Former CAFGU member convicted of killing activists

CEBU, Philippines - After almost 18 years of litigation, the court convicted a former member of the now-defunct Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit for three counts of murder and two counts of kidnapping for the death of three activists and the disappearance of another in Asturias town.

In an eight-page decision, judge Ceasar Estrera of Toledo City Regional Trial Court Branch 29 found Benedicto “Bitoy” Alfeche, “in confabulation with his companions Lochimbar Rojo, Vicente Maglasang, and Renato Sevilla, conspired to kidnap and then mercilessly kill the victims” who were tagged as members of the New People’s Army.”

Aside from being a former CAFGU, Alfeche is also a member of the National Alliance for Democracy.

The court sentenced Alfeche to life imprisonment and ordered him to pay the family of the victims a total of P200,000.

Rojo and Sevilla were earlier convicted for the same crimes by another judge who is now deceased.

Abarrientos said that Alfeche was hiding in Bukidnon when he was arrested in 2004. Sevilla and Rojo are now serving their sentence in the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City while Maglasang died in the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center where Alfeche is now detained.

The case arose from an AFP counter-insurgency operation on May 12, 1991 at 3 p.m. in sitio Lobo, barangay Baye, Asturias, when the vigilantes abducted Rowena Pastoriti, 11; Rosalie Durado, 14; Jerry Durado, 15; and Regalado Pastoriti, 53, leader of the now-defunct Panaghugpong sa Mag-uuma sa Sugbo.

The perpetrators reportedly shot Jerry and Regalado and raped Rosalie before killing her. Then they set their bodies on fire.

“We are elated that the persistence of the bereaved families at justice finally bore sweet fruit. Let this serves as an inspiration to thousands of victims of state terror and a warning to those hiding under the cloak of state impunity,” Karapatan-Central Visayas secretary general Dennis Abarrientos said. — Niña G. Sumacot/BRP   (FREEMAN NEWS)