Teenage survivor of Bukidnon ‘encounter’ denies they are NPA rebels

From GMA News (Sep 10): Teenage survivor of Bukidnon ‘encounter’ denies they are NPA rebels

 A teenager who survived an assault by government troops in Bukidnon last month has surfaced to deny that what happened was an encounter as claimed by the military, a report on GMA News TV's "QRT" said Thursday.

The report quoted the 15-year-old survivor as saying that he, his father, brother and three of his cousins were resting after working in a ricefield in Pangantucan town on August 18 when they were fired upon by members of the Army's 4th Infantry Division.

The survivor, identified only as Nono, was able to flee the scene, but his five companions were killed, the report said.

Nono is now under the custody of human rights group Karapatan.

In an interview on "QRT," Capt. Joe Patrick Martinez, spokesperson for the 4th ID, said the fatalities, who he claimed were New People's Army (NPA) rebels, were fully armed and fired at them first.

"Along that area, nakita rin po natin 'yung 19 backpacks ng New People's Army and one AK-47. In fact, dalawa po 'yung sundalo natin na wounded during that exchange of fire... [they] were hit first kaya po nag-return fire ang ating mga sundalo," Martinez said.

He added that all official reports indicated that the encounter that occurred three kilometers away from the Manobo community had no survivor.

Martinez also said paraffin tests performed by SOCO and the Philippine National Police on the bodies of the fatalities turned out positive for traces of gunpowder burns.

The spokesperson clarified that they sought guidance with the Manobo regarding the proper funeral rites for their people, contrary to claims made by the kin of the slain men that the rites were violated.

"We sought guidance po and help sa mga barangay council together with the Pangantucan municipal police station for the identification po ng ating mga kababayan na nasawi po nung time ng bakbakan," Martinez said..

However, Nono denied that his father, brother and three cousins were armed, saying his father had poor eyesight and required assistance to move.

Datu Jomorito Guaynon, chairman of the Kalumbay Federation of Lumad in Northern Mindanao, countered Martinez's claims, saying they were able to confirm that the slain men were not NPA rebels but members of an indigenous tribe or Lumad during a visit in the area last September 1.

"Sa pagpunta natin noon nung nakaraang September 1, sa isang fact-finding mission, kinausap natin ang mga kaanak at saka 'yung tribal datu doon na sabi nila ay hindi ito mga NPA dahil sila ay sibilyan at nakatira doon sa Barangay Mendez, Pangantucan, Bukidnon," Guaynon said.

He, however, admitted that the area where the encounter happened was a known bailiwick of the NPA.

"Hindi naman namin itinatakwil o idineny na sa bundok na 'yan ay maraming mga NPA, pero anong responsibilidad namin doon? Wala kaming magagawa doon para maki-away sa NPA kung hindi sa amin lang ay sana i-respeto ng military yung sibilyang katutubong lumad at habulin nila yung totoong armado saka NPA," Guaynon said.

He also sought to discredit the paraffin test conducted by the military on the bodies.

Victor Alleria of CHR Northern Mindanao, in a separate report, said they are already looking into the issue. 

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/536414/news/regions/teenage-survivor-of-bukidnon-encounter-denies-they-are-npa-rebels