LT. GENERAL Eduardo Año, Commanding General of the Philippine Army, and two military officials are facing charges filed before the City Prosecution Office yesterday afternoon for their alleged involvement in the death of three people in Purok 7, Barangay Paradise Embac in Paquibato District.
Año, former commander of the 10th Infantry Division, Lt. Col. Rodney Intal, commander of 69th Infantry Battalion and 1st Lt. Christopher Santos, operations officer of the 69th Infantry Battalion, are facing charges for three counts of murder, six counts of frustrated murder, robbery, serious physical injury, grave threats and grave coercion.
The complaints were lodged by Aida Seisa, Rosita P. Sanduanan and Nestor Flores all residents of Paradise Embac, Paquibato District.
Initial reports said that the incident happened at 12:05 a.m. of June 14, 2015, when Datu Ruben Enlog, tribal leader and chair of Nagkapul; Ramil Enlog and Randy Carnasa were killed on the spot.
The filing of charges was assisted by progressive group Karapatan.
Seisa, in her signed affidavit, said that on the night of July 13 they were having an advanced wedding anniversary and birthday celebration of their daughter because her husband, will be going away for two months.
Seisa’s 12-year-old daughter was wounded during the attack.
Seisa is a leader of Paquibato District Peasant Alliance and secretary general of Sabokahan, an organization of Lumad women.
Lt. Col. Intal earlier said the military operation was legitimate as they acted on a report from local residents who complained of extortion from armed groups in the area.
Capt. Alberto Caber, information officer of Eastern Mindanao Command, also claimed that soldiers recovered one M14 rifle, two unexploded improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and backpacks at the area.
The city council on Tuesday passed a resolution requesting the 69th Infantry Battalion to pull out the detachment in Paradise Embac, Paquibato District.
The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) on June 16 has started their independent investigation on the deaths of three people in Paquibato District. CHR-Davao chief investigator Emiliano Cajes earlier said that the evaluation would focus on the human rights aspects of the incident.
However, the CHR is yet to issue a resolution on the incident.
Just another example of Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) front organizations using the legal system as a tool in their propaganda/disinformation effort targeting Philippine military units in the Davao area. In addition to discrediting the military and undermining popular support for its activities, the core commie objective is to force the removal of AFP military forces, especially the 69th Infantry Battalion, from the Talaingod area of Paquibato district, a region long recognized as a major stronghold of the Maoist New People's Army, the military wing of the CPP.
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