AFP P19.25M reward to "informers" a rip-off

It's simply a rip-off, an organized racket. The Armed Forces of the Philippines has no right to brag about the capture of 'terrorist personalities and communist leaders' through their so-called informants. It's a shame that it spent P19.25 million of the nation's money for capturing and torturing people like security guard Rolly Panesa and presenting him as "Benjamin Mendoza",  a high-ranking official of the Communist Party of the Philippines, for the prize of P5.6 million.

The AFP committed the same violation to Oligario Sebas, a resident of Tuburan, Cebu, who was also jailed because of the AFP's claim that he is "Felimon Mendrez", allegedly a CPP leader in Negros. The military said Sebas had a P5.2 million prize on his head and was on the list of the Department of National Defense-Department of Interior and Local Government Joint Orders on Reward or Joint Order #14. Sebas was released through a writ of habeas corpus.

Karapatan criticizes the DND-DILG Joint Order #14 because it is no different from the secret hit list of Gloria Arroyo's Oplan Bantay Laya which resulted to thousands of cases of human rights violations ranging from illegal arrest and detention, enforced disappearances and political killings.

The said DND-DILG Joint Order was also used to legitimize the enforced disappearance, illegal arrest and detention of Estelita T. Tacalan, a 60-year old peasant organizer and rural health worker in Misamis Oriental.  Tacalan was reported missing on April 27 this year and was surfaced on May 7 at the Dipolog City Jail where she is currently detained.

The DND-DILG's secret hit list should be scrapped as it has become the basis to arrest, detain, and torture people on false charges; or worse, disappeared or killed. The AFP should also be held accountable for squandering the people's money to violate people rights. These acts confirm the AFP's own admission that the Aquino government's Oplan Bayanihan is a failure.