Fr. Santiago Salas, Spokesperson
National Democratic Front of the
NDF-EV denounces military
for brutal killings in Motiong,
The National Democratic
Front-Eastern Visayas strongly condemned the the Armed Forces of the Philippines today for killing four
civilians, wounding four more, and abducting two others last Sept. 26 in Motiong, Samar. According to NDF-EV spokesperson Fr.
Santiago Salas, the victims were attacked because they have long been protesting
military abuses in their area, further noting that “some of them were victims
of Gen. Jovito Palparan in
2005, and they are still victims today.” He added that the military is stepping
up attacks against civilians under the Arroyo regime’s Oplan
Bantay Laya II to create a
climate of fear in an all-out war against the revolutionary movement.
“We condemn the 8th Infantry
Division and its 46th Infantry Battalion, which is directly responsible for
these bloody human rights violations in its area of responsibility,” Fr. Salas
said. “In the first incident, Brgy.
Councilor Ernesto General was shot dead by assailants believed to be soldiers
on operations while he was walking with his wife and a companion towards Brgy. Caranas. Because of this, Caranas
Brgy. Capt. Bedasto Dacatimban and others immediately went to complain to the
46th IB camp in Brgy. Calapi,
Motiong. But they were ambushed on the way home by
those believed to be military elements, resulting in the deaths of Brgy. Capt. Dacatimban, Brgy. Tanod Benito Dacutanan, and Simplicio Ebit, and the wounding
of Jonathan Dacutanan, Sangguaniang
Kabataan Chairman of Brgy.
Caranas;
Benjamin Dacatimban; Noel Cabael;
and Wilson Garen. Two
others, Brgy. Councilor Jaime Dacutanan and Richard Dacatimban,
are reported missing and were most probably abducted.”
Fr. Salas also assailed Chief Supt. Abner Cabalquinto, PNP Regional
Director, for trying to pin the blame for the brutal killings on the New
People’s Army. “Cabalquinto is a lying scoundrel for
trying to smear the bloody crimes of the AFP on the NPA. Cabalquinto’s
police work consists of covering up for the military, even though he admits
that there were military operations in the area when the killings occurred, and
that most of the victims had been complaining at the military camp. Moreover,
many are aware that at least two of the victims, Brgy.
Councilors General and Dacutanan, were publicly
reported as having been victims of military abuses under Gen. Jovito Palparan in 2005 when
forcible evacuations occurred in Brgy. Caranas and
nearby villages in Motiong.”
The NDF-EV spokesperson also said
that the military and police are capitalizing on the brutal killings to promote
the pretext that 89% of the barangays in
Fr. Salas demanded that the military
immediately surface and free Brgy. Councilor Jaime Dacutanan and Richard Dacatimban,
and refrain from further harming the other survivors. He also called for the
immediate withdrawal, investigation and punishment of the 46th Infantry
Battalion and other abusive units of the 8th ID. “Military atrocities only
rouse the people even more to resist and defend their democratic rights,” he
said. “The NPA supports the democratic struggles of the people, and vows to do
its utmost to launch tactical offensives against the most notorious military
units as punishment. The people’s armed and unarmed forms of struggle will
certainly grow in power in confronting the corrupt and cruel Arroyo regime to
make it pay for its crimes.”