2 Bayan Muna officers killed in Davao

Two ranking officials of the militant Party List group Bayan Muna were reportedly summarily executed by the military in Davao del Norte recently, the militant group said in a statement yesterday.

Bayan Muna said they strongly condemned the summary execution of Bayan Muna officers Roberto Nepa and Carmenia Abatan in Talaingod, Davao del Norte by suspected elements of the 72th Infantry Battalion, of the Philippine Army last June 23 and 28.

The activist party called on President Arroyo to immediately order the investigation of both killings by the Commission on Human Rights and other concerned government agencies.

The twin killings, Bayan Muna said, are part of 15 other cases of human rights violations documented by the militant group during the election campaign committed against its members and officers. These include the salvaging of Ramos Ternida, Bayan Muna coordinator in Mindoro; Isidro Manlangit, Bayan Muna member in Albay; and Peter Dangiwan, Bayan Muna officer in Kalinga.

All cases remain unresolved.

"Nepa was the vice-chair and Abatan, auditor of the Talaingod municipality chapter of Bayan Muna. We demand justice," said Satur Ocampo, Bayan Muna president.

Bayan Muna said that based on witnesses’ account, Nepa was previously warned by friends who are known assets of the military that he was in the "order of battle" because of his political activities in Talaingod.

On June 24, Bayan Muna said the body of Nepa was found in the house of a certain Leody Villanueva in Sitio Tagulayan, Talaingod. The victim’s body bore four bullets wounds — two in the chest, one in the abdomen and one in the armpit.

Based on reports from Bayan Muna-Davao, Nepa was invited by Rico Villanueva, a military intelligence agent, to a drinking spree with Enrique Purisima, a certain Buting, and two unidentified men in the house of Leody Villanueva on the evening of June 24.

At around 8 p.m., one of the unidentified men slammed a grenade on the table in front of Nepa. While pointing his 9mm pistol at him, the unidentified gunman informed Nepa that they had been looking for him for a long time.

Neighbors then heard several gunshots. Two hours later, the local police informed Nepa’s family of his death.

On June 28, Abatan’s body was found by residents in the remote area of Km. 31 in Talaingod. She had been reported missing since June 23, along with two others.