MANILA, Philippines – SINABI ng isang ranking official ng National Task Force to End Local Communist Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) na binigyan ng pagkakataon na sumuko ang mga miyembro ng New People’s Army (NPA) noong April 19 clash sa Toboso, Negros Occidental subalit mariing tumanggi ang mga ito.
Taliwas ito sa napaulat na minasaker ang 19 na miyembro ng NPA.
“Government forces continuously called on members of the armed group to surrender because no one wanted these encounters to happen,” ayon kay NTF-ELCAC executive director Undersecretary Ernesto Torres Jr.
“Tragically, opportunities for peace were repeatedly ignored and rejected even during the lull in combat,” anito pa rin.
Sinabi pa niya na ang lahat ng 19 na indibiduwal na nakasama sa insidente ay rebelde na napatay sa isang lehitimong armed engagement kasama ang puwersa ng gobyerno.
“Attempts to portray some of the fatalities as just civilians, farmers, or researchers have collapsed under the weight of physical evidence, forensic findings, crime scene investigation reports, and even admissions coming from the CPP (Communist Party of the Philippines) – NPA itself,”ang tinuran ni Torres.
Sa naging pahayag ani Torres ni 3rd Infantry Division commander Maj. Gen. Michael Samson, sa nangyaring April 19 clash, na-engkuwentro ng tropa ng gobyerno ang mga armadong indibiduwal kaya’t may dahilan na tratuhin ang mga ito bilang rebelde.
Aniya pa, nilinaw ni Samson ang importanteng punto kaugnay sa mga personalidad gaya ng Alysa Alano at RJ Ledesma.
“Regardless of prior identity, profession, or affiliation, individuals found armed and actively participating during an encounter are combatants in that operational context,” ani Torres.
Kabilang sa pinakamalakas na ebidensiya ay ang forensic findings na tinalakay ni Police Col. Reynaldo Calaoa ng Regional Forensic Unit – Negros Island Region. Mula sa 19 na nasawi, 11 ang positibo sa gunpowder residue.
“This finding becomes even more significant when viewed in light of the conditions surrounding body recovery. Several of the fatalities remained exposed to seawater and recurring high tide for almost 24 hours before recovery and examination,” ang tinuran ni Torres.
Aniya pa, ang paglutang ng gunshot residue ay ‘highly vulnerable’ sa environmental degradation. Kahit pa aniya ang ordinaryong paglalaba ay maaaring makabuluhang mabawasan ang nakikitang latak.
Sa kasong ito, sinabi ni Torres na “government troops were dealing with prolonged saltwater immersion, wave action, abrasion from sand and debris, and movement during recovery operations.”
“Yet despite these extraordinary conditions, a majority still tested positive. That is not a small detail. That is powerful forensic evidence supporting the reality of an active firefight. Therefore, arguing that the eight who tested negative automatically did not fire weapons are not supported by forensic science. Such claim would be scientifically weak. A negative paraffin result is not proof that a person never fired a gun. It may simply indicate that by the time testing occurred, detectable surface residue was no longer present,” litaniya nito.
Idinagdag pa niya na ang magkakahalong mga natuklasan, 11 positibo at walo ang negatibo ay hindi pangkaraniwan sa ilalim ng ‘uneven environmental conditions.’
Ang iba’t ibang antas ng paglubog, body positions, clothing protection, tidal movement, at exposure ay maaaring mag-produce ng iba’t ibang resulta.
“The danger of simplistic conclusions becomes obvious in the case of Roger Fabillar, alias ‘Jong,’ identified as commander of the Northern Negros Front and publicly acknowledged by the NPA itself as one of its slain members. He was among those who tested negative. If anyone would insist that a negative paraffin finding automatically means non-participation in combat, then that argument immediately runs into serious difficulty,” ang pahayag ni Torres. KRIS JOSE
