A group on Thursday said the nine fatalities in the previous day’s military operations in Tapaz, Capiz, were members of an indigenous people’s group, contrary to the claim of government forces that they were communist rebels.
In a Facebook post, Pamanggas said the nine were Tumandok IPs and not New People’s Army (NPA) rebels. They were “unarmed” and “non-combatant”, Pamanggas said.
The group identified eight of the slain individuals as: Eliseo Gayas, Jr. of Barangay Aglinab, a TUMANDUK Council; Mauro Diaz of Barangay Tacayan; Arcelito Katipunan of Barangay Acuña; Mario Aguirre of Barangay Lahug, a Barangay Council Member; Roy Giganto of Barangay Lahug, a Barangay Council Member, former Barangay Captain, and the current TUMANDUK Chairperson; Jomer Vidal of Barangay Daan Sur; Dalson Catamin of Barangay Nayawan, a Barangay Captain and Reynaldo Katipunan of Barangay Lahug, a Barangay Council Member.
The group said Gaas was “tortured before being killed.”
According to Pamanggas, the family members of Gayas were ordered to go out of their house before armed operatives came in and shot him four times.
“Mario Aguirre’s and Roy Giganto’s houses, meanwhile were forcibly entered and operatives shot them dead inside while lying down asleep, in the presence of their families,” it added.
Meanwhile, 17 IP members were arrested in the same operation from different Barangays in Calinog, Iloilo and Tapaz, Capiz.
The group identified 11 of them as the following:Marilyn Castor Chiva; Luisito Bautista, Chief Tanod of Barangay Garangan in Calinog, Iloilo; Glen Legario; Wilsie Chiva, 60 years old; Marivic Aguirre, former TUMANDUK chairperson and municipal government employee; Marilou Sumaria Catamin, 54 years old; (Rolen Caro Catamin, 21 years old; Jucie Katipunan Caro, 44 years old; Eleutricia Calbo Caro, 62 years old Rolando Caspillo, 56 years old; Aileen Catamin, former TUMANDUK Secretary General, former Tacayan Barangay Captain, and a current municipal government employee The group said Catamin’s family claimed that Aileen was tortured when she was brought to Tapaz Police Station.
Marevic Aguirre and Raul Catamin went missing, according to the group.
Citing witnesses, the group said Aguirre was taken by military forces in a helicopter.
According to Raul’s family, he was also subject to Search Warrant and operation by the police and military that morning.
“Identified victims were respected IP leaders in their respective barangays and were not armed,” the group said.
In November, the group said a community leader from Barangay Lahug sought the help of the Commission on Human Rights over alleged threats made by Philippine Army and Philippine National Police members against residents.
According to Western Visayas police chief Police Brigadier General Rolando Miranda on Wednesday, the nine were killed during a simultaneous serving of search warrants against suspected New People’s Army rebels in Panay Island, particularly in Tapaz and Calinog.
A report said the alleged NPAs resisted arrest.
Meanwhile, BAYAN Muna Representatives Carlos Isagani Zarate and Eufemia Cullamat on Thursday hit government operations in Iloilo and Capiz City in connection with the deaths of the eight civilians.
In a statement, Zarate, House deputy minority leader, and Cullamat said those who died were members of the Tumanduk group of indigenous peoples.
“Kinokondena ko ang brutal na panghaharass at patuloy na paghahasik ng lagim ng mga militar at kapulisan sa mga myembro ng Tumanduk,” Cullamat said.
The government said the fatalities were suspected members of the communist New People’s Army rebels who resisted arrest during the serving of arrest warrants against them.
But Zarate likened the incident to the Dec. 27, 2018 police raid in Negros Oriental leaving six farmers dead.
The Visayas police was formerly headed by the current Philippine National Police chief General Debold Sinas.
“With Sinas as the PNP chief, this type of questionable and bloody operations is apparently becoming the norm,” Zarate said.
On the other hand, the Kabataan party-list also slammed the “violence” of the police and military forces after the Capiz incident.
“Nangyari ito matapos silang bansagan ng mga militar at pulis sa Panay bilang parte ng mga rebeldeng grupo. Ito ay sa kabila ng katotohanan na ang mga biktima ay hindi armado, at nakikibaka lamang para sa interes ng mga pambansang minorya sa kanilang lugar,” its statement read.