THE Philippine Army said on Tuesday, February 27, 2024, that it is open to any investigation amid the claims of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (NPA) on alleged irregularities in an operation that resulted in the death of its five members in Bilar, Bohol last week.
In a statement, Philippine Army spokesperson Lieutenant Colo Louie Dema-ala maintained the legitimacy of the operation in Bilar, Bohol on Friday, February 23, 2024, where police and military jointly served an arrest warrant to Domingo Jaspe Compoc, a suspected NPA leader.
“Our troops understand and uphold human rights and the International Humanitarian Law in the conduct of military operations. Each and every soldier strictly adheres to the standing rules of engagement to ensure the protection of the rights of our people,” he added.
Compoc, the top leader of the NPA insurgents in Bohol, was killed during the operation along with four other suspected rebels identified as Hannah Cesista, who served as former field investigator and paralegal of cause-oriented group Karapatan; Parlito Segovia; Marlon Omosura; and an individual only known as Juaning, but identified as Alberto Sancho by the CPP-NPA.
The police said the suspected rebels resisted arrest, resulting in the encounter.
In a statement, aside from accusing the state forces of deliberately killing the five individuals, the CPP-NPA said police and military personnel also abducted a certain Berting, whom they asked for Compoc’s location, and two of his minor companions, including a four-year-old child.
“Their location is yet unknown,” the group said.
It added that Police Corporal Gilbert Amper, who took part in the operation, was killed by military personnel “after a skirmish between the operating units of the PNP and AFP.”
“The PNP and AFP were racing against one another in trying to get to the location of the resting unit of the NPA. The PNP unit arrived first in the area and were able to catch Ka Silong (Compoc) and company unawares,” the CPP-NPA said.
“Operating troops of the 47th Infantry Battalion arrived later, sparking a firefight between them and the police unit, leading to the death of one police officer,” it added.
In a press conference, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief of the Public Information Office (PIO) Colonel Jean Fajardo said they will look into the authenticity of the photos floated by the CPP-NPA showing Compoc being accosted by a military personnel alive.
She said Central Visayas Police Regional Office Director Brigadier General Anthony Aberin has also ordered the conduct of an in-depth investigation on the incident.
“The statement came from the CPP-NPA and this is a self-serving statement on their part but nasabi na rin ito ng ating Chief PNP kahapon na open ang PNP sa anumang investigation na gagawin regarding this incident pero nasabi na rin ng ating Chief PNP na masakit yun para sa PNP na namatayan tayo ng isang pulis, may isang nasugatan para lang sabihin na ito ay isang insidente na gawa-gawa lamang ng PNP dahil hindi isasakripisyo ng PNP ‘yung buhay ng pulis natin para lang sa ganitong insidente,” said Fajardo.
“It’s quite easy for anyone to release a particular picture pero we have to check saan ba nakuha itong picture, authenticity ng pictures, sino ba nakakuha ng picture na ito. We cannot accept hook, line and sinker yung mga nilalabas sa media, particularly coming from the CPP-NPA,” she added. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)
