Remains belong to 4 Bayan members?

TARLAC CITY — A fact-finding mission commissioned by a human rights group found burned skeletal remains in a remote village in this province last Wednesday which, it suspects, belong to at least four Bayan Muna activists who have been missing for more than three months now.

The 50-man mission initiated by Karapatan-Central Luzon found the remains in a property in Barangay Padapada, Gerona town which is reportedly owned by the municipality’s mayor, Harmes Sembrano.

The skeletal remains were found with burned pieces of wood and tires in two sites about 20 meters apart from each other.

Karapatan-CL believes the remains belong to Rowena Bayani and Edwin Villaruz, both members of Bayan Muna’s chapter in Aurora believed to have been abducted last Feb. 4 by elements of the Army’s 70th Infantry Battalion; and Juan Orcino and Honorio Ayroso, Bayan Muna members in Nueva Ecija who were seized in San Jose City last Feb. 9 allegedly by 71st IB men.

Tanods in Padapada recalled that around midnight last Feb. 12, heavily armed men on board two vehicles arrived in the village, dragging two hogtied, blindfolded persons.

Days later, on Feb. 26, Barangay Padapada chairman Leopoldo Trevino said he and nine tanods saw a white Kia van and a maroon pick-up arrived in their village shortly before midnight. They planned to approach the vehicles but 14 rifle-wielding men in military uniforms alighted and secured the Sembrano property.

Trevino said they, hiding behind the bushes, saw some of the armed men unloading wood and tires. He recalled seeing a huge fire from the site and smelling the stench of burning flesh. He claimed also hearing cries of pain.

A few hours later, he said three Revo vehicles with no license plates arrived and left the place after a while.

Protestant pastor Diony Sanches, an officer of Karapatan-Tarlac, said they could not still conclude if the remains, indeed, belong to the four missing Bayan Muna activists.

He said they are still waiting for the results of forensic tests on the recovered skeletal remains.

Reportedly incensed by the incidents, Sembrano, meanwhile, plans to build a fence around his family’s property to prevent a repeat of the crimes.