ACCUSATION DENIED, Militants rap Army for Mabini town salvaging

A leader of a militant peasant group said the Army's 15 Infantry Battalion was behind the killing of one of its members in Mabini town last week. The victim, identified as one Nestor Arenque, 39, married, was killed after he was shot by three unidentified men while he was riding his motorcycle about 12:40 noon last Tuesday. Arenque, Humabol municipal chair in Mabini, sustained 11 gunshot wounds as a result of the shooting last March 7. Felipeneri Bejasa, vice chair of the Hugpong sa mga Mag-uumang Bol-anon (Humabol), told Station DyTR that they suspect the military behind Arenque's murder. Bejasa noted that Arenque, who was active in the campaign for authentic agrarian reform in the town, was notably mentioned during the pulong-pulongs held by the military. Arenque was prominently mentioned among those who were accused of supporting the leftist underground movement.

The accusation however was swiftly denied by the military. According to Sgt. Narciso Tabaniag, team leader of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Civil Relations Service, he does not believe that the military was behind Arenque's killing. Tabaniag told Station DyTR said that considering that the military policy is even to treat rebels wounded during encounters, the killing would not be in line with this. The Army officer admitted that they keep a list of people suspected of supporting the rebels for record purposes but denied this was a hit list. The list was compiled based on information provided by rebel returnees.

Tabaniag however made it clear that the military will cooperate in determining who was behind the killing. He also bared that the military will determine how Arenque is related to a rebel whose remains were dug up in neighboring Alicia town more than a year ago. The skeletal remains of two suspected New People's Army rebels were buried separately in two Alicia barangays after they died in what the Army said was a case of a misencounter between two rebel groups. As this developed, Gov. Erico Aumentado is set to convene the Provincial Peace and Order Council to investigate the killing.