Reign of terror in Sallapadan, Abra

Ka Diego Wadagan
Spokesperson
Agustin Begnalen Command
July 28, 2004

On July 24, 2004, at around 12 noon, troops from the 41st IB, 503rd Brigade, PA killed "Talog" Bangoey and wounded "Pilnan" Dumel-ac, both from Ud-udiao, Sallapadan, Abra, in an alleged encounter with the NPA. Col. Melchor Dilodilo, 503rd Brigade Commander, disclosed that the fatality was Benzon Icloy and the wounded as Fernando Mino. Col. Dilodilo's confirmation of their troops' involvement in the death and injury of the said individuals is tantamount to admission to their responsibility in the death and injury of the said civilians.

No unit of the Agustin Begnalen Command operating in Sallapadan was involved in any firefight. "Talog" Bangoey and "Pilnan" Dumel-ac are hunters resting at Sitio Sapisap, Ud-udiao, Sallpadan when fascist troops chanced upon them. Holding up their hands in surrender, soldiers from the 41st IB fired upon the hapless civilians, killing "Talog" and wounding "Pilnan." "Talog" later died due to loss of blood, because soldiers of the 41st IB refused to extend medical help. "Pilnan", although wounded, was able to seek refuge with relatives in a nearby municipality.

On the same day, another unit of the 41st IB, fired rifle grenades at the house of Capula Magalim, of Namuan, Ud-udiao, Sallapadan, Abra. Nobody was injured as the owners of the house left the area before the soldiers fired their M203 grenade launchers.

Earlier, George Batoon, a jeepney driver, of Basar, Sallapadan, Abra, was harassed by troops of the 41st IB. The victim was walking in the rice paddies when he met the perpetrators. The soldiers got the victim's bolo and acted as if they would kill him by placing the bolo in the victim's neck.

More information is still being gathered as of this time. Clearly, the 41st IB, 503rd are desperately trying to quell the reinvigorated revolutionary movement in Abra, at the expense of hapless civilians, and in clear violation of their own rules of engagement and of International Humanitarian Laws and Rules of War, including the Geneva Conventions, the Comprehensive Agreement on Human Rights and International Humanitarian Laws (CAHRIHL) between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP).

Earlier, on May 26, 2004, elements of the Alpha Coy, 41st IB, 503rd Brigade maltreated the cadaver of slain NPA Ariel "Ka Manny" Balicao. These incidents, along with other possible inhuman acts of the 41st IB will be investigated by the revolutionary movement and will be submitted to the Joint Monitoring Committee of the GRP-NDFP, in accordance with agreements arrived at in the current peace negotiations.

We call on the people of Abra to be vigilant against abuses of the 41st IB. The revolutionary masses should not be cowed by fascist troops claiming to be their soldiers, but are in fact anti-people and upholding the interests of imperialism, feudalism and bureaucrat-capitalism.

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