Rebel atrocities won’t derail peace agenda, says military
By Elena L. Aben
The Manila Bulletin – www.mb.com.ph
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Tuesday said it has recorded at least 11 new atrocities, including liquidation of five people and burning of business properties, committed by the New People’s Army but will continue to stick to the government’s peace stance.
According to the AFP Civil Relations Service (CRS), the military views these attacks as desperate attempts by some NPA factions to conceal the declining status of the CPP/NPA as well as to pressure government not to pursue its peace agenda.
“It challenges the CPP/NPA leadership to direct its members to stop these attacks if they truly have the best interest of the country in mind.
The AFP, however, insists that doors for dialogues remain open to those who would want peaceful resolution,” said Maj. Gen. Victor Felix, deputy chief of staff for Civil Military Operations a military official.
“We ascertain NPA members that even without military action, the atrocities they are conducting are indirectly hurting the rebels themselves and their families,” Felix said.
“Their attacks did not only harm the targeted business entities, or of the families of the victims, but the chances for economic development and better lives for their children have been also immensely affected,” he said.
“It is our wish for the NPA rebels to heed the government’s call for peace. We believe that no properties should be unnecessarily destroyed, and no one should get hurt regardless of whose groups they belong to, for we are all Filipinos,” said Felix.
AFP records show the latest incident occurred during the last week of July in different parts of the country.
On July 26, NPAs seized a container van delivering eggs owned by Mega Via Corporations in Barangay Samalague, Leon, Iloilo and subsequently blew up the van using improvised explosives. Two days after, Margarito Renario, a barangay kagawad of Barangay. Aguada, Placer, Masbate was shot dead by suspected members of the NPA.
Three dump trucks owned by Goldrich Company were also burned by the suspected NPA members in Barangay Balao, Abra de Ilog, Occidental Mindoro on July 29. On the same day, one backhoe owned by SUNWEST, which was performing preventive maintenance on the circumferential road in Barangay Barihay, San Andres, Catanduanes was also torched.
In Iloilo, a health center in Barangay Bagacay, Igbaras was strafed by NPA members, wounding a civilian identified as Juanita Espinosa Sabijon also on July 26.
On July 31, five container vans of Dole-Stanfilco banana plantation were set ablaze by NPA members at Barangay Camanlangan, New Bataan, Compostela Valley.
Meanwhile, a brand new generator and two air conditioned buses of Victory Liner were likewise burned by 12 NPA members at the liner’s maintenance compound in Barangay Estrada, Capas, Tarlac.
Reports from the 3rd Infantry Division (3rd ID) also recorded four civilians killed by NPA members in separate incidents in Negros Occidental.
The killings of Sergio Villadar, Joel Resaga, and Leonardo Obtina in Escalante City; and Jelly Biahedor in Toboso were admitted by the local Communist rebels.
The AFP said it strongly condemns the attacks, especially the killing of civilians, and will assist law enforcement agencies to catch the perpetrators and make them accountable for these crimes according to our laws.
Military records show that in 2009, 86 civilian lives were killed, and P103 million worth of properties were destroyed.
NCRPO open to investigation on theft gang leader's death
By Non Alquitran and Rhodina Villanueva
The Philippine Star – www.philstar.com
Thursday, August 05, 2010
MANILA, Philippines – The National Capital Region Police Office expressed willingness yesterday to appear before any probe body tasked to investigate allegations that they summarily executed car theft gang leader Ivan Padilla.
“My men have strictly followed police rules of engagement and we are open to any investigation,” said Superintendent Leo Francisco, head of the NCRPO’s regional police intelligence and operations unit (RPIOU).
Francisco directed all RPIOU operatives involved in the five-minute running gunbattle with Padilla in Makati City on Monday to appear before any probe body once they are properly summoned. The RPIOU chief issued his reaction amid TV reports that relatives of Padilla are seeking the help of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to investigate his death as they strongly suspect he “was summarily executed.”
Francisco stressed that it would be next to impossible to summarily execute Padilla as he was with a companion, a certain Mark Inducil, at the time of the gunbattle.
He said even Inducil verbally testified that Padilla opened fire at the RPIOU operatives who cornered them while on board a stolen vehicle along Gen. Luna St., in Makati City.
“Inducil’s statement will absolve us of the allegations that we summarily executed Padilla. We will also present other evidence like the autopsy report on his body,” he said. But reports showed that Padilla’s family insisted he was “executed” while being rushed to the hospital and Inducil already separated from him.
Francisco admitted that Padilla was still breathing when his operatives rushed him to the Ospital ng Makati City where attending doctors declared him dead on arrival.
Two other gang members Dale Alimagno, 22, and Glenn Castillo, 31, were arrested by RPIOU operatives while they were about to sell the Toyota Camry of former Foreign Affairs Secretary Roberto Romulo to a prospective buyer for P225,000 in Quezon City Thursday last week.
