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KIDAPAWAN CITY (MindaNews/08 June) -- A village chair in Magpet, North Cotabato has denied membership in the so-called People's Court of the New Peoples' Army (NPA) and said the military's allegation that members of farmers' groups in his village are "leaders, members and supporters of the NPA" is "a big lie."
Jose Escol, chair of Barangay Amabel in Magpet, told DXND that the allegations hurled against him by the Army's 40th Infantry Battalion "were baseless and had destroyed my profession and my person."
Lt. Col. John Oswald Buco, commander of the 40th IB, told DXCA-FM here, that Escol and seven other village officials in Magpet are members of what he refers to as the NPA's "kangaroo court."
"They knew the people who were killed under the kangaroo court," said Buco.
Escol admitted he knew some of those who were sentenced to death by the NPA but said he was not in any way connected "to any undertakings of the communist rebels in my village, much more in their justice system."
Escol recalled one meeting with the Army in his village last May 12 where he was told to identify his constituents who were active in organizations.
He said he listed the names of the officers and members of the Kahugpungan sa mga Mag-uuma sa Amabel (KMA), member-organization of the Kilusan ng mga Magbubukid sa Pilipinas (KMP) in North Cotabato; and Manobo-Aromanon-Pasakaday Association (MAPA), a tribal group in Magpet town.
"I later learned that those persons that I listed as members of those organizations were tagged by the Army as leaders, members, and supporters of the NPA. That is a big lie," said Escol.
"This is part of the Army harassment against me and my constituents. We were then living peacefully until they came," he said.
Buco said Barangay Amabel, located in the hinterlands of Magpet, is said to be influenced by NPA rebels.
Escol said the Army's claim is not true. "The people there are plain farmers. Why would we support the NPA when we can't even support ourselves because of poverty?" he asked. (Malu Cadelina-Manar/MindaNews)
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