters in the early morning of May 10, hours before the official start of the voting on election day.
The same murder case as well as three counts of frustrated murder and 21 counts of attempted murder were also filed before the National Police Commission against the suspected cops, who, if found guilty, would be facing outright dismissal from the service and forfeiture of all their benefits. They may also face imprisonment.
“The accused policemen also attempted to have a cover up of the case to make it appear that my clients were the ones who started the incident by allegedly firing at them first, when in truth…[my poor clients] did [not] and do not have any firearm,” said lawyer Elias Lelina, the counsel of the 25 complainants, including Castañeto’s wife.
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