Military: Suit meant to hide truth about ‘Morong 43’

The military on Tuesday expressed doubts over the real motivation of the members of the “Morong 43" for suing former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and some military officials over alleged torture. Army spokesman Col. Antonio Parlade Jr. claimed the six supposed health workers who filed the charges on Monday were merely trying to prevent the public from knowing that they were indeed communist rebels. “We believe that they filed the suit because they are just worried that their credibility and true identity will be revealed upon the surrender of a significant number of New People’s Army (NPA) members," he said. The six complainants were among the 43 health workers arrested in February last year in Morong, Rizal, on suspicion that they were NPA members who were on a bomb-making workshop. The arrested men and women denied the military’s accusation. Last December, President Benigno Aquino III ordered the dropping of charges against the health workers, which resulted in them being released from detention. Five of the 43 health workers remained in military custody after they supposedly admitted, through sworn affidavits, they were indeed NPA rebels and were already willing to undergo the government’s rebel-returnee program. Lies Parlade said they “anticipated and welcomed" the civil case filed by the six complainants, but remained confident that the truth will prevail over the health workers’ “lies." Arroyo, who is currently the representative of the second district of Pampanga at the House of Representatives, has refused to comment on the class suit until they have gone over the contents of the complaint. Parlade cited military reports claiming that at least four of the health workers had gone back to the mountains to rejoin the rebel movement. The military said Linda Racel Ontañes and Pearl Irene Martinez were sighted in Rodriguez, Rizal with the NPA’s Kilusang Gerilya-Julio in February, while Janice Javier and Yolanda Yaon were seen with a group of rebels that clashed with military troops in Balayan, Batangas two weeks ago. “Are they now filing cases because Karapatan cannot account for them after they have gone back to the mountains? Or is it because it is very difficult for them to convince the public that they too are indeed health workers?" Parlade said. Some of the health workers are members of Karapatan, which was among the groups that strongly lobbied for their release. “We would not be surprised if days from now other members of the ‘Morong 38’ will figure in an encounter with the military troops in any part of the country," Parlade said. - Mark D. Merueñas/KBK, GMA News