4 Negros Oriental police officers relieved but ‘best legal defense’ promised over death of 14 farmers
Credit to Author: The Manila Times| Date: Tue, 02 Apr 2019 07:05:16 +0000
FOUR police officials from Negros Oriental, including its chief, were relieved from their posts pending the results of an investigation into the deaths of 14 farmers in their province who were tagged as communist rebels in an operation late March.
Interior Secretary Eduardo Año on Tuesday vowed to provide “the best legal defense” for the lawmen who took part in the simultaneous operations in Negros Oriental.
“We stand by our police officers and we will provide them with the best legal defense to help them overcome whatever legal challenges that may arise as a result of several Negros Oriental operations,” Año said.
He insisted that the police officers acted in accordance with the law as they simply returned fire after the farmers engaged them a shootout.
“We stand by our police officers and we will provide them with the best legal defense to help them overcome whatever legal challenges that may arise as a result of several Negros Oriental operations,” Año said.
The relief of Col. Raul Tacaca, Negros Oriental provincial director; Police Lt. Col. Patricio Degas, Canlaon City chief of police; Police Lt. Kevin Roy Mamaradlo, Manjuyod chief of police; and Police Capt. Michael Rubia, Sta. Catalina chief of police took effect immediately to pave way for a partial investigation of the incident on March 30, Philippine National Police Chief Oscar Albayalde said.
He said that the PNP-Internal Affairs Service was investigating whether the operation was conducted properly.
The PNP drew flak for the killings — eight in Canlaon City, two in Santa Catalina, and four in Manjuyod.
They were identified as Steve Arapoc, Manulo Martin, Sunny Palagtiw, Edgardo Avelino, Esmael Avelino, Rogelio Recomono, Ricky Recomono, Genes Palmares, Eric Acabal, Ano Enojo Rapada, Gonzalo Rosales, Melchor Pañares, Mario Pañares and Franklin Lariosa.
Albayalde claimed the farmers resisted arrest and fought back, which prompted police to fire back at them, injuring one.
He said these farmers, mostly peasant leaders, were members of the New People’s Army (NPA).
He defended the police action as “part of the typical disinformation and propaganda campaign of the CPP-NPA-NDF and their communist front organizations to portray government in the [worst] light even in the face of evidence to the contrary.”
“How can they say there was a massacre when some 12 other suspects were arrested during the operations? It is obvious that the left are trying to destroy the image of the government and get sympathy from the mass.” Año said. ROY NARRA
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