11 suspected rebels nabbed in police, army raid

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines – Soldiers and policemen arrested 11 persons, including a 12-year-old boy and three women, as they stormed a hinterland village of Kitaotao, Bukidnon in search of rebels and firearms on Thursday.

A militant group based in Bukidnon immediately denounced the raid, saying authorities were clamping down on progressive groups and their supporters.

Isidro Indao, spokesperson of the Kahugpongan sa mga Mag-uuma sa Kitaotao (KMK), said in a statement that a large group of soldiers, backed by helicopters, swooped down on the village of White Culaman and forcibly entered and searched houses belonging to residents.

“On Thursday, the soldiers from the 23rd and 8th Infantry Battalion forcibly took with them 11 people – including leaders and members of the Tinananon Kulamanon Lumadnong Panaghiusa (Tikulpa) and KMK. The victims were airlifted by a helicopter and brought to a military camp,” Indao said.

He said among those taken was a 12-year-old boy.

Indao said the “abducted” leaders of progressive groups were very vocal in the campaign against human rights abuses in the hinterland communities and were active in the campaign for demilitarization of their communities.

Indao identified some of the victims as Ellen Manlimbaas, Felizardo Labadan, Editha Bontao, Jun Pellazar, Camilo Asunan, Noeda Manlumaray and the 12-year-old boy, whose identity the Inquirer withholds for being a minor.

Capt. Alberto Caber, chief public information officer of the military’s Eastern Mindanao Command, which also has jurisdiction over parts of Northern Mindanao, confirmed the conduct of the raid but justified it as a legitimate “law enforcement operation.”

“It was a law enforcement operation by joint forces from the Public Safety Company of the Philippine National Police and the 8th IB. They served 57 search warrants,” he said.

Caber said during the raid, the authorities arrested 11 persons, and all the suspected New People’s Army rebels were now under police custody.

Col. Jesse Alvarez, commander of the Army’s 403rd Infantry Brigade, said some 200 policemen and soldiers participated in the raid, which was backed by a search warrant issued by the Regional Trial Court in Misamis Oriental.

Alvarez said aside from arrested 11 suspected rebels, the raiding team also recovered firearms and improvised explosive devices from the houses included in the search warrant.

He also denied that the operation was unlawful by adding that they even brought a government prosecutor to ensure that the provisions of the search warrant were not violated.

He said the suspects were initially investigated at the headquarters of the 8th IB in Maramag town before they were turned over to the police.

Indao said the arrested suspects were not rebels and that they were simple farmers.

“They are not NPA. Many of them were my relatives and colleagues at KMK,” he said.

“Arresting Lumad leaders and tagging them as rebels is also a way for the government to silence critics most especially those who are witnesses of the continuing human rights violations in the communities,” Indao added.

He also criticized White Culaman village chief Felipe Cabugnason for allegedly not lifting a finger when the arrests were being made. Karlos Manlupig, Inquirer Mindanao