The Philippines Army (PA) has belied the allegations of human rights alliance, Karapatan, that the three indigenous people’s rights advocates they took into custody were abducted by state forces.
In a statement released on Thursday, Oct. 5, the army stated that Job Abednego David, Peter Del Monte and Alia Encelo were “apprehended during military operations” in the mountainous area of Sitio Lawaan in Barangay Lisap, Bongabong, Oriental Mindoro on Sept. 23.
“The soldiers identified the three as members of the Main Regional Guerilla Unit (MRGU), through a profile and gallery of the MRGU,” Brigadier General Randolph G. Cabangbang of the PA’s 2nd Infantry Division (2ID) stated.
“They were later on identified by former rebels, who have surrendered, to be New Peoples’ Army (NPA) members.”
According to the PA, the three apprehended individuals even tried to resist arrest, saying they even tried to “reach for some object inside their bags but upon seeing that they have been surrounded, decided to heed the soldiers call not to move anymore.”
Seized from them were improvised landmines and grenades placed inside their bags, the army added.
Contrary to the claims of Karapatan, Cabangban said no damage to life or property is reported by anyone.
“Only the NPAs are affected during massive combat operations,” he said.
Cabangbang said that the three apprehended individuals have have undergone inquest before the Department of Justice on September 26.
The general said he personally exerted effort to inform the family members of the three about the incident.
“The mother of Alia was contacted and she was able to reunite with her daughter on September 28. The relatives of Job and Peter did not answer my personal messages (via Messenger) at once and sadly, reported my effort of reaching out to them to persons introducing themselves as members of Karapatan-NCR,” Cabangbang stated.
“However, after a few days of persistently contacting them, the parents of Peter and Job accepted our calls. According to the mother of Peter, she was made to sign documents that were not explained to her and that she needed to sign at once because her son might be in danger. The mother told her son, during a video call, that she was tricked by a certain Jaworski Jordan N. Cruz into signing the documents,” he went on.