Aid won’t bring dead back, NPA told

From the Visayan Daily Star (Feb 4): Aid won’t bring dead back, NPA told

The burial of five of the nine ambush victims, the responsibility for whose deaths has been claimed by the Leonardo Panaligan Command of the New People’s Army, was held Saturday at a public cemetery in Brgy. Cabacungan, La Castellana.

The rites turned out to be a rally, with about 1,200 mourners, some of them carrying placards, denouncing the rebel atrocities and the families rejecting an offer of assistance from the NPA.

Maria Cecilia Dingcong, wife of Enrique Dingcong, who was driving a local government vehicle to deliver the three policemen, barangay tanods and members of the Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team and civilians, to Brgy. Cabacungan, La Castellana, from the fiesta, said no amount of money could bring back the life of her husband.

“I want justice and not their financial assistance”, Dingcong said during the burial of her husband Saturday.

Also buried Saturday at the Cabacungan cemetery were Ramil Complesa, Mario Ricablanca, Virginia Ordonez and Teotimo Esplegera and Joselito Lucban, whose mourners and families carried placards, expressing outrage at the incident.

Joselito Lucban and Jonathan Mateo were also buried yesterday at the Cabacungan cemetery, with about 500 residents present.

Dingcong, who described the killing of her husband as brutal and inhumane, claimed that the P9,000 her husband had in his pocket, supposedly to be used as a down payment for a motorcycle, was missing.

In a tape recorded statement furnished to the media Friday, Rebel spokesman Ka JB Regalado explained that they had no intention to stage an ambush, but only to disarm policemen and armed BPAT members. He claimed they had seized seven firearms.

Regalado apologized only for the death of civilians Virginia Ordonez and Enrique Dingcong, and the wounding of a 14-year-old boy and 11 others, during the Jan. 27 incident in Brgy. Puso, La Castellana.

Admitting lapses by their fighters, Regalado said they will extend financial assistance to the civilian victims and initiate disciplinary action against their members.

In 2009, the NPA, through National Democratic Front-Negros spokesman priest-turned rebel Frank Fernandez, also apologized for the deaths of three civilians, and injuries of four others, in an ambush perpetrated by their fighters in Brgy. Salamanca, Toboso, Negros Occidental.

The families of the victims, however, described the statement of Regalado to the media, as a “lame excuse”.

Col. Oscar Lactao, commander of the Army’s 303rd Infantry Brigade, also slammed the offer of monetary payment of the NPAs. “It is not money we are talking about here; it is about the loss of loved ones, of the victims’ right to live, and it is about justice.” he said.

“If they (NPA) just pay damages to the victims’ families, will this justify that they can kill people unarmed and just compensate them with money?” he asked.

Twelve other persons, including two policemen, six BPAT members and four civilians, were injured in the ambush on Jan. 27 in Brgy. Puso, La Castellana. The incident was described by the military and local government officials as a massacre.

If they claim to have had no intention of staging an ambush, how come that the action of the NPA rebels during the incident was so brutal? Col. Francisco Patrimonio, 302nd Infantry Brigade commander, asked, pointing out that most of the fatalities were shot in the head to ensure their instantaneous death.

Survivors of the massacre, including PO3 Constantino Villegas and PO2 Jeffrey Alvarez, however, disputed rebel claims that they were the ones who fired first, and that the victims were not shot in the head.

Villegas said the rebels were even laughing after shooting the victims in the head, including Dingcong and PO1 Richard Canja.

Patrimonio said the apology of the NPAs leadership and the alleged investigation of their members involved in the massacre is not enough to indemnity the victim’s families and affected communities.

He also dared human rights group Karapatan and its allies in Negros to denounce the massacre perpetrated by the NPA.

Lactao said the Philippine Army and the PNP in Negros will continue working hard and soliciting local government, non-government and private individuals’ support for the families left behind by the victims.

http://www.visayandailystar.com/2013/February/04/topstory2.htm