Two militants abducted, one wounded in Iloilo attack

By Ronron
April 13, 2007

Two militant group members were abducted while another one was shot by unidentified suspects on Thursday night in Iloilo province, police said.

The victims were identified as Jose Ely Garachico, who sustained gunshot wound on the neck; and Ma. Luisa Pusa and Nilo Arado, who were both taken to an unknown place.

Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) spokesman Carl Ala identified Garachico, 51, as the Secretary-General of Karapatan in Panay; Pusa, as a member of SELDA (Samahan ng mga Ex-Detainees Laban sa Detention at para sa Amnestiya); and Arado, as a member of the KMP National Council and Anakpawis.

Police said Arado also belongs to the Panay Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan).

SPO3 Neri Legislador, Officer-in-Charge of Oton Municipal Police Station, said in a phone interview Friday that the victims were aboard a black L-200 pick-up (plate number FEA-784) when they were blocked by an L-300 van (plate number FVF-463) at past 8:30 pm in Barangay Cabanbanan, same town.

Garachico, 51, who was driving the vehicle, told police that he noticed the L-300 van tailing them from San Jose, Antique, where they came from, to Iloilo City, where they are heading to.

Upon reaching Barangay Cabanbanan, three of the suspects alighted the L-300 van and opened fire, targeting Garachico.

Garachico sustained a gunshot wound in the neck and was dropped at the shooting site. He was later brought to the Iloilo Doctors Hospital for medical treatment by local residents.

The suspects then took control of the victims’ pick-up, taking along Pusa and Arado.

At around 6 am yesterday (Friday), Legislador said the pick-up was discovered abandoned at Januiay town in Iloilo, burned already.

Police said the pick-up was owned by a certain Romeo Capalla, who once belonged to the New People’s Army (NPA) Panay Regional Party Committee, like Garachico. Pusa and Arado themselves were described by police as former members of the local NPA’s United Front Committee.

“The victims are former communist rebels who are now working with party-list groups. But we are still investigating the motive and identities of the suspects,” said Director Geary Barias, commander of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Task Force USIG which is tasked to investigate killings of militants, journalists and local officials.

Asked if the incident could be part of the communist movement’s purging, Barias said: “We will wait for the investigation and we have to come up with some definite information before we say anything.”

But Ala was quick to blame the military for the incident, particularly the 3rd Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army, saying the victims have been tailed since December of last year.

Promptly, PNP Chief Director General Oscar Calderon relieved Inspector Vicente Castor, chief of police of Oton, upon the recommendation of Barias, citing the principle of command responsibility.

“Castor will be temporarily relieved by his deputy while undergoing investigation. But I can always order his return to post if an investigation will show that he was not remiss in his duties,” Calderon said in a statement.

Incidentally, Castor was on official leave since Thursday, and it was Legislador who was on duty at the time the crime happened.

Barias said the Task Force USIG in Police Regional Office VI already began a thorough investigation into the incident.

“I am confident we will make a breakthrough in our investigation very soon,” Barias said./DMS