Body of 'military spy' exhumed in Cotabato

KIDAPAWAN CITY -- Police and government troops exhumed on Saturday a male cadaver in Magpet town, North Cotabato where it was believed to be buried more than a year ago, reports said.

Senior Inspector Sunny Leoncito of the Magpet police station identified the cadaver as Teofilo Coquilla Jr., 43, of Tugbok district, Davao City.

Lieutenant Nasrullah Sema, head of the civil military operations of the 57th Infantry Battalion, said a rebel returnee, whom he refused to identify for security reasons, gave them information about the cadaver.

The victim, reports said, went missing since March 2, 2011 after he attended a barangay fiesta in Magpet town.

“Our source gave us very reliable information as to the whereabouts of Coquilla. When our operatives, including policemen from Magpet, went to the area to verify the report, we exhumed the cadaver of Coquilla,” Sema said.

Around 12:30 p.m. of Saturday, the team of Leoncito, and Army platoon led by Second Lieutenant Rolando Banquilay of the 57th IB proceeded to Sitio Mahimtang, Barangay Manobo, and started to exhume the cadaver, reports said.

Leoncito said the victim’s wife was with them when they went to the site.

The area, according to some village officials, was a former rebel enclave.

Around 9 p.m. of Saturday, the team brought the cadaver to the Villa Jusa Funeral Homes in Kidapawan City, where it underwent post-mortem examination led by the Scene of the Crime Operatives (Soco) in North Cotabato.

Leoncito, citing as basis the testimony of their informant, said a certain Commander Berto of the New Peoples' Army (NPA) Front 54 operating in North Cotabato was believed responsible for the killing of Coquilla.

The rebels, reports said, alleged the victim was a “military spy.”

Sema said the relatives are bent on filing charges against the perpetrators.

“As of now, we’re gathering data and preparing the affidavits of the witnesses needed for the filing of the criminal charges against those responsible for the killing,” Sema said. (Malu Cadelina Manar)