Arevalo: AFP is open to CHR probe on bloody clashes with Reds

Police officials inspect the recovered firearms and personal effects of the rebels in the clash in Nasugbu, Batangas. Photo by Marrah Erika Rabe, Inquirer Southern Luzon

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) welcomed on Friday the investigation of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) on the deadly clash between the military and the New People’s Army (NPA) in Nasugbu, Batangas, as well as the killing of a priest in Nueva Ecija.

While maintaining that the military could also provide help in the probe, AFP Public Affairs chief Col. Edgard Arevalo emphasized that the CHR should respect the mandate of the Armed Forces to protect the people and defend the state.

“It’s always been the case ‘pag may mga ganitong pagkakataon, mayroon tayong mga lehitimong engkwentro at mayroong napapatay sa mga myembro ng mga komunista at teroristang grupo, lagi ang reflex na hinihiling nila ay magsagawa ng pagdinig o imbestigasyon ang Commission on Human Rights,” Arevalo said in a press briefing in Camp Aguinaldo.

(Whenever these things happen, we have legitimate encounters and there were casualties from the communist or terrorist groups, their default reflex is always to conduct a hearing or CHR investigation.)

“Sa ganang Armed Forces of the Philippines po, iginagalang natin ang mandato ng Commission of Human Rights kagaya ng inaasahan din natin na igagalang din dapat ang mandato ng Armed Forces which is to perform our role that is to protect the people and to secure the state,” he added.

(In the side of the AFP, we respect the mandate of the CHR and we likewise expect them to respect the mandate of the AFP, which is to perform our role that is to protect the people and to secure the state.)

CHR Commissioner Jose Luis Martin Gascon on Thursday said the CHR Calabarzon had dispatched a team in Nasugbu, Batangas to investigate the Nov. 28 encounter that resulted in the deaths of 15 suspected members of the NPA, including University of the Philippines medical student and activist Josephine Lapira.

READ: CHR probes killing of suspected NPA rebels

Another team from the central office had also been sent to Nueva Ecija to investigate the killing of retired Catholic priest Marcelito Paez, 72, on Monday night, hours after he helped secure the release from military custody of an organizer for the left-leaning peasant group Alyansa ng Magbubukid sa Gitnang Luzon.

Human rights groups have denounced the spate of killings.

Arevalo said that the AFP is willing to give support to the investigation to ensure its fairness.

“So kung ano man ang naisin nila na imbestigahan handa po tayo at sa katunayan, sinasabi natin na handa pa po tayong tumulong sa kanila sa gagawing imbestigasyon. Kung mayroon man po tayong mga tauhan na gugustuhin nila, halimbawa, na tanungin, pwede po tayo operasyon upang magbigay daan ang isang malaya at patas na imbestigasyon,” he pointed out.

(So we are ready if they want to investigate and we are ready to help them in providing them help to give way to a free and fair investigation.)

He also maintained that the AFP strictly observes human rights in all of its operations. /jpv