NDF whitewashing barbarity: general

By LITO RULONA
and NITZ ARANCON
Correspondents

FOURTH Infantry Divison commander Benjamin Madrigal Jr. yesterday lashed out at the National Democratic Front’s alleged attempt to gloss over the brutality of the killing of three Army soldiers in Malaybalay City last week even as he challenged NDF leader Luis Jalandoni to see to it that the rebels behind the attack are punished.

Maj. Gen. Madrigal said this even as he pointed out what he said were inconsistencies in the pronouncements of Jalandoni and New People’s Army, the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines.

Madrigal accused Jalandoni of attempting to whitewash the NPA attack that resulted in the gruesome killings of Cpl. Pat Non, Sgt.  Owen  Yee and Pfc. Niño Christopher Talabor. He said it was an act of desperation on Jalandoni’s part.

The military earlier cried foul of the offensive, saying it was an overkill because each of the soldiers were shot over 20 times. Authorities said rebels riddled the three soldiers with over 70 bullets.

Madrigal also sharply criticized Jalandoni for insinuating that it was a “rubout” or that the three soldiers were killed by their fellow soldiers.

He said Jalandoni’s pronouncements were “libelous” and “added more injury to the pains and sufferings of the families and loved ones of our three soldiers.”

Madrigal added: “In an attempt to hide the barbarism of their armed wing and to deceive everyone about the incident, Jalandoni accused the AFP over killing our own men.”

He said it has become clear that Jalandoni was not in touch with the real situation on the ground.

In a television interview, Jalandoni said it could be that the military was behind the killings because the NPA doesn’t engage in encounters that way. “Wala namang ganong patakaran ang NPA na gagamit ng ganung karaming bala sa isang enkwentro ho. So tignan nalang maaaring rubout din yan nagaling ho sa military mismo para ipagbintang ho sa NPA.”

Madrigal pointed out that Jalandoni’s pronouncements contradicted NPA spokesman Allan Juanito’s account that rebels stopped the soldiers and killed them.

Juanito, in a statement, said the soldiers were on motorcycles when they were flagged down by the NPA in Sitio Kalib, Barangay Kibalabag in Malaybalay, at around 5 pm on Feb. 1. He said rebels shot the soldiers because they allegedly drew their pistols in order to fight back.

Madrigal said the NDF should apply the Geneva Convention protocols, sanction the rebels behind the attack, and bring them to justice.

“If he (Jalandoni) really wants to pursue the peace talks with the government, he must order the NPA to stop terrorizing our communities, committing atrocities, and start working with the whole nation on the attainment of lasting peace,” he said.

Capt. Joe Patrick Martinez, Camp Evangelista spokesman, said Jalandoni was attempting to twist the facts in order to gloss over the rebels’ brutality and violation of the Maoist group’s own unilateral ceasefire that is supposed to be terminated on Feb. 10.