69 militant activists charged with slay of military officers

Gabriela, Anakpawis, Piston, CEGP, Karapatan, NUSP members in list 

By Chito A. Chavez

TUGUEGARAO CITY -- Sixty-nine members of left-leaning militant organizations have been charged with the murders of two military intelligence officers and a militiaman, earlier reported to have been abducted and executed by the New People’s Army (NPA) in Cagayan province.

Included in the charge sheet were officers of the National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP) and a former leader of the College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP), human rights workers belonging to Karapatan-Cagayan Valley, Anakpawis Party-list, Rural Missionaries of the Philippines (RMP), Gabriela Women’s Party, and Piston-Isabela.

Based on a report of CEGP-Cagayan Valley, the complainants in the case are relatives of two intelligence operatives of the Philippine Army’s 17th Infantry Batallion (17th IB) and a member of the Citizens Armed Force Geographical Unit (CAFGU).

The militant groups claimed that the NPA captured and executed the three for allegedly killing the residents of Zinundungan Valley, Cagayan and harassing the indigenous Aggay, Malaweg, and Kalinga communities.

It was also learned that the 69 respondents in the case were part of a fact-finding mission (FFM) on Sept. 16-19 that visited several towns in Zinundungan Valley to hear the complaints of residents and members of the Aggay, Malaweg, and Kalinga communities about alleged human rights violations and the murdering of farmer-leaders on suspicion of being NPA rebels.

CEGP president Marc Lino Abila said the filing of criminal charges against those who joined the FFM “is a direct attack on the rights and safety of the progressive leaders in Cagayan.”

“Fascist attacks on activist leaders have become rampant across the nation. These are brazen violations of the democratic rights of the Filipino people. Under the Aquino counter-insurgency campaign Oplan Bayanihan (OPB), state forces no longer respect the rights of people’s organizations, their leaders and members,” Abila said.