By Ronron
March 26, 2007
The Philippine military discovered another mass grave site allegedly of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Southern Leyte province last week which yielded nine skeletal remains.
Army spokesman Maj. Ernesto Torres, Jr. said Monday that the site was found at around 10:30 am of March 21 at Sitio Can-isak, Barangay Utanan, Hilongos town by elements of the 43rd Infantry Battalion.
“The troops, led by Staff Sergeant Noli Silong, with the help of a civilian asset in pinpointing the exact location of the gravesite, found nine skeletal remains at the said area. Accordingly, there were 15 persons buried there,” Torres said.
“The mass grave was believed to be a site where NPA victims were killed during purging operations of the Communist Party of the Philippines – NPA in the late 1980’s,” he added.
Torres said witnesses also claimed that other bodies are buried in other gravesites nearby.
A big mass grave site, called The Garden, was unearthed last August 2006 in Inopacan town, bearing at least 67 skeletal remains, 15 of whom were identified by their relatives that is now the basis of the multiple murder charge against Bayan Muna Congressman Satur Ocampo, and more than 50 other communist personalities.
Torres said the exhumation of the nine skeletal remains at Barangay Utanan will be carried out in the coming days by the Philippine National Police Scene of the Crime Operatives, in coordination with other stakeholders.
Asked if Ocampo is also involved in this newly discovered site, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. said there is no proof at the moment.
“We will subject this to further analysis and investigation to find out if Mr. Ocampo is also involved in this new case,” Esperon said yesterday.
The military had said that the communist movement killed its own ranks in the 1980’s to get rid of those suspected to be spying for the government./DMS
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