From the Visayan Daily Star (Nov 9): Army ready to
dialog with HR advocates
Major General Jose Mabanta, 3rd Infantry Division commander, yesterday said
they are open to a dialog with human rights advocates in Negros and Panay, to
stop human rights abuses in Western Visayas. This was after human rights group Karapatan-Negros condemned the alleged
involvement of an Army soldier in the killing of a farmer in Toboso, Negros
Occidental, last month. Mabanta said that while they are more than willing to cooperate with
Karapatan-Negros, he is asking them to present evidences, to the Philippine Army
so it can immediately conduct more intensive investigations. Army Sgt. Levi Tejano, a member of the 61st Infantry Battalion, was released
on October 29, almost four days after he was detained for the alleged shooting
to death of Vicente Villanueva in Brgy. San Jose, Toboso, after the family of
the victim failed to file charges against him, police investigations show.... Tejano and Villanueva, who claimed to be a member of the New People’s Army,
were having drinks on Oct. 24 and traded shots, after a heated debate over the
communist ideology and democracy, investigations by the Toboso police
showed.... Villanueva and Tejano, both residents of Brgy. San Jose, Toboso, and who were
classmates during their elementary years, were at the house of Tejano, when the
alleged shoot-out took place. Villanueva allegedly poked a homemade gun at the
soldier, who was about to leave, Zuniega said....
http://www.visayandailystar.com/2012/November/09/topstory8.htm
Hard to conduct a dialogue with the deaf. Karapatan is a CPP HR front organization dedicated to descrediting and undermining the Armed Fores of the Philippines.
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