Military denies involvement of Cafgu in Lumad slay

From the Sun Star-Davao (Sep 7): Military denies involvement of Cafgu in Lumad slay

LOCAL authorities dismissed the allegations of a militant group that a Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit (Cafgu) was behind the killing of a Lumad (Indigenous People) last Monday, September 4, citing that it was the liquidation unit of the New People's Army who perpetrated the crime.

Philippine Army's 10th Infantry Division (ID) assistant division commander Brigadier General Datuin, during the AFP-PNP press forum at The Royal Mandaya Hotel, on Wednesday, September 6, denied the accusations thrown against their militiaman, who was allegedly behind the killing of Obillo Bay-ao, a farmer.

"Hindi Cafgu ito (This is not Cafgu). We are categorically denying the information that it was the Cafgu. Yesterday, we immediately conducted an investigation and the Cafgu was on his duty so it couldn’t be the Cafgu there. This is still under investigation," Datuin said.

Senior Superintendent Marcial Magistrado, director of the Davao Del Norte police, said the shooting incident ensued on around 12 p.m., Monday, September 4, wherein Bay-ao, 27, and a resident of Sitio Dulian, Barangay Palma Gil, Talaingod, Davao del Norte was shot by an unidentified suspect.

He succumbed to a gunshot wound several hours after he was rushed to the Davao Regional Medical Center in Tagum City.

Magistrado said the victim was tilling land together with his mother when the unidentified perpetrator shot him.

Authorities are looking on the possibility that the suspects are members of a lawless armed group (LAG) who target members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine National Police (PNP), civilians, and their supporters like Bay-ao, who is a relative of a Cafgu.

"We are still investigating and we have already persons of interest na probably perpetrated by lawless armed groups. Ito ang tinitingnan sa investigation natin ngayon (The is what we’re looking at in the current investigation)," Magistrado said.

He also said that the NPA has directed its Special Partisan Units or so-called Sparrow units, their urban hit squad, to descend and conduct Oplan Halang-Halang.

Magistrado cited a similar shooting incident last July 22, where a Cafgu member named Gawilan Salangani was shot by alleged members of the LAGs but the Cafgu survived.

Authorities have already filed a case of frustrated murder against Romel Tausan and Laro Manlolopis, members of the Guerilla Front 55, who were identified by the witnesses.

Black propaganda

Karapatan, a human rights advocate group, claimed in a statement posted on their Facebook page on Monday that a Cafgu named Ben Salangani from Sitio Barobo, killed the victim, whom they described as a 19-year-old grade six pupil of Salogpongan Ta Tanu Igkanogon Community Learning Center (STTICLC) at Sitio Dulyan in Barangay Palma Gil.

The Save Our Schools Network-Southern Mindanao Region told Karapatan-SMR that Obillo was at the STTICLC's agricultural farm, harvesting their products when shot by Salangani.

Datuin, meanwhile, called the statement as a mere propaganda because of the twisted facts they presented which is opposite to the result of the investigation. He also challenged the group to justify their accusations and file appropriate charges.

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/davao/local-news/2017/09/07/military-denies-involvement-cafgu-lumad-slay-562732