Group accuses Army of killing 3 civilians in anti-insurgency drive in Davao City

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – A tribal leader, his brother and a villager, were killed after suspected government forces fired at a house in the village of Paradise Embac here on Saturday midnight, a human rights group said.

Hanimay Suazo, spokesperson of Karapatan-Southern Mindanao, said Datu Ruben Enlog, chair of the tribal organization Nagkalupa Datu Ruben was staying at the house of farmer leader Aida Seisa in Purok 7, Barangay Paradise Embac when armed men fired at them.

Enlog, his brother Ramil and Seisa’s neighbor Randy Carnasa were killed in the attack.

Seisa’s 12-year-old daughter also sustained a gunshot wound, Suazo said.

Capt. Alberto Caber, spokesperson of the military’s Eastern Mindanao Command, said the reported victims were members of the New People’s Army.

Caber claimed that an M14 rifle and two explosives were recovered from the area.

The military said they only responded to a report that armed men were in the area.

But Karapatan said the victims were civilians and Datu Ruben was a leader of a legitimate organization.

The attack, Karapatan said, was part of the massive military campaign in the area as a response to the communities’ disapproval to cases of alleged human rights abuses including military occupation of public spaces.

Suazo said justice must be served and that the perpetrators must be made accountable.

Karapatan said Enlog was in Seisa’s house to seek refuge after he was allegedly threatened by the military for his involvement in the campaign to call for the pull-out of government forces in the area.

A few days before the attack, several houses were reportedly “ransacked” by government soldiers in Paquibato in connection with the attempt to run after Enlog and his supporters.

Earlier, arrest warrants were issued against Seisa and seven others for their alleged involvement with the communist movement, which Karapatan said was a trumped up charge meant to suppress the opposition of the villagers against the military.

Karapatan said they were expecting the “same lies” from the military in covering up human rights abuses.

“One of Seisa’s children was wounded, immobilized. Seisa’s residence was then cordoned off by the military, her child unable to get timely medical aid. The bodies were then brought to the central area of the community. They were then photographed after guns and explosives were laid by their side, to falsely show that they were members of the New People’s Army,” Suazo said. SFM