Wednesday, June 10, 2020

Remains of 2 NPA victims exhumed in Surigao Norte

From the Philippine News Agency (Jun 10, 2020): Remains of 2 NPA victims exhumed in Surigao Norte (By Alexander Lopez)



VICTIMS OF NPA ATROCITY. The remains of a militiaman and former village councilor who were abducted and killed in April 2019 by suspected communist New People’s Army rebels are exhumed Tuesday (June 9, 2020) in the hinterland village of Ima in Sison town, Surigao del Norte. Mayor Karissa R. Fetalvero-Paronia said it’s time for NPA rebels and their supporters to weigh their options. (Photo grab from Sison on the Rise Facebook Page)

Authorities on Tuesday exhumed the remains of a member of the Citizens Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU) and a village councilor who were abducted and killed by communist rebels in April last year, the mayor of Sison town in Surigao del Norte said.

Mayor Karissa R. Fetalvero-Paronia said the bodies were discovered in a shallow grave at Barangay Ima following the revelation of a former communist New People’s Army (NPA) rebel who recently surrendered to the government.

“These are the remains of a CAFGU member and a former village councilor from Barangay Gacepan, Sison town. They were missing since last year but recently, through a revelation made by a former rebel, their remains were finally found and recovered,” Paronia told the Philippine News Agency Wednesday (June 10).

Present during the exhumation were barangay officials, soldiers from the Army's 30th Infantry Battalion and the Philippine National Police (PNP), the mayor said.

“The families of the victims now want justice. Those responsible for these killings must face charges,” Paronia said.

She said the wife of the CAFGU member was still nourishing her newly-born baby when her husband was abducted and eventually killed by suspected NPA members.

The wife of the former village councilor who was also killed by the rebels, she said, now serves as Barangay Health Worker (BHW) in the village.

Paronia said the local government has already extended support to the families of the victims especially in the processing of papers for the proper turnover of the remains.

“They identified all of the belongings found in the grave site and certain that the remains belong to their missing family members,” she added.

She also urged the residents in Sison, especially those in far-flung villages, to support the continuing efforts of the government to end the local communist armed conflicts.

“Please be aware always especially in the recruitment of the NPA among our youth and the indigenous peoples (IPs). These sectors are the targets of recruitment of the NPA,” the mayor said.

She added that the government, under the leadership of President Rodrigo R. Duterte, is waging war against terrorism and that the people must extend support to such endeavor.

“To our people in Sison, especially those who continue to support the NPA, it is time for us to think and weigh our options. The government has done everything to provide the necessary help to you and your communities through programs, projects and services,” Paronia said.

The NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the Philippines.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1105485

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