NDF denies hand over Marilog killings; believes military-backed ALAMARA is the culprit

27 October 2005

The National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) - Southern Mindanao denies the serious accusation of the Marilog Police Precinct and the 72nd Infantry Battalion operatives that the New People's Army (NPA) was behind the killings of Engr. Joseph Fernandez and his son Rocky Muhawe Fernandez last Sunday, October 23, in Barangay Salaysay, Marilog District.

Rubi del Mundo, NDFP regional spokesperson said, "the New People's Army did not, in any way, lay a finger on the victims," adding that, "the red fighters don't target civilians in their tactical operations."

Del Mundo furthered that 'unless certain groups or individuals committed grave crimes against the revolutionary movement and the civilian populace, the NPA will definitely not touch them.' In the case of Engr. Fernandez and his son, the revolutionary movement did not see any reason to kill them.

The NDFP believes that the ALAMARA, a vigilante group of lumads, was behind the killings. The said group has been committing various human rights violations in indigenous areas since the 73rd Infantry Battalion under Col. Eduardo del Rosario organized it in 2001.

It was the 701st Brigade formerly under Col. Felipe Berroya that came up with a military operational plan called 'Oplan Alsa-Lumad' using lumads in their counter-insurgency operations. In 2002, AFP Gen. Angelo Reyes declared that 5% of the newly enlisted personnel in the 73rd IB will be allotted to lumad population.

According to Del Mundo, "the police and the military are now pointing their accusing fingers at the NPA. But all along, the military and paramilitary forces are behind the series of atrocities in Marilog, and other areas in the region."

"This is just the latest of the 73rd IB concoctions to step up its propaganda attacks against the NPA, which is triggered by its failures against the 1st Pulang Bagani Company (PBC)," concluded Del Mundo. *

(Sgd) RUBI DEL MUNDO, Spokesperson, National Democratic Front of the Philippines - Southern Mindanao

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