THE Police Regional Office in Davao vowed to assist the families of the victims who were killed by the members of the New People’s Army (NPA) in filing of cases against the suspects after a body was retrieved in Talaingod, Davao del Norte during Oplan Lakbay Hukay.
In a press conference on Wednesday, PRO Davao Region spokesperson Police Chief Inspector Jason Baria said that the Scene of the Crime Operatives (Soco) team have already identified the victim whose body was dug up on Tuesday at Sitio Dulyan, Barangay Palma Gil, Talaingod, Davao del Norte by the composite team of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) personnel.
The activity was conducted together with the Mindanao Peoples Council of Elders and Leaders (MIPCEL). They proceeded to the area to conduct "Lakbay Hukay" Operation or a digging of mass grave of Indigenous People (IP) leaders liquidated by the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) NPA.
The first body that was exhumed was identified as Olas Salangani, a former active member of the NPA. The brother of the victim, Datu Alambe Salangani, said that his younger brother was killed on September 24, 2015 by the communist rebels after he surrendered in 2014. He was shot to death by five NPA rebels.
Baria said witnesses’ accounts and evidences are being collated for the filing of cases. He said that the five individuals were already identified while the remains of the victim have been subjected for forensic examination in Davao del Norte Crime Laboratory.
"Lakbay-Hukay Operation" is administered to give decent burial to the victims of injustices committed by the CPP-NPA-NDF, to expose the summary execution of the rebel group to the IP leaders and members, to provide basis of filing a case against CPP-NPA to national and international court to seek justice and toget the commitment of support of all government agencies, NGOs, and other sectors to deliberately address the security issues of the ICCs/IPs, the military said.
Meanwhile, Baria said that five more bodies will be dug up in the town of Talaingod who were likewise victims of the NPA’s injustices.