From ABS-CBN (Sep 27): AFP: We subdued, not beat up, MNLF fighters
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Friday denied claims of some fighters from the Nur Misuari faction of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) that they were beaten up by soldiers upon their surrender or arrest.
In an interview with ANC's "News Now," AFP public affairs office chief Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala said there is no truth to the rebels' allegations, adding that all of them were treated "humanely."
"There's no truth to that. If ever...we don't tolerate those things," Zagala said.
"One thing for sure is we were able to remove them from the area of operations, we fed them, gave them water and then turned them over to the [Philippine National Police]," he added.
He said they even attended to the rebels' wounds, which he said they sustained in the clashes.
Zagala also noted that there is a difference between "subduing" and beating them.
"Of course they had to be restrained, put down initially because of the tenacity of the firefight... Because of the violence that they brought to the city of Zamboanga, we had to be sure that we were able to subdue them," he explained.
But Zagala said in case the MNLF is able to produce evidence that they were indeed maltreated by the soldiers, the AFP will not hesitate to immediately conduct an investigation.
A certain Elmar Madras, one of the rebels who surrendered to government security forces Thursday, claimed being maltreated by soldiers. "Mga sundalo binugbog kami."
According to Commission on Human Rights (CHR) commissioner Jose Manuel Mamauag, some fighters told the CHR team that they were hit by soldiers at the actual time of their arrest.
Mamauag, also in an interview with ANC, said the CHR is continuously monitoring the situation in Zamboanga to make sure that no human rights are violated.
About 200 MNLF fighters are now detained at a prison facility in Zamboanga City.
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/regions/09/27/13/afp-we-subdued-not-beat-mnlf-fighters
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