Del Rosario condemns Rebelyn’s murder
DAVAO DEL NORTE — Governor Rodolfo del Rosario expressed his strong condemnation at the murder of Rebelyn Pitao, calling it barbaric and horrendous.
Del Rosario affirmed the innocence of the 20-year old school teacher and daughter of Leoncio Pitao alias Ka Parago, a known leader of the New People’s Army (NPA). Rebelyn’s desecrated body was found in the Municipality of Carmen in Davao del Norte province.
In a press statement, del Rosario referred to the crime as an atrocityand said the murder was a crime against women, taking advantage of female physical vulnerability.
The governor said the latest “attack against human rights” reminded him of two others. First, there was the assassination of Ka Parago’s younger brother last year. Danilo Pitao was likewise a non-combatant and an employee of the provincial government. Then there was Javelyn Villanueva, also an employee of the provincial government.
“We took the cudgels for the Villanueva family by creating a Task Force to pursue the investigation,” said del Rosario. “Considering the similarities of these human rights violation cases, I have instructed the PNP (Philippine National Police) Task Force Laya investigating the Villanueva case to pursue a same investigation on the Pitao case,” he added.
According to del Rosario, TF Laya succeeded in identifying the suspects for the death of Villanueva “whose names cannot yet be divulged pending the filing of proper charges in court.” The governor is also looking at the task force for the speedy resolution of the Danilo Pitao case, which was discovered to have similarities to the Villanueva case.
“We shall apply the long arm of the law to restore the confidence of our people on the capacity of the local government to maintain peace and order in the communities and the safety of every individual.” Del Rosario also urged government agencies involved in the dispensation of justice to help hasten the resolution of the human rights violation cases.
“We assure our people that we are doing everything within our power to ensure the early resolution of these cases and bring the criminals behind bars,” del Rosario said. “With this, we send our deepest sympathy and our prayers to the bereaved family of Rebelyn in these most trying times of their lives,” he added. (PGO-ID/PIA XI)
Extrajudicial Killings
