24 soldiers disarmed after 2 civilians killed
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TAGUM CITY—The military said it had disarmed and restricted the movement of about two dozen soldiers following the Oct. 12 death of two civilians during a combat operation in New Bataan town, Compostela Valley province.
Lt. Gen. Aurelio Baladad, commander of the military’s Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom) based in Davao City, said he had also directed the Army’s 10th Infantry Division to conduct further investigation of the incident to determine the culpability of the soldiers in the deaths of Lando Sabado Dangasan, 40, and his 16-year-old son Felix.
Capt. Alberto Caber, Eastmincom spokesperson, said a senior military officer from the regional military command would head the investigating team together with an officer of the Philippine National Police “to jointly investigate the circumstances behind the incident.”
“The victims were residents of Sitio Taytayan, Barangay (village) Andap. Apparently, the soldiers were on security patrol along the routes of the Andap and Manurigao areas as part of the humanitarian assistance operation to be held in Manurigao two days later when the incident transpired,” Caber said in a statement.
Earlier, Senior Supt. Abraham Rojas, Compostela Valley police chief, said an apparent “misencounter” had erupted between two groups of soldiers, which led to the killing of the two civilians, both members of an indigenous group.
“It’s a misencounter. They surprised each other around 4 a.m.,” Rojas told the Inquirer in text messages.
He said they were conducting further investigation to ascertain how the Dangasans were caught in the thick of the firefight.
On Saturday, Rojas said the investigation found out that there had been no misencounter and that the Dangasans died when the lead scout of the patrolling soldiers mistook them for enemies and fired his gun.
Lt. Col. Michael Logico, commander of the 66th Infantry Battalion, also maintained his earlier statement that the soldiers were involved in clearing operations to secure the path for a military medical mission in a nearby village.
“Around 4 a.m., while traversing the trail of the previous encounter site, the lead soldier was taken by surprise by two flashlights beamed in his direction at a distance of 5 meters, followed by shouts of ‘Sundalo, sundalo’ (Soldier, soldier). The lead soldier, blinded by the lights, sensed instant and overwhelming danger to his life. Perceiving no other option to save his life and his comrades, he opened fire at the general direction of the lights. Seconds later, the platoon leader ordered a ceasefire and searched. Two bodies were recovered and no firearms were found,” Logico said.
When it was ascertained by local police that those killed were civilians, Logico said they immediately issued an apology and pledged to extend support to the family of the victims.
“We are deeply saddened by the circumstances that transpired, more so because the very reason the soldiers are in the area is to protect the people,” he said.
Caber said the military had apologized to the kin of the victims.
The human rights group Karapatan-Southern Mindanao said the victims had worked overtime in their farm and were on their way home when they saw the armed men.
They were hiking through a small path in Taytayan around 4 a.m. when they noticed a group of men moving toward them, said Karapatan-Southern Mindanao spokesperson Hanimay Suazo.
The men, who later turned out to be soldiers, fired on the hapless victims, she said.
“What the military did is a crime and they should be made accountable for it, most especially [because] it is a violation of international humanitarian law. Their apology and pledge for financial support cannot bring back the lives of Lando and his son,” Suazo said.
“If the 66th Infantry wants to help, they should surrender the perpetrators to the police so that they will face justice in court,” Suazo added.
The deaths of the Dangasans were the second incident where a civilian was killed in New Bataan.
In March 2007, 9-year-old Grecil Buya was also killed during a clash between soldiers and New People’s Army (NPA) guerrillas in Barangay Kahayag.
The military had justified Buya’s death by claiming he was an NPA child-warrior. Frinston Lim, Inquirer Mindanao
