Mindoro’s Army Commander Owned Crime,
Bayan Muna Says

Oriental Mindoro’s military commander could be in the hot seat by naming Bayan Muna as “NPA recruiter.” The labelling, a Bayan Muna leader says, is meant to legitimize armed attacks against the political party, thus confirming human rights charges against the commander.

By BULATLAT.COM

By naming Bayan Muna as a “recruiter of the New People’s Army,” one of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s military officials has virtually admitted murder charges filed against him, the political party’s secretary general said this week.

Caloocan Councilor Nathanael Santiago, secretary general of Bayan Muna, was reacting to an accusation by Col. Jovito Palparan, commander of the 204^th Army Brigade in Oriental Mindoro, who called the political party an “NPA front.”

In a TV interview last Aug. 14, Palparan --- called by Bayan Muna as the “Butcher of Mindoro” --- also named the human rights alliance, Karapatan, and Gabriela as NPA recruiters.

"If we are to follow his logic, he is trying to say that the summary execution of political activists and members of legal organizations is justified on the mere assumption and self-satisfied judgment that Bayan Muna is an NPA front," Santiago said in a news release.

He added: "By attempting to rationalize his actions - that of being both judge and executioner - Palparan's pronouncements were already tantamount to admission to committing the crime."

Bayan Muna also said that the army officer's statements "only shed light on the real thoughts and workings of a murderer."

Murder charges

This recent stunt by Palparan is "simply out to discredit the organization," Santiago also said, given that the army officer is presently facing charges of murder and frustrated murder at the Department of Justice for the killing of Edilberto Napoles Jr., Bayan Muna coordinator for Oriental Mindoro and the injury of his companion Ruel Landicho.

Also charged with murder were Palparan’s men, M/Sgt. Rizal Hilario and Aniano Flores and Larry Aparato, both of the paramilitary Citizens Armed Force Geographical Unit.

Palparan has been called by militant groups as the "butcher" of Oriental Mindoro after allegedly killing 13 Bayan Muna members and leaders and sowing terror in the said province.

But the Bayan Muna secretary general maintained that Palparan's assertions remain all too familiar, describing it as "much like the standard now being used by the Arroyo administration itself." He referred to Macapagal-Arroyo's declaration of an all-out war against perceived "communists," including legal mass organizations that harbor particular "political advocacies."

Santiago said that the assault against Bayan Muna had begun since April of last year when the group first felt the tangible effects of the administration's political repression campaign. The newly-formed Party-list group was also campaigning for seats in the House and handily topped the Party-list elections with three wins.

"The atrocities in Oriental Mindoro have led Bayan Muna to conclude that the province has been used as a testing ground for the military's crackdown on organizations and people critical of the Arroyo administration," he said.

Bayan Muna called on the Filipino people to denounce and oppose what it has observed as "the gradually unraveling character of the Arroyo government, taking the shift toward the open curtailment of civil liberties throughout the country, and eventually leading to a fascist regime like that of Marcos."

Justice department investigation

In their joint reply-affidavit submitted before State Prosecutor Sebastian Capulong last July 31, relatives of the slain Bayan Muna together with witnesses argued that there was strong evidence pointing to conspiracy in the involvement of Colonel Palparan and his co-accused.

Napoles and  Landicho were ambushed May 28 in front of the Bayan Muna office in Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro.

Surviving the attack, Landicho was able to identify the assailants as Larry Aparato and Aniano

Flores, members of  a "death squad" allegedly created by Palparan. Palparan and Hilario have denied their involvement in the crime.

But the complainants’ lawyer, Edre Olalia of the Public Interest Law Center, pointed to the threats and intimidations against the victims reportedly issued by Palparan and Hilario, the frequent meetings between the two army officers and the two identified assailants, and the 204th Brigade's circulation of flyers and open declarations that Napoles, Landicho and the rest of Bayan Muna are NPA members and that if they did not desist in their militant advocacy they would be "silenced."

After the hearing, the state prosecutor will decide whether to dismiss or file the cases at the DoJ.

Previous hearings on the case following coincided with the preliminary investigation ordered by Justice Secretary Herando Perez when the relatives of the victims, along with leaders of Bayan Muna led by Rep. Satur Ocampo met with the secretary last July 2.

Bayan Muna had asked Perez that case proceedings be held in Manila due to constant threats received by the relatives and witnesses from the military in Oriental Mindoro.

Napoles is the 12th Bayan Muna coordinator to be killed allegedly by the composite military-paramilitary "death squad" of the 204th Brigade deployed in the province under Col. Palparan. 

A month later, another Bayan Muna coordinator was killed. Eduardo Mordido of Bgy. General Esco, Naujan also in Oriental Mindoro was killed shortly after a fact-finding mission organized by the women's group Gabriela. Bulatlat.com

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