Phl Army official assails NDF-Negros rebel-priest

BACOLOD CITY — A military general yesterday slammed Frank Fernandez, spokesman of the National Democratic Front-Negros, for accusing the Philippine Army of planting evidence against the six members of the New People’s Army, who were captured in a recent encounter in Mabinay town of Negros Oriental.

In a statement issued by NDF-Negros, Fernandez alleged that the arrested teenagers were forced to admit being NPA members, and that the firearms allegedly taken from them had been planted.

Brigadier General Dinoh Dolina, 3rd Infantry Division commander, said the arrested rebel suspects were not coerced to admit membership in the NPA.

He told Fernandez: “Maybe you forgot to instruct them to jeopardize the truth and tell the series of lies you have injected into their innocent minds in case of situations just like what happened in Mabinay, Negros Oriental.”

Dolina also said the CPP-NPA is known for fabricating information and telling lies. At the same time, he challenged the rebel priest to prove his allegations in court.

The military official pointed out that the arrested CPP-NPA members, including two minors, admitted, in the presence of the media that the firearms belonged to them.

Four high-powered firearms and explosives were among the items recovered during an encounter between about 20 NPA rebels and 62nd Infantry Battalion soldiers at Barangay Luyang in Mabinay.

But Fernandez had insisted that there was no encounter, alleging further that the teenagers arrested were not NPA members.

Captain Ruel Llanes, 303rd Infantry Brigade's Civil Military Operations chief, yesterday said that one of the six captured NPA members, Myles Abasin, was involved in the ransacking of the residence of Barangay Chairman Mario Gonzales of Panciao in Manjuyod town of Negros Oriental last February 16. Abasin and her comrades took off with a shotgun and a .357-caliber revolver.

Llanes said that, aside from taking the firearms, the armed rebels also threatened Gonzales — who at the time was presiding a regular session of the Panciao Barangay Council — barangay tanod chief Andoy Balderas and former CAFGU member Anoy Catubig to leave their respective residences in the barangay.

In a related development, Dolina lambasted the CPPNPA-NDF for recruiting minors into their organization, and exposing the juveniles to the culture of violence and terrorism.

“This terrorist organization is the true childabuse perpetrator who even forces the children to carry firearms and take part in the bloody armed struggle, which is a clear violation of the Republic Act 7610 or the Special Protection of Children against Abuse, Exploitation, and Discrimination Act,” Dolina said.

Dolina encouraged the youth to stay in school and prioritize their studies, instead of allowing the terrorist organization to exploit their minds and misuse their abilities in criminal activities.