Aside from the vehicle of Romulo, police tagged Padilla’s gang as behind the carjacking of the Volvo of the father of actor Derek Ramsey and other car theft cases in Metro Manila and its neighboring provinces.
In related developments, the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) yesterday said it will initiate an investigation on the death of suspected carjack leader Ivan Padilla after he engaged in a shootout with policemen in Makati City Monday morning.
CHR Commissioner Jose Manuel Mamauag said they were prompted to step in and probe the circumstances surrounding Padilla’s death after they received an e-mail sent by Padilla’s mother Malou asking for the commission’s help. “Sana pwede kaming lumapit sa CHR para ma-imbestigahan ng maayos ang pagkamatay ni Ivan. Marami pa akong mga tanong,” said Malou in the e-mail that was sent to the office of Mamauag by a TV network. Mamauag said Malou sought the help of a friend who got in touch with the TV network and the latter in turn, sent the message to the CHR.
Mamauag explained that the commission will have to engage first in documentation. “We will be requesting the PNP chief to help us provide the papers needed in the investigation like spot report, hospital records of Padilla and other pertinent documents. We will also be conducting an ocular inspection of the crime scene.”
He added they will request for a copy of the footage of the incident taken by a TV network so that they would be able to assess if violation of human rights were committed by the involved policemen or police officers.
Sigaw ng magulang: Ivan Padilla sinadyang patayin!
Ni Armida Rico
Abante – Tonite – www.abante-tonite.com
Huwebes, Agosto 5, 2010
Hindi dahil sa tama ng bala ng baril kundi posibleng nilagyan ng supot sa ulo o sinakal habang isinusugod sa Ospital ng Makati ang itinuturong lider ng carnapping syndicate na si Ivan Nieto Padilla na naging sanhi ng kanyang kamatayan.
Ito ang isiniwalat ng mga magulang ni Padilla nang lumantad sa isang programa sa telebisyon upang ibunyag ang umano’y resulta ng autopsy sa bangkay ng kanilang anak na napaslang ng mga tauhan ng Regional Police Intelligence Operation Unit-Anti-Carnapping Unit (RPIOU-ANCAR) ng National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) noong Lunes ng madaling-araw sa Makati City.
Ayon sa mga magulang ni Padilla, malakas pa at nakakapagsalita ang kanilang anak nang abutan ng reporter at crew ng ABS-CBN kaya’t posibleng malaki pa ang kanyang tsansang mabuhay kung naisugod sa pagamutan ng hindi ginagawan ng paraan upang tuluyan nang mamatay.
Posible umanong nilagyan ng supot sa ulo o sinakal si Padilla habang isinusugod sa Ospital ng Makati ng mga pulis na naging sanhi ng kanyang kamatayan at hindi sa tama ng bala sa kanang bahagi ng kilay.
Pinabulaanan naman ni Sr. Inspector Ricardo Bachar Luciano Jr., hepe ng RPIOU-Investigation Section, ang bintang at pinanindigan na lumaban at nakipagbarilan sa kanila si Padilla matapos itong masukol habang sakay ng carnap ding Toyota Vios na may plakang ZAP 355.
Hindi, aniya, sinakal o sinuputan ang ulo ni Padilla at ang resulta na asphyxia ay hindi sanhi ng strangulation o pagkakasakal kundi “asphyxia by blunt force” o hindi nakahinga dahil sa matinding tama ng bala na tinamo sa ulo. Nakita rin umano ng mga tauhan ng Scene of Crime Operatives na may sugat sa baba si Padilla na maaaring naumpog ito sa isang matigas na bagay sa loob ng kotse nito.
Ipinaliwanag pa ng opisyal na halos sampung minuto niyang hinihikayat na sumuko si Padilla subalit lumaban pa rin ito. Katunayan, aniya, ang kasama ni Padilla na si Mark Inducil, 23, ang magpapatunay na nanlaban ang suspek sa halip na sumuko.
Ayon naman kay Supt. Maristelo Manalo, hepe ng Anti-Carnapping Unit ng NCRPO, malinaw na walang naganap na rubout sa ginawa nilang operasyon dahil, aniya, makikita naman na ang kanyang sasakyan ay tadtad din ng tama ng bala ng baril nang makipagbarilan sa kanila si Padilla.
Sinabi pa rin ni Manalo na paninindigan din niya na shootout at hindi rubout ang ginawa nilang operasyon kaya’t handa din siyang humarap at sagutin ang mga akusasyon ng mga magulang at kamag-anak ni Padilla.
Maging ang bagong hepe ng NCRPO na si Director Leocadio Santiago ay nagpahayag na handa rin niyang ipasiyasat ang insidente sakaling maghain ng reklamo ang mga magulang ni Padilla.
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