Mass grave in Inopacan: Some bone could have been of Cebuanos

There is a big possibility some of the 67 skeletal remains in a mass grave discovered by the military a week ago in barangay Causilihan, Inopacan town, Leyte could have belonged to Cebuanos. Pastor "Jun" Alcover, president of the Alliance of Nationalism and Democracy, in a radio interview yesterday said that one of the victims who could have been suspected to be a spy of the government who was able to penetrate the underground movement, and thus ordered summarily killed was a certain Danny Montalvo, a Cebuano.

Montalvo, he added, used to be the secretary of then Senator John Henry Osmeña and who reportedly also taught at a private school before he joined the communist movement. "Gipamatay ni sila human makapangayo og pasaylo tungod sa speculations nga sila mga espiya sa gobyerno. Unya dako raba kaayo nang personality si Montalvo sa dekada 70," Alcover said.

The military discovered the mass grave last week and uncovered at least 67 skeletal remains believed to be those of victims of the alleged atrocities committed by the NPAs against townsfolk sometime in 1980.

The mass grave was discovered reportedly following the confession of one Zacarias Piedad, a rebel returnee who was once an active member of the Evelyn Dublin Command of the Communist Party of the Philippines-Eastern Visayas Regional Party Committee.

Also during the radio interview, Alcover denied involvement in the arrest of two suspected rebels Gerard Labadia and Sharon Abangan in Talisay city last Friday.

He said he is dismayed over the way the two suspects were arrested by the military, saying that whatever cases filed against the two in court would not prosper since the manner in which they were held captive was facilitated through a warrantless arrest. - Flor Z. Perolina/MEEV