Arrested ‘NPA leader’ is NGO worker, say

THE New People’s Army Southern Mindanao Regional Command (NPASMRC) belied Sunday the military claim the suspected rebel they arrested last week was a high-ranking leader of the communist group.

Dominiciano Daungcay Muya, alias Marco and Atoy, alleged member of the NPA-SMRC executive committee, with P4.8 million reward for his arrest, was arrested Thursday at a joint military and police checkpoint in Tagum City.

In a statement emailed to Sun.Star Davao, NPASMRC spokesperson Rigoberto F. Sanchez said Muya is a non-government orga- nization (NGO) worker and to present him as an NPA leader is “malicious and fake.”

He said Muya’s arrest was “a shameless moneymaking plot of the military to siphon off the P4-million cash reward at the expense of an NGO worker.”

“The AFP manufactured the criminal charges based on the pure imagination. It wrongly accused Muya as part of the NPA-SMRC to portray him as enemy, to discredit his work in the countryside as a committed educator of sustainable agriculture among IP schools,” Sanchez said.

He also said that the arrest and detention of

Muya is part of a military crackdown against advocates, educators, and nongovernment workers who are serving the poor and lumads in Talaingod and Kapalong towns in Davao del Norte, Compostela Valley and other provinces in Mindanao.

“The Eastern Mindanao Command and the 10th Infantry Division is a hellbent in closing down IP schools which it wantonly labels as NPA structures to stop genuine development in the areas. They must release Muya now!” Sanchez said.

Ea s t e r n Mindanao Command public information officer Capt. Alberto Caber, in a phone interview with Sun.Star Davao, disputed Sanchez’ claims as “just a propaganda.”

“Ganyan naman talaga pag may nahuhuli na kasama nila, sinasabi nila NGO worker. Mas lalo lang nilang pinatunayan kung ano at sino nga si Muya kasi pinagtatanggol nila. May proof ba sila na magbibigay dun sa court na hindi nga NPA si Muya?” Caber said.

He also said the cash reward will be given to the informant and not to the police neither to the military.

“We are only doing our job. And we are thankful to the information given to us,” he said.

Arrest warrants had been issued against Muya after he was charged with robbery with double homicide and damage to properties, multiple murders, and double frustrated murder before Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 7 and 10 in Bayugan, Agusan del Sur, and RTC Branch 8 and 10 in Malaybalay, Bukidnon. ICT