Karapatan condemns killing of civilian and arrest of 12 more

Panay Alliance Karapatan condemned the alleged attack by the Armed Forces of the Philippines on innocent civilians of Brgy. Igpanulong, Sibalom, Antique which resulted in the killing of a person and arrest of 12 more civilians, including minors.

In statement released by the 61st Infantry (Hunter) Battalion of the AFP yesterday afternoon, the military claimed to have seized a New People’s Army training ground where they encountered 40 members of the NPA at around 10 a.m., April 18, at Sitio Anoy, Brgy. Cabalaunan, Miag-ao, Iloilo.

As a result, the AFP claimed, one NPA member was killed and seven were captured.

Citing independent reports it gathered, Panay Alliance Karapatan said the military killed one civilian and arrested and detained 12 others. These are unarmed, innocent civilians some of whom are, in fact, students.

The group said it was able to get in touch with the mother of one of these civilians.

Ellen Centino, from Brgy. Igpanulong, Sibalom, Antique, aired her concern for her 18-year old son, Carlo Centino, who was with the group of minors and young persons attacked by the military.

According to her, Carlo asked her permission to go with his friends on April 14 to the forest to gather honey from beehives which they intended to sell. They have not returned until this time.

Their ages range from 14 to 21 years old. Karapatan is still verifying the identities of the four other victims.

The NPA Mt. Napulak Command in Southern Panay also released a statement this morning denying the AFP report of an encounter yesterday, and claimed that no NPA was killed nor captured.

“If indeed it was Carlo Centino and his companions who were chanced upon and fired at by Phil. Army soldiers, we call on them to promptly release these civilians unharmed to their families, as well as the remains of the person reportedly killed,” Panay Alliance Karapatan said in a statement.

“Justice should be given to the civilian victims and their families after proper investigation by the Commission on Human Rights and other concerned agencies. The soldiers responsible for the killing, arrest, and detention of these civilians should also be prosecuted and made accountable. Our hope is that this will not fall into the pattern where defenseless people become victims of staged encounters and end up in jails on trumped up charges filed by the army and police.”