Condemn the 19th IB for the mass torture and massacre of civilians and hors de combat in Kananga, Leyte

Gregorio "Ka Roger" Rosal
Spokesperson
Communist Party of the Philippines
May 06, 2003

Based on the reports I have received, what occurred in San Isidro, Kananga, Leyte on April 6, 2003 was not an encounter but the mass torture and massacre of nine civilians and hors de combat.

The Communist Party of the Philippines strongly condemns the Kananga mass torture and massacre committed by 19th IB troops under the command of Lt. Col. Oscar Lactao, the Palparan of Leyte.

According to the report of the Fact Finding Mission Team that went to the area, most of the massacre victims were shot in the head at close range, shattering their skulls. Before they were killed, a mass torture was perpetrated: one victim's hand was burned, boiling water was poured on the victims' hands, feet, bodies and faces and they were beaten up and hit with a hard object.

Among the victims of the Kananga mass torture and massacre were peasant leader Eugenio Tazan, 54, of the San Isidro Small Farmers Association (SISFA) and Rowena Superior, 24, a member of the Bagalungon Small Farmers Association (BASFA) who was three months pregnant. Other victims were Kananga residents and minors Randy Potoy, 15; Rey Corpin, 13; Benjie Cabugoy, 17; and Obet Quidlat.

The public must pay close attention to the Kananga mass torture and massacre. It is of utmost urgency that we support its expos� by activists.

I challenge church people, students, teachers, people in media, politicians and others to unite with and help the people of Kananga in their quest for justice for this most heinous violation of their rights and those of their relatives and fellow villagers who were tortured and massacred.

I challenge Sen. Francis Pangilinan, who heads the senate human rights committee to investigate the Kananga mass torture and massacre the same way his committee is investigating the murders of Eden Marcellana and Eddie Gumanoy of Mindoro.

This case demonstrates that militarization and the merciless military abuses committed against the people in the countryside occur not only in Mindoro but in all areas of the country. It is the 19th IB that is likewise responsible for the massacre of the Nuguit family on January 29, 1999 in Sitio Mogus, Barangay Capacujan, Palapag, Northern Samar.

The fascist AFP and PNP troops have grown so desperate in their failure to defeat the New People's Army. In their madness, they vent their brutality on defenseless civilians, trample on the latter's human rights and violate all provisions of the international rules of war.

Despite intense militarization in the countryside and violations of human rights, the revolutionary armed struggle surges nationwide. The further invigoration of the New People's Army gives it greater capability to address the people's cry for justice and punish the notorious fascist military for its blood debts to the people. ###

Back to top