HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH
Soldiers Vent Wrath on
Civilians
Another person missing in Central Luzon
Following the firefight
between government troops and New People’s Army guerrillas on April 24 in
San Miguel, Bulacan, 12 farmers from the village were arrested and
detained by the military. Two days later, 11 of them were released but the
12th detainee remains missing to this day.
BY DABET CASTAÑEDA
Bulatlat
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SAN MIGUEL, Bulacan –
The road to Camp Tecson, the headquarters of the First Scout Ranger
Regiment (FSRR) of the Philippine Army in San Miguel, Bulacan was rutted
and rough. Dust trailed the two jeepneys and a van that transported
members of a fact-finding mission team.
That day – April 28 -
the team was to conduct an investigation of reported human rights abuses
by the military after soldiers from the 56th Infantry Battalion
and FSRR engaged New People’s Army (NPA) guerillas in a firefight April 24
in Sitio (subvillage) Sulucan, Barangay (village) Balaong, same town,
about 90 kms north of Manila.
Citing military
sources the following day, major dailies, television and radio stations
reported that there were six guerrillas killed. The military denied any
casualties on their side.
|
MISSING: Bernie Santos, reportedly abducted April 24 by Scout Rangers |
However, in an April
26 statement, the NPA command in eastern Bulacan denied the military
report although it admitted that they had six members who were wounded in
the firefight. It further said the military suffered no less than 10
killed despite the fact that it was they who were on the offensive. The
soldiers – numbering about a company – were about to attack an encamped
NPA platoon when the guerrillas were able to fire first.
The NPA statement
further assailed the government troops for wreaking havoc among civilians
after suffering tactical defeats.
Missing civilian
The trip to the
military camp was the last leg of the investigation with the team hoping
against hope that it would finally locate 32-year-old Bernie Santos, a
farmer from Balaong. He has been missing for six days since he, according
to witnesses, was illegally arrested by the FSRR an hour after the
encounter between government troops and the NPA ceased.
Relatives and
witnesses interviewed by Bulatlat said Santos was last seen being
dragged by at least 10 Scout Rangers toward a vehicle parked just a few
meters away from the victim’s house.
Santos was taken
together with his cousin, Florante Santiago. Ten other farmers from the
same village were also seized as NPA suspects or sympathizers.
Fr. Rollie de Leon,
spokesperson of the human rights Alyansa ng Mamamayan para sa Pantaong
Karapatan (ALMMA-Bulakan or People’s Alliance for Human Rights), told
Bulatlat that Santos’ detention at Camp Tecson in Bulacan was
confirmed to him by San Miguel Mayor Edgardo Buencamino in a meeting on
April 26. Santos was still “under interrogation” at the camp, Fr. De Leon
said quoting the mayor.
However, the
fact-finding team was told by FSRR Commanding Officer Col. Ric Tuval at
Camp
Tecson on April 28 that they only had 11
detainees who, the latter added, have since been released. Tuval also
denied any knowledge of Santos’ whereabouts.
Santos could be the
sixth person who went missing in Central Luzon since January.
Leading the
fact-finding mission were Bulacan provincial board members Raul Mendoza
and Erning Sulit; Elmer Maniego and Jake Maguilas, representatives from
the Commission on Human Rights-Region 3; ALMMA and representatives from
national human rights groups and sectoral organizations.
Witness’ account
When seen by this
reporter on April 28, Santiago, 28, had bruises around his wrists and
neck. The back of his left ear was numbed and red. He complained of
hearing impairment in his left ear.
He looked perturbed
as he faced the investigating team that afternoon. Taking a deep breath
before answering questions, Santiago said he was arrested with Santos at
around 11 a.m., April 24.
About 10 Scout
Rangers barged into their home in Balaong, the victim said. “Kakausapin
lang namin kayo banda rine” (We will just talk to you somewhere here),
Santiago quoted the soldiers as saying. As they stepped out of the house,
however, both he and Santos were quickly hogtied, blindfolded and dragged
toward a vehicle.
Santiago said he was
blindfolded all throughout his detention so he did not know where they
were brought. The last he heard of his cousin, he said, was when Santos
shouted “Tama na po!” (Enough, please!).
Under duress
Fearing military
retaliation, Santiago refused to talk of the torture he suffered under the
hands of his captors.
CAMP-IN Scout Rangers camp in at Brgy.
Balaong, San Miguel, Bulacan
Photo by Dabet Castañeda |
Barangay Tanod chief
Vicente Angeles, one of the 12 civilians arrested and detained at Camp Tecson, also would not give details
of his torture for the same reason. “Baka bweltahan ako ng militar”
(The military might get back at me), he said.
That the victims
choose not to talk at this time is understandable, de Leon said. “They are
still under duress because (their homes) are surrounded by the military,”
he said. Members of the 48th IBPA are still deployed around
Balaong, most of them occupying the farmers’ homes.
|
Another officer from
the 48th IBPA, 2Lt. Melner Taglinao, told Bulatlat that
the military deployment in the barrio is “temporary” until they are able
to build a detachment.
“We should stay here
because we have to protect the people from bad elements. The NPAs might
come back,” he said.
In neighboring
Barangay Labne, a company of the 56th IBPA has made the church,
the village’s elementary school and the barangay hall its temporary
quarters.
Residents of Balaong
told Bulatlat that the military’s plan would only prolong the
climate of fear in this remote village of
San Miguel.
“Syempre kinakabahan din kami dahil nandito sila,” one of the
villagers who asked not to be named said. Bulatlat
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