“Dastardly act perpetrated by criminals and a deliberate attack on a civilian,” Maj. Gen.
Reynaldo Mapagu, commander of the 10th ID said in a press statement.
“Desperate move by the military,” NPA Southern Mindanao political director Simon Santiago said in a telephone interview.
Pitao’s 20-year old daughter Rebelyn was abducted by armed men at around 6:30 p.m. Wednesday while on her way home from Saint Peter’s College, where she worked as substitute teacher. She was found dead late afternoon Thursday, dumped in an irrigation canal in San Isidro, Carmen, Davao del Norte, bearing torture marks and five stab wounds using an ice pick.
Rebelyn’s mother, Evangeline, said her daughter was raped, tortured, and stabbed to death.
Santiago said Rebelyn’s abduction and killing “is a desperate move by the military since they could hardly capture Parago. So aside from getting back at Parago’s family, they (military) are also harassing civilians in Paquibato district to be able to get back from their losses in combat operations against our forces.”
“We condemn the killing of Parago’s daughter because they are not supposed to do that to the family of Parago. And there is no other group behind this incident but the military.”
But Major Randolph Cabangbang, spokesperson of the military's Eastern Mindanao command based in Camp Panacan here, said there was no basis to link them to the disappearance of Pitao's daughter.
Santiago said Pitao’s family has been a subject of military surveillance for a long time.
He said it was not the first time that Pitao’s family was victimized by alleged military atrocities
“In June last year, the younger brother of Commander Parago, Danilo, was shot dead in Tagum City by suspected government agents. The eldest son of Parago also quit his job because he was constantly tailed by suspicious-looking men,” Santiago recounted..
Parago was responsible for the capture of Brig. Gen. Victor Obillo and Capt. Eduardo Montealot in February 1999. Obillo and MOntealto were freed after 58 days in captivity.Parago also led the raid on the Davao Penal Colony in April 2007.
Mapagu said that after they learned of the abduction, he ordered his field commanders to exert efforts to investigate the incident and find Pitao.
The PNP also created a task force to ensure the speedy resolution of the case. “But the initial efforts to locate Pitao alive were put into vain as the criminals inhumanely ended her life,” said Mapagu. (Keith Bacongco and Malu Manar/MindaNews)
