Davao council to investigate incident that killed three men, hurt 12-year-old

From Business World (Jun 18): Davao council to investigate incident that killed three men, hurt 12-year-old

The city council is set to investigate the death of three men and the wounding of a 12-year old in what the military calls an encounter but human rights group Karapatan asserts as a “massacre”.

“We will conduct an ocular inspection and a committee hearing on the massacre this week or maybe next week,” said Councilor Karlo S. Bello, chair of the committee on human rights.

A separate investigation will be conducted by Karapatan on June 19 and 20.

Mr. Bello said “massacre” could be the appropriate word for the incident considering that the victims were reportedly killed while attending a birthday party in a house located along a main road in Paquibato District, a remote part of Davao City with communities of indigenous peoples (IPs) and where the communist New People’s Army (NPA) is believed to have a base.

“Both the military and the lumads (IPs) have different versions, but what we can be sure of is that three people are dead so we will investigate this,” Mr. Bello said.

The incident took place midnight of June 14 when still unidentified members of the 69th Infantry Brigade of the Armed Forces of the Philippines allegedly strafed the residence of peasant and IP leader Aida Seisa.

Three who died from the shooting were identified as DatuRuben Enlog, Randy Carnasa, and Garyo Quimbo, all farmers residing within Paquibato, according to Karapatan. Mr. Enlog, an IP, was the leader of NAGKALUPA (Nagkahiusang Lumad Maguumasa Paquibato -- United Peasant Farmers of Paquibato); Mr. Carnasa was a religious leader and former head of a village sub-zone; and Mr. Quimbo was a church guitarist.

The wife of Mr. Enlog, Josefina, told the council during its regular session earlier this week: “My husband is not an NPA rebel.” On the other hand, the wife of Mr. Carnasa is an overseas Filipino worker and has yet to arrive home from Saudi Arabia.

The child of Ms. Seisa was also wounded in the incident.

Earlier this year, Ms. Seisa, the secretary-general of the Paquibato District Peasant Alliance (PADIPA) and vice-chairperson of SABOKAHAN Confederation of Lumad Women, asked the city council’s help for alleged harassment by members of the military who were in the area to contain the NPA.

On the other hand, Lt. Col. Rodney Intal, 69th Infantry Brigade commander, insisted that the three men were NPA members and that they were killed in an exchange of fire.

“It is not a massacre. These armed men fired at us first so we returned fire,” said Mr. Intal, adding that they went to the area after they received a report that rebel leader Kumander Parago and Nelson Algo alias “Upaw,” both of whom have existing warrants of arrest for murder, were in the house of Ms. Seisa.

http://www.bworldonline.com/content.php?section=Nation&title=davao-council-to-investigate-incident-that-killed-three-men-hurt-12-year-old&id=109952