MANILA — The militant Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) and the ANAKPAWIS party list group lambasted the 4th Infantry Battalion for presenting as New Peoples Army members, farmers and students that they abducted yesterday morning in Barangay Apad, Quezon.
According to Ka Willy Marbella, internal deputy secretary general of KMP and ANAKPAWIS party list nominee, more likely than not Ariel Rogelio, Rudel and Analyn Peregrina and Ruben Ilyich were tortured by the soldiers to say that they are NPA members and the so-called .45 caliber pistol and its ammunition were planted. This has also happened late last year when they abducted our members in Hacienda Reyes in the Bondoc Peninsula and jailed them on trumped up charges,
The most recent incident like this is when soldiers in New Bataan, Compostela Valley killed Grecil Gelacio, a 9 year old girl, placed an M16 rifle beside the body and claimed that she is a child warrior. Their claim has later been proven false and the parents of Grecil have filed charges against the soldiers, added the peasant leader.
Meanwhile Amy Mabalay, chairperson of the National Network of Agrarian Reform Advocates-Youth Sector (NNARA-Youth) said that the PUP students Jihan Manampad and Rina Togonon are in Quezon as part of their course requirement in the university. They are third year BS Sociology students and country side immersion as well as research on rural and urban areas are part of their curriculum. They are not NPA members nor are they being recruited to the NPA. The university, the dean of their college, their professors, classmates and parents can attest to this,
The military should stop using this orchestrated incident for more media mileage and in falsely accusing the students and the farmers, instead they should be released immediately and the military should apologize to them, because as of now we are thinking of filing charges against the elements of the 4th IB under Lt. Col. Mario Aboyador and their officials, ended Mabalay. # # #
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