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Commission on Human Rights Chair Leila De Lima in an inquiry on extrajudicial killings in Davao city. (davaotoday.com photo by Jonald Mahinay)
DAVAO CITY—The Commission on Human Rights is thinking of inviting New Peoples Army (NPA) leader Kumander Parago in a public inquiry to help shed light on the abduction and killing of his daughter Rebelyn Pitao.
But will Parago appear in a public hearing?
We considered calling him (Parago), Leila De Lima, CHR chair, told reporters at the end of the hearing on the Rebelyn case on the third day of the inquiry on extrajudicial killings. We were already trying to make that a reality, kaya lang ang kausap ko, nag-back-out sa (but the one I talked to had backed out at the) last minute, said De Lima. She vowed to take stronger actions against the three personnel of the military intelligence group (MIG) who failed to show up in the inquiry. Read on.
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Side Bar Story Duterte keeps his hands off Paquibato
(photo from pinoyrecords.blogspot.com)
The citys largest district of over 40,000 people, Paquibato has become a virtual garrison these days. People cannot move around the place without identification cards bearing the signature of soldiers.
On the veranda of the village hall of barangay Mabuhay, government soldiers mounted an M60 machine gun, a menacing reminder among its residents of the silent war in their midst. In a place called Crossing Hasil towards the border with Panabo, soldiers at a checkpoint stopped all vehicles for inspection.
Earlier this month, a fuming Mayor Rodrigo Duterte had declared he will keep his hands off Paquibato, raising fear that rights of civilians might be violated in the resulting armed clashes between government and rebel forces in the area.
Paquibato has long been considered battleground between the military and the Communist New Peoples Army. Its hinterlands have been a stronghold of NPA leader Leoncio Pitao, the elusive Kumander Parago whose 20 year old daughter, abducted and killed on March 4 in Davao city, was buried last week.
Duterte has kept good rapport with the rebels through the years, a policy that relatively kept peace in the area in the past but which apparently clashed with armys thrust to crush the 40-year old insurgency through military might. Read on.
