DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte welcomed the communist New People’s Army’s move to indemnify 48 victims of the September 1 blast in Barangay Fatima, Paquibato district here, but he also asked the rebel group to tell the public what penalty was meted out to those who carried out the “sordid” act.
“This will test the sincerity of the NPA,” the vice mayor said over the city government’s Sunday television program “Gikan sa masa, para sa masa.”
“This is a rebellion and a lot of people are expecting to hear about the actions taken by the NPA. I hope that for the sake of transparency they have to tell us what they did, what sort of punishment were meted out,” he said.
The grenade blast, intended for a nearby military detachment, wounded 48 people, 18 of them minors, in Barangay Fatima, on a night when people were watching a circus inside a gym to celebrate their barangay (village) fiesta.
Duterte said the NPA might “not necessarily” surrender the perpetrators but they should tell the public, at least, what they have done with them.
Duterte said the NPA’s move to indemnify the victims must be done promptly to alleviate the sufferings of families whose breadwinners were among those wounded in the blast.
“That is not very hard to do,” Duterte said over the NPA’s move to ask independent facilitators to ensure that the indemnities would reach the victims. “All of those who are called to help can convene anytime, this is a standard procedure in the city.”
Duterte said non-governmental organizations called to action to help in the release of the NPA’s prisoners in the past might again be tapped to deliver indemnity to the victims.
“It should be done immediately, in great hurry to help the affected families,” Duterte said.