No mass grave in Bukidnon — police

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY - The Police Regional Office-10 (PRO-10) has clarified yesterday that the report of a mass grave found in Bukidnon is inaccurate.

"What our informers in San Fernando, Bukidnon reported to us was a series of executions allegedly carried out by the New People’s Army (NPA) from 2001 to 2006," said Chief Superintendent Florante Baguio, PRO-10 regional director, during a dinner for the media held at the PRO-10 headquarters in Camp Alagar to celebrate the 24th anniversary of Press Freedom Week here.

"Contrary to the earlier published report and photograph in a national broadsheet, there is no mass grave," Baguio said. "The victims, who were executed for various reasons, were buried in isolated graves, not together in a mass grave, over a five-year period."

Eight villagers, some of whom were former NPA guerrillas, told National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales that they are willing to testify in court against Kumander Nonong Salusad’s group, which had reportedly executed at least 21 people in Bukidnon.

The police informers identified the latest victim of the group as Carlito Sulin-ay, who was executed last April 12 for horse rustling in Barangay Kibongkog in San Fernando. The victim’s 12-year old son was also reportedly injured by a stray bullet, but his fate remains uncertain.

Another victim, identified as Manahan Kalimpitan, was also executed by the same group after being found guilty of mistreating his wife.

Over a span of five years, the NPA guerrillas in the area executed a number of people. In 2001, they killed a certain Corato Mantikinon, and one named certain Pending. In 2003, the group executed at least four people, including Sitoy Punot, Purunggok, Jun Evangelo, and Miling Higpit. They also executed at least five people in 2004, namely, Tata Limbo, former military man Romeo Patambong, Cordio Suarez, Botyok Arances, and a certain Eddie.

There were four other people known to have been executed by the NPA, one of whom was San Fernando Mayor Benjie Dequiado. The others were Gilbert Ortega, an NPA member identified only as Ado, and an unidentified mentally-handicapped person, all killed in 2005.

Eighth Infantry Battalion commanding officer, Col. Andrelino Colina declared that the AFP has sufficient evidence to identify the rebels responsible for the killings.

Members of Bukidnon’s provincial board are also reportedly threatening to deport Gonzales for his misplaced allegations about the presence of a mass grave in the province unless he makes an apology and retracts his earlier statement.

Bukidnon Gov. Jose Ma. Zubiri Jr. told newsmen covering the Regional Peace and Order Council meeting the other day that Gonzales was "peddling lies to the national media" about a mass grave, said to hold the remains of suspected military informers executed by NPA guerrillas, which was in fact, a lumad or native cemetery in Barangay Kibingkog, San Fernando.

Baguio clarified that the relatives of some of the victims transferred the remains of their slain kin from where they were dumped in makeshift graves by the NPA, to their community cemetery.