Bayan discounts military’s investigation that cleared suspects on Rebelyn’s Killing, hits TF Rebelyn

PRESS RELEASE

March 13, 2009

Davao City – Bayan discounted 10^th ID’s claim that Corporals Melvin Bitang and Orly Pedrigosa are clear from any accountability on the killing of Rebelyn Pitao saying “ it is idiocy for the military to think that they can change the tides and make the people believe that the accused are indeed innocent.”

“The people’s sympathy is evidently pointing on the suspects’ involvement in the crime and the military cannot simply dismiss the allegations by using the results of their own investigation as proofs of the suspect’s innocence. How in the world would the masterminds of Rebelyn’s killing say that their men are guilty?” Bayan-SMR spokesperson John Birondo said.

“Commander Parago’s accusation against these suspects can not be simply dismissed as unfounded neither the military can claim that the killing is an isolated case. Such crime has been happening under the military’s Internal Security Plan which launched Oplan Bantay Laya 1 and 2 as the main policies for the execution of the relentless political killings nationwide,” Birondo stressed.

“We instead dare the leadership of the 10^th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army to surface and submit the 12 suspects on the killing of Rebelyn Pitao for appropriate investigations including the investigation that will be carried out by an independent body,” Birondo added.

Bayan also hits the seemingly hollow police investigation of Task Force Rebelyn on the killing.

“We never believed that the creation of Task Force Rebelyn can be infringing of a state policy that subjects innocent civilians to abduction, torture, and worse, callous deaths,” Birondo said.

“The police can only make a pseudo investigation on the killing of Rebelyn Pitao for it can never be sincere in exposing the hard truth that the military is behind the abduction, rape, and killing of Commander Parago’s innocent daughter,” Birondo added.

Bayan recalled Task Force Pojas that the Davao City Police created to investigate last year’s killing of peasant leader Celso Pojas. To date, the crime remains unresolved while justice remains elusive for Pojas’ family and the people he had served in his lifetime as defender of peasant rights and welfare.