ABANDONED. The villagers in Las Navas town in a dialogue with Philippine Army after they were brought by a left-leaning group to the town center to protest the alleged human rights abuses by the military. The soldiers and the local government took care of the elderly, women and children after they were abandoned by the group at the town plaza. (Photo from Philippine Army 20th Infantry Battalion FB page)
The Philippine Army has denounced a front organization of the New People's Army (NPA) for spreading fake news on the alleged human rights abuses committed by government forces in Las Navas, Northern Samar.
In a statement repeatedly posted on social media by the Philippine Army’s 20th Infantry Battalion (IB), the military unit branded the members of the group Katungod Sinirangan Bisayas-Karapatan as “liars” as they advance the interest of the communist-terrorist NPA.
The Army also questioned the group for conducting its own “national fact-finding mission” on the killings and abuses in the towns of Las Navas and Calbiga, Samar on Tuesday. The group pushed for the investigation even without representatives from national government agencies.
“They conducted their fault finding mission in the guise of being official representatives of the Commission on Human Rights. Their intention is to deceive the people in remote communities,” the military said.
The 20th IB issued this statement after the NPA’s front organization posted photos on May 10 of the evacuation of about 20 residents of San Miguel village and nearby communities due to alleged “militarization” in the area.
“They deceived these people and brought them to the town center to protest the alleged human rights abuses of 20th IB. In a dialogue with the local government, they failed to stand their arguments since none of the village officials affirmed the alleged human rights abuses,” the Philippine Army said.
The soldiers and the local government took care of the elderly, women and children after the Katungod Sinirangan Bisayas–Karapatan abandoned them at the town plaza.
“The same soldiers whom they branded as human right violators assisted these locals in cooperation with Las Navas local government to bring them back to San Miguel the following day,” the military added.
The military has called on the communist rebels anew to stop the atrocities, lies, and deception.
It was in San Miguel village where nine-year-old Armando Jay Raymunde was killed after NPA rebels detonated a landmine near an army detachment on April 18.
A week later, Apolinario Lebico, the village chief of San Miguel was gunned down by NPA rebels while on board a motorcycle. The recent violence in Las Navas was on May 7 when armed rebels shot farmer Melvin Cabe while hunting birds in Tagab-iran village.
The recent violence has sparked public outrage against the communist rebels in Las Navas town. After these incidents, the terror group has been hurling issues against the military to impress to the public that soldiers are anti-poor, fascist, and human rights violators.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1070444
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