Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Gen. Debold Sinas gave the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) the options to either file cases against the police in court or just shut up after the communist group condemned what it describes as murder of two of its peace consultants during a police operation in Angono, Rizal last week.
(Photo by Juan Carlo de Vela / MANILA BULLETIN)
“If they have evidence, then they have to file a case because we are open to any investigation. If none, they better shut up,” said Sinas.
In a statement, the CPP disputed the report of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) that Eugenia Magpantay and Agaton Topacio tried to fight it out with the policemen who were out to serve arrest and search warrants in their house last week.
“We reject the claims of the police that the couple resisted arrest and were killed in a firefight. In their physical state, the couple would have not been able to manage the sheer number of weapons said to be found in the scene, much less put up a rigorous battle,” the CPP statement read.
It added that both Magpantay and Topacio are in their late 60s and Magpantay was suffering from arthritis and diabetes.
The CPP confirmed that the two had already retired from active service in the revolutionary movement due to infirmities of old age.
But Sinas described Magpantay and Topacio as hardened terrorists who had been keeping a cache of firearms.
“These two are not just an ordinary couple. They are hardened terrorists and based on the findings after the operation, they were deeply involved in the underground movement,” said Sinas in a press briefing.
He said the police conducted the operation to serve the arrest and search warrants over reports they were keeping firearms.