DAVAO CITY – The New People’s Army on Friday evening, May 20 owned up the killing of the indigenous people mandatory representative in Bukidnon three days ago.
Ariel “Inda” Magbanwag, NPA spokesperson in South Central Mindanao said a team of the NPA under the South Central Bukidnon Sub-regional Operation Command, who posed as solicitors shot dead Datu Benjamin “Otto” Omao inside his office at Indigenous People’s Apostolate in Casisang, Malaybalay City at around 6:00 am of May 17.
Omao reportedly sustained multiple wounds from nine bullets. The assailants used long firearms.
Omao served as the indigenous people mandatory representative in Malaybalay City.
Magbanwag claimed that Omao was a “criminal” and a “land-grabber”.
He also said the IP representative was a “rabid anti-revolutionary,” wo rking as a close ally of the bandit Delamance group.
According to the NPA, the Delamances were responsible for threats and harrassment in the communities and were backed by the Army since 1985 under the late Brig. General Roberto Dumalahay.
Magbanwag said Omao was responsible for the frustrated killing of his nephew Bata Omao on September 10, 2004 and the killing of his brother, Boyboy Omao on February 5, 2005 due to land dispute.
The NPAs said Omao traded marijuana in 2005-2006.
“Lain pa niyang kaso ang pag-ilog sa 40 ektarya nga yuta ug gipatay mao si Nido Omeran niadtong 2007 sa Umbawan, Barangay Managok, Malaybalay City (He was responsible for the land grabbing of a 40-hectare land and the killing of Nido Omeran in 2007 in Umbawan, Barangay Managok, Malaybalay City),” he said.
He was active in recruiting members of the militia group, Alamara in the villages of Cabanglasan and Malaybalay and had ordered the IPs to kill an NPA should they see one, said Magbanwag.
Magbanwag said despite his human rights record, Omao was still chosen as mandatory IP representative “by threatening the Datus to vote for him.”
Two civilians were injured during the NPA action, said Magbanwag. He identified the victims as Bae Thelma Saieto, a barangay mandatory IP representative from Aglayan who visited Omao on the day of the incident, and Omao’s staff, Sammy Talucdo.
Magbanwag said they were not able to give immediate financial assistance to the victims’ families “because of the difficulty in contacting them.”
But he said they will provide them the assistance soon.
The NPAs also urged the local government unit “not to install an IP mandatory representative who had criminal records.”(davaotoday.com)
