Samar town mayors to bring complaints of NPA harassment to NDF-govt monitoring committee

From InterAksyon (Jun 21): Samar town mayors to bring complaints of NPA harassment to NDF-govt monitoring committee

The mayors of Pinabacdao and Motiong towns in Samar said they will bring before the Joint Monitoring Committee set up by the government and National Democratic Front of the Philippines the alleged harassment by the New People’s Army during the recent campaign and the May 9 elections.

Motiong Mayor Francisco Langi said Antonio Jabaan, a Nacionalista Party supporter whose brother Salvador ran for vice mayor, was murdered by what town chief of police Senior Inspector Rio Tan described, based on witness accounts, as an NPA member.

Langi also said his son Aldwin lost his bid to replace him as mayor because he got no votes in seven barangays considered their bailiwick. He claimed residents of these villages said communist rebels either forced them to vote for Aldwin’s opponent or ordered them to leave and not vote.

In Pinabacdao, Mayor Mario Quijano also reportedly lost his reelection bid because of similar harassment by the NPA in several villages. And two days before Election Day, rebels allegedly murdered his police security aide.

Langi questioned the military’s declaration of Motiong as a “conflict-manageable and development-ready area,” meaning the town is basically insurgency-free.

But Captain Ian Fabellon, spokesman of the Army’s 8th Infantry Division, said they could not be faulted because the local government issues the declaration and the mayor is one of the signatories to the memorandum of agreement on this.

Langi explained that the declaration was intended to signal the town’s readiness for development but insisted he did not expect the alleged harassment by the NPA. He added that he had not received any demand from the rebels to pay for the so-called “permit to win/campaign” within territory they claim to control.

With formal peace talks between the incoming Duterte administration and the NDFP expected to resume next month, Quijano said: “Sana maisama itong mga issues na ito sa peace talks na gagawin. Dapat maimbestigahan na kung bakit sila nakikisali sa election eh ‘di ba ang sa kanila pinaglalaban nila ang ideology nila (These issues should be included in the peace talks. They should investigate why they interfere in the elections because, aren’t they supposed to be fighting for their ideology)?”

Commission on Human Rights Eastern Visayas director Paquito Nacino said his office has not received any complaint from Motiong or Pinabacdao. Nevertheless, he said they can initiate an investigation on the purported rebel harassment on their own as soon as they receive enough information.

http://interaksyon.com/article/129328/samar-town-mayors-to-bring-complaints-of-npa-harassment-to-ndf-govt-monitoring-committee