Philippines farmer discovers alleged killing field

Skeletons of people believed to have been victims of the internal purge in the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) more than two decades ago were unearthed by a farmer who was plowing his rice field in Quezon on Saturday.Maj. Harold Cabunoc, Army spokesman, said Rommel Malinao, 47, was preparing his farm for the planting season when he discovered the mass grave containing the remains of at least 30 people in his farm at Sitio Irrigation, Pagsangahan Village, San Narciso.Malinao said the sight of the human skeletons made him tremble in fear, remembering the times when the NPA rebels were killing people whom they suspected as military informants.He promptly informed the local officials in his village about his startling discovery.Rebecca Ruga, the barangay chairman of Pagsangahan, reported the incident to the local police and military authorities.At around 8 am on Sunday, government officials, troops from the 74th Infantry Battalion and police Scene of the Crime Operations (Soco) personnel proceeded to the site of the mass grave and conducted an investigation.Cabunoc said local villagers, who also rushed to the scene, saw the remains, including skulls that still bear marks of torture.He said a villager who requested anonimity claimed that there were at least 47 people in the area who went missing starting in mid 1980’s.Cabunoc said it was during this period that the rebels implemented “Oplan Missing Link,” an internal purge that was supposed to clean the ranks of the CPP-NPA of suspected deep penetration agents (DPAs) of the government.Lt. Col. Dennis Perez, commander of the 74th IB, challenged human-rights advocates including the group Karapatan to denounce the executions done by the communist rebels.In August 2006, another mass grave, containing remains of former NPA rebels who were executed by their comrades, was discovered at Sitio Mount Sapang Dako, Barangay Kaulisihan, Inopacan, Leyte.Former NPA leaders Satur Ocampo and Dario Tomada were charged in court for alleged involvement in the purge in Leyte.From 2009 to 2012, several mass graves were discovered by the soldiers of the 9th Infantry “Spear” Division in some areas in Bicol region.These were located in Gubat, Sorsogon; Barangay Taplacon in Camalig, Albay, and in Labo, Camarines Norte.