Farmer’s group: Clement rose as AFP chief by ‘killing innocent farmers, workers’

MANILA, Philippines — “Clement rose to the AFP [Armed Forces of the Philippines] hierarchy by killing innocent farmers, workers, and activists.”

So said farmer’s group Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) on Friday as it condemned the appointment of Lt. Gen. Noel Clement as the new AFP chief of staff.

In a statement, KMP said that Clement “led intense militarization of Negros Island” when he served as AFP’s Central Command in Cebu.

KMP alleged that Clement helped supervise the Oplan Sauron in Negros which caused several murders of farmers and activists.

KMP claimed that under Clement’s stint in the 10th Infantry Division in Compostela Valley, peasant leader Jimmy Saipan and union leader Danny Boy Bautista were killed.

“We know Gen. Clement all too well. He was the protege of General Jovito Palparan during Oplan Bantay Laya 1 and 2 of the Macapagal-Arroyo presidency,” the group said.

 Palparan, a retired Army general, was convicted of kidnapping last year.

KMP claimed that as a protege of Palparan, Clement and the 204th Brigade were responsible for the murder of human rights worker Eden Marcellana and peasant leader Eddie Gumanoy in Occidental Mindoro in 2002.

READ: Centcom’s Noel Clement is next AFP chief