Thousands join burial of NPA leader's daughter

DAVAO CITY, Philippines  – Thousands joined yesterday the protest march and burial of Rebelyn Pitao, the 21-year-old daughter of New People’s Army leader Leoncio Pitao, also known as Commander Parago, who was snatched and killed last week by unidentified armed men in this city.

A funeral service was held at the Iglesia Filipina Independente church along Torres St. before her remains were brought to the Davao Memorial Park where she was laid to rest.

Pitao did not show up for the wake and the burial even if he was afforded a safe conduct pass.

But he apologized to Rebelyn for his absence in a phone-patched message during the wake Friday night, saying he was aware that military intelligence personnel are just waiting for the opportunity to arrest him.

“I’ll see you in heaven,” was Pitao’s message to his daughter, reiterating his vow to go after the perpetrators of her murder.

National Democratic Front of the Philippines chair Luis Jalandoni, also in a phone patch, extended his condolences to the Pitao family.

‘Provide evidence’

Meanwhile, Sen. Francis Escudero said the Senate is closely monitoring the Pitao case.

“We are monitoring the developments in the investigation of the case together with the Commission on Human Rights. The Senate would act on it depending on the results of the investigation being conducted by various agencies,” he said.

Escudero likewise explained that a Senate probe would only be conducted depending on the results of the said investigations.

“We do not want to short-circuit the probe. It has to be proven and there would be sufficient evidence that would link the soldiers to the case. These soldiers also have their rights. What if they were not really the perpetrators?” he added.

“There should be justice and those concerned should act fast on it. This could be an opportunity for the government and for the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to show that such actions are not tolerated,” he further said.

The multi-agency Task Force Rebelyn has focused its ongoing investigation on Pitao’s claim that at least 11 members of the intelligence units of the AFP were behind last week’s brutal murder of his daughter.

“Because it is the most logical lead. The lead is provided by Parago (Pitao) himself. We are pursuing the information that he is providing us. The accusations were very open and very emphatic,” Southern Mindanao regional police head Chief Superintendent Pedro Tango told The STAR.

Tango said that so far, the task force has limited its investigation solely on the information provided by Pitao and his wife Evangeline. “We have set other possibilities aside first,” he said.

But he was also quick to point out that Pitao should provide the evidence to support his accusations that elements of the AFP’s Military Intelligence Group XI (MIG XI) and the Military Intelligence Battalion under the Army 10th Infantry Division were behind the abduction and killing of his daughter.

Tango said the task force has formally written Pitao and his wife to substantiate their accusations.