PA mulls filing of libel raps against militant NGO

From the Philippine News Agency (Jan 20): PA mulls filing of libel raps against militant NGO

The Philippine Army (PA) is looking into the possibility of filing libel charges against the Save Our Schools Network (SOSN) after publishing reports claiming paramilitary units killed a 15-year-old on January 17.

The group, in its website, claimed Alibando Tingkas, was killed by the Alamara, a militia unit allegedly raised and funded by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

"This is another deceptive attempt of the SOSN to put the AFP in a bad light,” 10th Infantry Division commander Major Gen. Rafael C. Valencia said.

The AFP earlier denied any links with the Alamara.

"Based on our investigation, it was another local conflict instigated by the New People’s Army (NPA), a cohort of SOSN,” he added.

"We are now planning to file a libel case against SOSN. We hope this will give clearer information to their donors on what SOSN is really doing," Valencia stressed.

The incident started when NPAs belonging to Guerilla Front 55 of the Southern Mindanao Regional Committee identified as Luib Daus alyas Bagani, Dalahis Manlulugpis alyas Carlos and Tudtud Ladahay ambushed and killed a Lumad farmer, Donato Salangani in the morning of January 17.

Salangani's death reportedly triggered a retaliatory attack that led to the killing of Tingkas, a student of Salugpungan school in Talaingod, Davao Del Norte in the afternoon of the same day.

Valencia said these were all recorded in a blotter at the Office of the Ata-Manobo Council of Elders of Talaingod who is now conducting a thorough investigation on the matter.

“SOSN has a history of blaming the military of every incident in Mindanao. We have evidence to show that this is their strategy in getting attention from international organizations to raise funds," he added.

It can be recalled that in 2015, the SOSN posted in their Facebook page a picture of soldiers behind a white helicopter at a far-flung elementary school in Paquibato District, Davao City with a caption saying that the military is transforming the school as a landing platform for combat operations.

The post was immediately removed in the SOSN FB page when the netizens protested after learning that the helicopter was used by Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte in going to the area to attend a ceremony in line with the commemmoration of Independence Day.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=848511