3 militant members killed, others nabbed in Southern Tagalog police raids

LUCENA CITY – Three members of militant groups were killed and several others were arrested in a series of early morning raids conducted by police in Laguna, Rizal, Batangas and Cavite provinces, human rights group Karapatan said Sunday.

Karapatan-Southern Tagalog, in a report, posted on its Facebook page Sunday morning claiming that Michael Dasigao, member of people’s organization San Isidro Kasiglahan, Kapatiran at Damayan para sa Kabuhayan, Katarungan at Kapayapaan (SIKKAD K-3), was allegedly killed by policemen inside his house in Montalban town, Rizal.

Karapatan alleged that a certain “Makmak,” also a member of SIKKAD K-3, was also killed. Karapatan also said the police team conducted separate raids at the houses of peasant leaders they identified only as Tatay Moises and Dodong “Bagsik.”

In Cavite, police also raided the Workers’ Assistance Center in Dasmariñas town. One Manny Asuncion, BAYAN-Cavite coordinator, was reportedly killed during the raid, according to Karapatan.

The group also reported that labor leader Esteban “Steve” Mendoza was arrested in his house in Cabuyao town in Laguna around 3:15 a.m.

The College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP) posted on its Facebook page a copy of the search warrant on Mendoza’s house that was issued by Judge Jose Lorenzo dela Rosa of Regional Trial Court Branch 4-Manila on March 2.

The subject of the warrant is one hand grenade supposedly being kept by the suspect inside his house in Barangay (village) Mamatid.

Thirty minutes later, one Mags Camoral, spokesperson of Bayan-Laguna and also a labor leader, was collared in another part of the town.

A certain Nimfa Lanzanas, paralegal aide to political prisoners, was also nabbed in Laguna, according to Karapatan.

In Batangas, the group said authorities also arrested the members of the Evangelista family — Chai, Raymart and Ariel — who are all leaders of a fishers group in Nasugbo town.

“Pinasok ang bahay ni Lino Baez, BAYAN-Batangas coordinator sa Sto. Tomas. Tinaniman ng baril, walang dinampot sa pamilya pero nagtanim ng baril at pasabog,” Karapatan said.

(They also entered BAYAN-Batangas coordinator in Sto. Tomas Lino Baez’s house. They planted a gun there. No one in the family was arrested but they left a gun and an explosive.)

The Police Regional Office 4 and the provincial police offices in Laguna, Rizal, Batangas and Cavite have yet to issue their respective official reports.