NDF condemns inhumane treatment of Ka Parago
The National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) has condemned the Estrada regime�s inhumane treatment of Leonardo Pitao, better known as Ka Parago Sandoval, head of the Merardo Arce Command, the New People�s Army (NPA)�s regional unit in Southern Mindanao. The NDFP said that the regime�s continued denial of Ka Parago�s basic rights were gross violations of the Geneva Conventions and existing protocols governing the treatment of prisoners of war.
Ka Parago was arrested by elements of the Military Intelligence Group (MIG) and the 73rd IB led by Col. Eric Palabrica at 11 p.m. on November 2 in his wife�s house in Barangay Bago Gallera, Davao City. Ka Parago was then with his wife and five children. Although there was no other guerrilla with Ka Parago, the raiding soldiers were in full battle gear when they swooped down on the house. Ka Parago said that he was in the city to seek medical treatment for his right arm that often caused him pain due to a bullet that had long been lodged in it. The military, however, did not even take this into account. Despite his condition, Ka Parago was immediately handcuffed and brought to the MIG headquarters in Davao where he was subjected to tactical interrogation for five hours by four men in civilian clothes.
On the morning of November 3, he was airlifted to Manila, from which he was brought by helicopter to Malaca�ang where he was presented to Lt. Gen. Jose Calimlim, chief of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP). After this, he was brought to the ISAFP headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo where he was interrogated by Calimlim himself.
From the time of Ka Parago�s arrest, he was deprived of sleep and food for 19 hours while being subjected to interrogation thrice by teams of military men that took turns in grilling him. After he had been given food, he was again interrogated.
He was held incommunicado, or denied the right to see his family, relatives, friends and lawyers, for 34 hours. Despite his legal counsels� prompt arrival at Camp Aguinaldo, the ISAFP at first repeatedly denied having Ka Parago in its custody before finally surfacing him.
From the very start, the revolutionary leader has been treated like a common criminal. He has been slapped with a series of criminal charges and denied his right to be recognized and treated as a prisoner of war. Ka Parago�s handcuffs were not even removed as he conferred with his lawyers. Military men also forcibly eavesdropped on what was supposed to be a private consultation with his counsels. He was likewise denied the right to seek medical treatment from a doctor of his choice.
Nonetheless, despite the fact that all of the common criminal acts Ka Parago has been charged with were committed in Davao, he is being forcibly detained in Manila, far away from his family, relatives, friends and comrades. This beastly treatment of Ka Parago starkly contrasts with his humane treatment of two military men who were prisoners of war, Gen. Victor Obillo and Capt. Eduardo Montealto. Ka Parago had headed the NPA unit that acted as the two prisoners� custodians.
As Obillo and Montealto�s custodian, Ka Parago faithfully abided by the provisions of the Geneva Conventions and international protocols, by the NPA�s rules and by the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law. This, despite the difficult conditions brought about by pursuit " operations conducted by more than 4,000 military troops sent by the Estrada regime in its failed attempt to recover the two prisoners of war.
Ka Parago can never hope to attain justice from a regime that perpetrates gross violations not only of the basic rights of captured revolutionaries but also of the rights of all people, especially the toiling masses. It is only the revolutionary movement�s all-rounded advance that shall liberate and mete justice to Ka Parago and all other political prisoners in the country.
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