Four Farmers, One Bayan Muna Member Latest Victims of OBL

By BULATLAT

MANILA — Extrajudicial killings continue under the Aquino administration, claiming the lives of four farmers in Mobo, Masbato and a Bayan Muna member in Mawab, Compostela Valley.

According to an urgent action alert prepared by Karapatan,on Sept. 7, at around 9:00 a.m. farmers Vicente Flores, Richard Oliva, Melecio Monacillo and his son Jonathan decided to go hunting in the forested area at the boundary of barangay Mapuyo and barangay Mabuhay. By lunch time, the four went to the house of Eliseo and Rosie Albao to rest. Rosie and her children were at home at that time while Eliseo was then working in a neighbor’s farm. The four, tired from their hunting, fell asleep right away.

At around 12:30 p.m., an undetermined number of soldiers belonging to the 9th IBPA appeared from uphill, passed by Rosie’s house and without any explanation, stormed inside and shot the sleeping farmers. Richard, wounded from the first volley of gunfire, was able to jump out of the window but was hit with bullets by the soldiers outside the house.

Rosie and her children, meanwhile, ran as fast as they could away from their house. Eliseo heard the gunfire and saw a massive cloud of smoke from the direction of their house. He ran quickly home to check. Vicente’s genitalia was smashed by bullets; his abdominal area burst open; his guts spilled at the floor and his hand was almost severed from his arm. One of Melecio’s shoulders was shattered and he bore gunshot wounds in the leg. Jonathan had gunshot wounds at the back and a bullet hit his jaw and pierced through the top of his skull. Eliseo found Richard’s body outside of the house with his skull smashed from the bullet wounds and his body riddled with bullets. Eliseo’s family was nowhere to be found.

The soldiers, who left the area after ensuring that the victims were all dead, proceeded to the direction of barangay Sta. Maria. Upon arriving there, they ordered village officials to retrieve the bodies, claiming that the four farmers were New People’s Army (NPA) guerrillas who they killed in an encounter at Sitio Irong-irong. The soldiers told the village officials to bring the corpses to the Municipal Hall in Mobo. After which, the soldiers went on their way.

The remains of the four victims were brought to Mobo and their relatives went there to claim them.

The farmers were members of Masbate People’s Organization (MAPO), a local chapter of Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP).

Another Bayan Muna Member Killed

Meanwhile, on Sept. 9, at around 9 p.m., Bayan Muna member Vicente G. Felisilda, 38 and his brother Allan, 47, decided to go to their kiln to dry the few coconuts they harvested for copra.

The kiln is about 30 meters away on foot and is a little further downhill from their house in Compostela Valley, in Mindanao.

When they arrived at the kiln, they started the baking process. After about 30 minutes, a man wearing a black jacket arrived from downhill. He politely greeted them “good evening” and asked “So, you’re preparing copra, bro?” Allan replied, then the man suddenly pulled out a .45 caliber pistol and shot Vicente twice. Vicente fell to the ground. Allan was startled by the shot and quickly ran away but the assailant fired at him. Luckily, he missed.

Allan hid himself at the edge of a gorge about 15 meters away from the kiln. He could not see what was happening to his younger brother because it was too dark but he could hear him groaning. Allan helplessly listened to the moan of his dying brother. He could not make any noise lest the assailant would learn where he was hiding.

After about 20 minutes, another shot rang out. Dazed, Allan plunged into the gorge and hid about two meters away from where he first hid. He was scared that he would be killed. He realized that after the shot, Vicente’s groan stopped.

Meanwhile, Vicente’s wife, Rosalie and their three children ages 12, 10, and 8; Vicente’s younger brother Rey and two other relatives were at a neighbor’s house when they heard four gunshots. They decided to go home and check the kiln where Vicente and Allan went. They arrived there at around 11:00 p.m. It was also around that time when Allan decided to come out of his hiding place. They looked for Vicente and found him dead about a meter away from the kiln. Vicente sustained two gunshot wounds, one on the right side of his head near the ear that pierced through the other side, another on the right side of his chest.

Vicente was being accused by the military of being a supporter of the NPA. (RVO / Bulatlat.com)

Share This Post