4ID: NDF, NPA gave inconsistent statements over death of 3 soldiers

From the Philippine Information Agency (Feb 7): 4ID: NDF, NPA gave inconsistent statements over death of 3 soldiers

Army’s Fourth Infantry Diamond (4ID) condemned the accusation of Luis Jalandoni of the National Democratic Front (NDF) over the killing of three soldiers in Bukidnon.

MGen Benjamin R Madrigal Jr., 4ID commander said that Jalandoni's accusations has added more injury to the pains and sufferings of the families and loved ones of our three soldiers. In an attempt to hide the barbarism of their armed wing and to deceive everyone about the incident, Jalandoni accused the AFP over killing our own troops.

"It is clear therefore that Mr Jalandoni is not in touch with the situation on the ground. Moreover, with the admission of Allan Juanito on the incident, let us see if Mr Jalandoni can sanction the perpetrators, apply the Geneva protocols, and bring them to justice. If he really wanted to pursue the peace talks with the government, he must order the NPA to stop terrorizing our communities, doing atrocities and start working with the whole nation on the attainment of lasting peace," said MGen Madrigal.

In a desperate attempt to cover up for the barbaric acts committed by their terrorist members, Jalandoni gave accusations and libelous statements against the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) during his interview with a TV network saying that the death of the three soldiers in Bukidnon was a rubout.

When asked by a TV news anchor about the said incident, Jalandoni said "Eh report po yan ng militar. Maaaring militar din ang bumaril ng maraming bala diyan sa kanila kasi wala pa kaming report na galing sa NPA. Kailangan tignan. Wala namang ganong patakaran ang NPA na gagamit ng ganung karaming bala sa isang enkwentro ho. So tignan nalang maaaring rubout din yan na galing ho sa military mismo para ipagbintang ho sa NPA…oo tignan nalang kasi ang reputation naman ng NPA mahusay na mahusay sa masa diyan sa iba't-ibang lugar."
 (That was a report from the military. There's a possibility that the military are the one's who shot at them because we still have no report from the NPA. We have to see this. It is never a policy of the NPA to waste several bullets in an encounter. It can be a rubout done by the military to put the blame to the NPA. Because we have to see that the NPA has established a good reputation to our people in different communities)

On the contrary, it can be noted that the day after the killing of the three soldiers, Allan Juanito, the NPA spokesperson for the Northcentral Mindanao Region, called up the media and owned up to the said killing saying that 'the soldiers were on board two motorcycles when they were flagged down by the NPA in Sitio Kalib, Barangay Kibalabag in Malaybalay, at around 5:00 p.m. on Feb. 1.'

Juanito further said that 'the soldiers tried to fight back, pulling out their firearms, but the NPA shot at them first to defend themselves resulting in their (the soldiers') deaths'. -- The said statement can also be seen in both local and national broadsheets and heard over the local radio stations. (4ID/PA)

http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/1461486456441/4id-ndf-npa-gave-inconsistent-statements-over-death-of-3-soldiers