‘Human rights group also liable for Negros ambush’

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines – The human rights group Karapatan is also “liable” for the ambush in La Castellana, Negros Occidental last Jan. 27 for bailing out last year a New People’s Army (NPA) leader, who is a suspect in the attack, according to a military official.

In a statement the other day, Maj. Gen. Jose Mabanta, commander of the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division based in Fort San Pedro, Iloilo, said Karapatan-Negros secretary-general Fred Caña paid the P100,000 bail of NPA leader Romeo Nanta, who was detained in the San Carlos district jail for robbery-in-band charges.

Mabanta said Karapatan is spending donated money to bail out jailed NPA rebels instead of helping the community, so in a way it could be held liable, too, for the La Castellana attack which left eight civilians and a policeman dead.

Nanta is reportedly the commander of the NPA Regional Operations Command in Negros Island. He was also tagged in the killing of three civilians, including a 14-year-old student, who were shot in the head in Barangay Salamanca, Toboso town on July 13, 2009, military records show.

The military noted that the ambush victims in La Castellana were all shot at close range in the head.

Killed in the ambush were PO1 Richard Canja, civilians Joselito Lucban, Virginia Ordoñez, and truck driver Enrique Dingcong; barangay watchmen Timoteo Esplegera and Ulysses Tamayor; and Ramil Compleza, Mario Ricablanca, and Jonathan Mateo, all members of the Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team (BPAT). 

The victims, along with 12 others wounded in the attack and other civilians, were aboard a Fuso Canter truck on their way home after securing the fiesta celebration in Barangay Puso in La Castellana when they were waylaid.

Cry for justice

Mabanta said the victims and their families continue to cry for justice, and are calling on the Commission on Human Rights and other human rights and cause-oriented groups to condemn the attack.

Human rights group Akbayan-Negros joined several sectors in condemning the ambush. Other groups which earlier had condemned the ambush were Bayan Muna, Peace Advocates of Negros, and the Diocese of Bacolod.

Akbayan-Negros spokesman Edwin Balajadia said the ambush-slay of mostly unarmed civilians is a gross violation of the basic humanitarian law and human rights principles.

Military records, according to Mabanta, show that since 2006, Karapatan-Negros has bailed out jailed NPA rebels in the total amount of P2.4 million.

These insurgents were arrested for charges ranging from frustrated murder and attempted murder to robbery-in-band and arson. 

The Karapatan and the NPA are using the judicial process to their advantage, Mabanta said, adding that the bailed-out rebels return to their jungle lairs to again commit offenses.

In 2012, Caña reportedly bailed out two other NPA suspects facing robbery-in-band charges, namely Faith Roseen Basirgo and Hernando Llorente, Mabanta said.

Both were nabbed on April 18, 2011 in San Carlos City for robbery-in-band and were bailed out for P80,000 three days after their arrest, he added. 

Mabanta said Karapatan, as a human rights advocate, should serve the interest of the people and bailing out NPA suspects is not be one of them. 

Last Tuesday, the Negros Occidental police filed nine counts of murder and 14 counts of frustrated murder charges against at least 20 rebels suspected to be behind the ambush. 

Senior Superintendent Celestino Guara Jr., acting Negros Occidental police director, said the list of respondents is not complete yet, as they only charged the “actors” or “executioners.”

Guara said they would later charge the “planners” and “helpers.”

As for Nanta, Guara said they would soon find out if he indeed was among those who planned the ambush.