Karapatan raps delay in release of bodies of slain rebels

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY—The relatives of the five New People’s Army (NPA) rebels killed in Palawan called on local officials to “not follow the barbaric ways” and handle the remains of their kin with respect.

Karapatan Southern Tagalog, in a statement on Sunday, said the group and the relatives of the slain rebels were asking authorities to abide by international humanitarian law and the 1949 Geneva Convention on the proper conduct for the deceased, whether friend or foe.

This developed after the Philippine National Police allegedly delayed the processing of the remains, asking the bodies to be autopsied, even without the presence and approval of the families of the deceased.

“We call on human rights advocates and concerned citizens to support the bereaved families. They are hoping to retrieve the bodies as soon as possible to allow the families to grieve properly,” said Karapatan spokesperson Kyle Salgado.A team composed of the victims’ relatives and Karapatan paralegals arrived in Puerto Princesa City on Saturday afternoon.

The group was promised to recover the bodies at a funeral home here but as of Sunday, the remains have not arrived from the southern Palawan town of Brooke’s Point, where they were killed on Thursday in an encounter with soldiers.

Among those killed was Andrea Rosal, daughter of the late NPA spokesperson Gregorio “Ka Roger” Rosal. INQ