CPDF assails farmer’s murder by gov’t troops

The Cordillera People’s Democratic Front condemned the brutal murder last Sept. 10 of Elmer Valdez, 33, farmer and resident of Barangay Conconig East, Sta. Lucia, Ilocos Sur by operating troops of the 5th Infantry Division.

The soldiers reportedly accosted and seized Valdez while he was gathering bamboo and accused him of being a New People’s Army guerilla.

The victim’s decomposing body was found Sept. 13 by a search team composed of the victim’s family and barangay officials that was allegedly harassed by the military.

Col. Essel Soriano, commanding officer of the 503rd Brigade said that AFP troops could not have killed Valdez because his body was discovered last Sept. 13, three days after the troops took him.

But According to Simon Naogsan, CPDF spokesperson, “Soriano’s weak reasoning did not mention that the victim’s body was in an advanced state of decomposition when found.”

A CPDF press statement said, “other military officers including Maj. Gen. Rommel Gomez, commanding officer of the 5th ID tried to cover-up this heinous crime and hypocritically claimed that the AFP upholds the provisions of the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL). There were about 500 troops from the 86th IB, 50th IB, and 77th IB conducting an operation in the area.”

Naogsan said “as Gen. Gomez was lying to media, troops continued their rampage in the area by illegally searching at least three houses, and illegally arresting, detaining, and threatening four local farmers, including a 60-year old man.”

Troops from the 86th IB, and those from the 54th IB, 50th IB, and the Division Recon Companies are now also rampaging in the hinterlands of the Mountain Province, the home province of Gomez, according to Naogsan.

“The heavy militarization of the Cordillera and the Ilocos provinces is part of the extended Oplan Bantay Laya and will surely lead to more murders of innocent civilians like Elmer Valdez, and more violations of human rights. No amount of lying and psywar on the part of the AFP can hide the increasing atrocities committed by its mercenary troops.”

The CPDF added: “The victims of the crimes and human rights violations committed by the military will not be forgotten. Revolutionary justice will be rendered upon members of the fascist armed forces who have committed crimes against the people.”