MILITANT groups in Negros Occidental claimed the encounter between the military and suspected members of the New People’s Army (NPA) at Barangay Washington in Escalante City last week was “fake.”
Rey Alburo, secretary-general of Northern Negros Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (NNAHRA), in a press statement, said residents attested that soldiers already swarmed the whole area as early as 5 a.m.
“The so-called ‘encounter’ happened only around 10 a.m., according to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). Before the so-called ‘encounter,’ classes in the nearby elementary school were ongoing at that time. Teachers and students were ordered to stay down, as the soldiers were already planning on firing their weapons,” it said.
The residents, who did not dare to go out because of the “Abu Sayyaf scare,” said they could not see who the soldiers were firing at, it said.
“But while some soldiers appeared to be maneuvering and shooting, many other soldiers were just relaxed and even cooking rice very near the so-called ‘encounter site.’ The shots came from only one direction and were more like indiscriminate firing or strafing. This caused panic and fear among many residents because the military fired in the populated area, and shots were heard near the elementary school,” Alburo added.
The group believed that “militarization” is real as military poured several armed units into the area.
”Checkpoints were held to control the movement of the population. All transportation was on hold. Relatives of residents were not allowed to immediately check on their family,” Alburo said.
On November 16, the military reported that two suspected NPA members were killed in a clash with the rebels at the said village, which also resulted to the recovery of M16 rifle, .45 caliber pistol, bandoleer with six steel magazines and 120 live ammunition, two water containers, two sacks of rice, assorted belongings, and subversive documents with high intelligence value at the crash site.
Arevalo earlier clarified there was “no militarization” in the area because the presence of military and police there was intended for clearing operations following the reports of armed men sightings in the village.
But the militant groups claimed the “Abu Sayyaf scare” was a story that came from the soldiers, who were deployed in the village.
The group also reiterated the allegation of the military about the alleged presence of two persons they tagged as alleged NPA members in relation to the Sagay massacre was “fake news.”
Alburo said the truth was that a family of the survivors of the Sagay massacre is trying to rebuild their lives with their relatives in the village but the military continue to threaten and harass them.
“The family is repeatedly maligned by the police and military as ‘fake grandparents’ of the 14-year-old witness but the truth is they are survivors of the massacre and their own son was one of those killed.”
They also assailed Arevalo for red-tagging human rights organizations.
”We condemn Arevalo for his dangerous statements against legitimate peasant organizations and human rights advocates,” Alburo added.
Meanwhile, the National Federation of Sugarworkers (NFSW)-Northern Negros, in a press statement, also claimed “it is obvious that the military desperately wants to make it appear that the Sagay survivors are connected to the NPA. Even the office of the NFSW in Sagay City is under surveillance, pictures are taken by suspected state intelligence agents.”
Aside from this, the leaders of NFSW, Karapatan and the NNAHRA, and other progressive organizations which are helping in the Sagay case were tailed and monitored, the statement said. “They even received death threats through text messages, and suspicious persons aboard motorcycles are always posted near or in front of their homes.”
The killers want to threaten all human rights defenders and advocates and lump them with the CPP-NPA to justify the killings, it also said.
Not contented with the threats, the military made it appear that an encounter ensued so they could claim massacre survivors are close to the NPA.
”All these violations they carry out with impunity to suppress the peasant movement for genuine land reform,” the group said.
The NFSW also believed that the military also launched massive militarization in Escalante to prevent the big contingent of farmers and progressive organizations who are scheduled to attend the funeral of human rights lawyer Benjamin Ramos Jr., who was murdered in Kabankalan City on November 6.
”Today, the people demand the immediate pull-out of the military at the village to facilitate a mission to uncover the true events and new violations and threats against survivors of the Sagay massacre and other members of progressive organizations,” it said.
Meanwhile, the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (Nocppo) said in a press statement they cannot afford to just wait to be attacked and harassed by the elements of NPA.
The government forces are ready any time to initiate a counter-offensive operation to arrest and thwart any treacherous plans by NPA, it said.
The encounter recently at the said village favors the government forces since the vital information was given by the neighbors of alleged NPA coddlers, the provincial police office said.
”It is clear that the NPA is using the community as a shield while collecting their revolutionary taxes and making their evil plans against the forces of the government,” it said.
Nocppo also said that the puzzle of the Sagay massacre is now clear that behind the incident was the CPP-NPA.
”The elements of NPA encountered by government forces in the village deliberately showed that they were hiding the suspects to escape the arms of law and their desperate attempt to influence and brainwash the witnesses to their favor,” it said.