Cagayan de Oro City—The Philippine Army on Sunday denounced a statement from the communist New People’s Army on the killing of Loreto, Agusan del Sur Mayor Dario Otaza as “deceitful and superficial.”
Capt. Patrick Martinez, spokesperson of 4th Infantry Division disputed NPA Southern Mindanao command spokesman Rigoberto Sanchez’s accusations against Otaza and his son regarding their alleged “crimes against humanity.”
“Ironically, these accusations are all coming from the Number 1 Human Rights Violators [who are] criminals [themselves],” Martinez said.
NPA Southern Mindanao Command spokesman Rigoberto Sanchez, in a statement claiming responsibility for the killings, alleged that Otaza masterminded the murder and torture of lumad and other civilians, including the killing of Benjie Planos and Gabriel Alindao last September 2013.
Martinez said that Planos and Alindao are former NPA rebels who were killed by the rebels themselves.
“It was the NPA that killed Planos and Alindao in 2013 after they turned their back on the NPA after Otaza [told them that they have] a better future [outside the movement],” Martinez said.
This was “just like what Otaza did in 1986, [when he] turned his back on the NPA,” Martinez added.
Otaza and his son Daryl were abducted on Oct. 19 from their home in Barangay Baan, Butuan City and were found the following day, hogtied and riddled with bullets.
Planos and Alindao were sentenced to death by the NPA because of their betrayal, so “they were killed in September 2013 by the NPA, [which said they were killed by] Mayor Otaza,” Martinez said.
Martinez added that the other killings mentioned in Sanchez’ statement were all perpetrated on orders of the NPA’s kangaroo courts.
The military spokesman described as “fabricated” the statement about four minors subjected to illegal arrest and illegal detention by Otaza.
Martinez said that the four were no ordinary minors but were “child warriors” of the NPA involved in the murder of Ramon Diaganon, barangay chairman of Kauswagan, Loreto, on July 19, 2013.
The four were arrested by the 26th Infantry Battalion and the police and were immediately turned over to the Patin-ay Municipal Social Welfare and Development department.
Martinez said Sanchez’ statement only proved that “the NPA is losing control over Loreto,” Martinez said.
He said Otaza was instrumental in the surrender of 246 NPA rebels.
Meanwhile, Malacañang said on Sunday that it is supporting calls to stop violence against the lumads, even as as it continues to push for peace in Mindanao.
“The government supports all calls to stop violence against our brother lumad in Mindanao. The government is continuing to work on achieving peace and development in all places affected in order to assure the continuity of providing public services,” said Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. in an interview over state-run radio station dzRB.
Coloma said the government condemns the killing of Otaza, who pursued peace and development in lumad and Manobo communities.
Coloma described the abduction and killing as a cowardly act, saying the Aquino administration “hopes that Otaza’s death unites the people of Agusan del Sur, the Manobos and the entire lumad community in working sincerely towards lasting, meaningful peace.”
Meanwhile, Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate called on the Aquino administration to scrap its Oplan Bayanihan counter-insurgency program” among the indigenous peoples.
Zarate called for the immediate pullout of Army soldiers from lumad communities and the disarming of paramilitary groups to stop the spate of killings among indigenous peoples.
There have been 58 killings of lumad under the Aquino presidency, Zarate said.
“Almost 60 percent of government troops are in Mindanao. Beefing this up are another 20 or so paramilitary organizations terrorizing lumad villages,” Zarate pointed out.