Military denies role in militant leader's slay

KORONADAL CITY , Philippines  – An Army officer in South Cotabato yesterday denied their involvement in the killing of a leader of the Bayan Muna party-list group here, saying it is not the military’s policy to hit leaders of militant organizations.

Col. Joshua Santiago, commanding officer of the 27th Infantry Battalion based in nearby Tupi town, reacted to allegations of militants that his men were responsible for the killing of Eleazar Billanes last Monday.

Billanes was also the secretary-general of the Samahan ng mga Magsasaka sa Timog Kutabato and one of the founders of the South Cotabato People’s Alliance for Nationalism and Democracy (Socpand).

Socpand has been advocating for good governance and has been known for its firm stand against the mining exploration at the boundary of South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and Davao del Sur.

Billanes, in his 40s, was shot in the head with a caliber .45 pistol by two motorcycle-riding men while buying a newspaper in a magazine store on Osmeña street here past 4 p.m. Monday.

A stray bullet hit a bystander, identified as Francisco Piodos, who was standing a few meters away from Billanes.

Witnesses said the Bayan Muna leader’s attackers wore ski masks and helmets so it was difficult to identify them.

The STAR learned that on Monday morning, Billanes had a “meeting” with an officer of the 27th IB and three village officials in Barangay Mabini, some 10 kilometers away from the city proper.

“We are hoping that the incident will be resolved as soon as possible so that those behind the killing of Billanes will be punished and justice will be given to his family,” Santiago told The STAR in a long-distance phone interview yesterday.

Santiago said he was not surprised that the killing was linked to the military.

“Sana maging fair naman sila (I hope they would be fair). We are not involved in the killing of Billanes,” he said.

Col. Ricardo Rainier Cruz, commander of the 1002nd Infantry Brigade based in Malungon, Sarangani, expressed suspicion that the military is just being used to “cover up” the real killers of Billanes.

Cruz, too, was not also surprised that the militants tagged the military in the killing, saying, “They are always doing it and we are always expecting it, too.”

Members of militant organizations like Bayan Muna and Gabriela and representatives of farmers’, lumad and urban poor groups staged a rally near the city police station here on Tuesday night to condemn the Billanes slay.

They vowed to hold more rallies if Billanes’ family would not get justice.

In an interview with Bombo Radyo Koronadal yesterday, Ka Efren, spokesman of the New People’s Army in the Far South Mindanao region, denounced the military for allegedly silencing people critical of the government.

He said he expects more killings of militants in South Cotabato because the military is determined to get rid of those vocal against the government.