NPA leader bewails slow justice for slain daughter

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – New People’s Army (NPA) leader Leoncio Pitao lamented that the wheels of justice have been slow for his 21-year-old daughter Rebelyn, who was abducted and murdered last month allegedly by military personnel.

In an interview with the GMA-7’s local station, Pitao explained how there has been no progress in the probe being conducted by the police-led Task Force Rebelyn on his daughter’s kidnap-slay.

This, as Pitao’s family and local militant groups marked on Wednesday the 40th day of Rebelyn’s death in a simple liturgical service.

Pitao said the government has not exerted extra effort in pursuing the case against those he had tagged as his daughter’s killers.

Because of this, Pitao said the NPA’s revolutionary government would instead be the one to go after the perpetrators.

Meanwhile, the NPA has asked the public to call a hotline (0927-5221805) should they see any of those whom the NPA’s Merardo Arce Command has indicted for Rebelyn’s abduction and murder.

Among the “respondents” in the NPA’s indictment were Armed Forces Eastern Mindanao Command chief Maj. Gen. Raymundo Ferrer and 10th Infantry Division commander Maj. Gen. Reynaldo Mapagu.

Pitao has tagged at least 11 members of the Military Intelligence Group and the Military Intelligence Battalion of the 10th ID as the ones allegedly behind his daughter’s killing.

The hotline will also receive reports on suspects in other extrajudicial killings, said Simon Santiago, spokesman of the NPA Southern Mindanao regional operations command. – Edith Regalado