Troops accused of rape, torture and killing captured rebels in Davao City

From the Mindanao Examiner (Jun 16): Troops accused of rape, torture and killing captured rebels in Davao City

The National Democratic Front, the political arm of communist rebels, which is negotiating peace with the incoming Duterte administration, has accused the government troops of raping a captured female fighter and torturing two others before executing them all in Davao City.

Rubi del Mundo, a spokesman for the NDF in southern Philippines, tagged members of the 72^ndInfantry Battalion and pro-government militias from the notorious Alamara forces were behind the killings.

He said the trio – Mary Jane Quimbo, Will Biliran and Elenita Garing – were captured following a firefight in Lumiad village in Paquibato district on June 9 and had been tortured and raped before killing them and their bodies dumped by soldiers in a ditch.

“The National Democratic Front in Southern Mindanao condemns the most recent horrendous commission of war crimes perpetrated by AFP troops in the region that are clearly designed to undermine and derail the initial goodwill being established by the NDFP and the incoming government of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte,” Del Mundo said.

“Masses in Paquibato witnessed enemy troops carrying Ka Will and Ka Milo at around 8 p.m. in Barangay Lumiad. They were brutally tortured and summarily killed. Their bodies bore torture marks and were dumped in a ditch. Ka Milo was raped by the enemy,” he added.

Del Mundo said the government soldiers violated war conventions and international humanitarian laws. “This recent barbaric violation of war conventions and international humanitarian laws shows how degenerate the AFP has become in the face of defeat in the people’s war,” he said.

He said just last month, government troops also executed 6 innocent villager suspected as rebels or NPA sympathizers. Del Mundo accused the military of sabotaging the peace talks with the Duterte administration. There was no immediate statement from the military on Del Mundo’s allegations.

http://mindanaoexaminer.com/troops-accused-of-rape-torture-and-killing-captured-rebels-in-davao-city/