Monday, March 03, 2008 Communist group won't turn in assassin: Rody
DAVAO City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte believes it is unlikely for the New People's Army (NPA) guerillas to turn in their comrades who killed Davao businessman Vicente S. Ferrazzini as urged by military officials.
But beyond stating his opinion on this, the mayor refused to give further comment on the apology made by the NPA for the death of Ferrazzini.
The Ferrazzini family had already issued a statement on this regard and it is best that the matter be left for the military to solve, Duterte said in last Sunday's "Gikan sa Masa, Para sa Masa".
"Wala tay mahimo (We can no longer do anything). I am only encouraging the government to do more. Sa mga (To the) NPA, I'd like to tell them na dito ako sa gobyerno (that I am with government). I am not on your (NPA) side," Duterte said.
Last week, Eastern Mindanao Command chief Lieutenant General Cardoso Luna said if the NPA is really sincere in apologizing to the Ferrazzini family and to the "public", then they should run after their comrades who committed the mistake.
Luna said this is the least the rebels could to the Ferrazzinis and the Dabawenyos considering that a life was lost just because of a mistake committed by their rebel commanders.
The Ferrazinnis expressed their desire to be left alone and return to their normal lives "and not live in fear."
In "A Statement of Self-Criticism on the Ferrazini Killing" sent through email by the NPA-MAC dated February 25, 2008 and carrying the name Rigoberto Sanchez, the NPA said after an investigation on Vicente's assassination, they have "established the conclusion that the grounds on which a lower unit command of NPA based its decision to mete out the particular action taken against Vicente Ferrazini are insufficient to warrant the maximum penalty of death." (BOT)
