Army tightens security measures vs. LAGs in Davao Region

From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 11): Army tightens security measures vs. LAGs in Davao Region

The Philippine Army has tightened security measures and called on the other law enforcement units in Davao region to be on alert against the assassinations being conducted by the Lawless Armed Group (LAG) New People’s Army (NPA).

The measure was implemented following the killing of Datu Ruben Labawan, an Ata-Manobo tribal leader and his aide last Wednesday, July 6 in Panabo City.

Labawan was on the way home from a meeting with other tribal leaders and representatives of government agencies when waylaid by six armed men in Barangay Credu, Panabo City, Davao del Norte.

Labawan died on the spot while his aide, Romeo Tanio was proclaimed dead on arrival at a medical facility in the area.

“The LAGs are into killing spree. They spare no one even those people who are involved in development works to help their communities,” said Captain Rhyan Batchar, chief information officer of the 10th Infantry Division of the army in an interview on Saturday morning.

Batchar said Labawan was innocent of the charges hurled against him by the NPA rebels.

On Friday, Rigoberto Sanchez, the spokesperson of the Southern Mindanao Region Operations Command of the NPA (NPA-SMROC) claimed responsibility of the killing of Labawan and his aide.

“The New People's Army in Southern Mindanao and the Lumad and peasant masses in the region commend the NPA-1st Pulang Bagani Battalion in successfully carrying out the standing order of the People’s Revolutionary Court in dispensing justice against Ruben Labawan last June 6 in Panabo City,” Sanchez said in a statement emailed to the media on Friday afternoon.

The rebels accused Labawan of “guilty of blood debts and thereby meted with the death penalty for serious crimes against the people, especially the Lumads and peasant settlers of Davao City and North Cotabato.”

Sanchez added that Labawan was also guilty of grave acts of collusion in the reactionary regime’s campaign of duplicity and disunity among Lumads.

But Batchar negated the NPA claims, stating that Labawan was involved in activities aimed to uplift the conditions of the lumads in his area in Paquibato District, Davao City.

In fact, he added, the victim just came from a meeting with other tribal leaders and government agencies that discussed the implementation of programs and projects designed to provide socio-economic programs and projects for the lumads, not only in Davao City but also for the entire Davao region.

“They killed an innocent man. Now that they accepted responsibility over the killing of Labawan it also showed that they committed another criminal act against innocent people,” Batchar added.

He also doubted if the NPAs and their leadership are really willing to come to the negotiating table to talk peace.

“The killing showed their insincerity to talk peace with the government,” Batchar said.

The killing of Labawan also gained condemnation from top officers of the AFP and the Philippine National Police (PNP) in the region.

Major General Rafael Valencia, commander of the 10th Infantry (Agila) Division, in an earlier statement expressed sorrow on the death of Labawan.

Valencia described the tribal leader as an active worker and partner of the government in identifying and implementation of programs and projects to alleviate the socio-economic condition of Indigenous People (IP) in Davao City and the whole region.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=902854