“It’s the year’s end and the AFP-PNP are just divvying up the booty,” said Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay on the reported awarding of P12.1 million to “four informants” who helped in the capture of alleged Abu Sayyaf members and a peace consultant of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines Loida Magpatoc.
“It’s the year’s end and the AFP-PNP are just divvying up the booty,” said Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay on the reported awarding of P12.1 million to “four informants” who helped in the capture of alleged Abu Sayyaf members and a peace consultant of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines Loida Magpatoc.
Magpatoc was arrested in 2013 and carried a reward of P5.6 million based on a joint “wanted list” of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP). Magpatoc’s arrest is a violation of the GPH-NDFP Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG).
“Pera-pera lang (It’s all about money). The AFP-PNP makes money out of the peace consultants by falsely charging us with criminal offenses. It is the AFP that is sowing terror,” said Magpatoc when asked for comment.
In a separate news report, Jordan Donillo whom the military claimed as a ranking member of the New People’s Army was arrested on December 14, 2014 at Compostela Valley by joint forces of the AFP and PNP. Donillo has a P2.5 million bounty.
“With Donillo’s arrest, the BS Aquino government has already spent in 2014 alone P53.7 million of people’s money to hunt down those in their Order of Battle. Such huge amount of money is turned over to some unknown “informants”, those modern-day makapili who now wears sunglasses and black masks instead of the bayong. Only the government knows these people,” said Palabay.
Just a week ago, Karapatan pegged the amount at P51.2 million for 2014, from the total of P466 million allocated to the Department of National Defense (DND) and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to implement the Joint Order No. 14-2012. Karapatan has since called the bounty money as a “money-making venture” and “organized racket” of the AFP-PNP.
Aside from Donillo, eight of those cited in the DND-DILG hit list were arrested:
- NDFP peace consultants. Benito Tiamzon and Wilma Austria-Tiamzon, peace consultants of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), had PhP 10 million bounty each, while Roy Erecre, also a peace consultant for the Visayas region had PhP 5.6 million reward. Their arrest violated the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG) and is a show of the government’s contempt for the peace negotiations with the NDFP. An amended DND-DILG Joint Order has deleted the names of NDFP consultants, among them Wilma Austria-Tiamzon, “in recognition of the pending peace negotiations and conditions upon the existence of said peace negotiations.” Austria-Tiamzon however remains detained.
- Community organizers and development workers. Dionisio Almonte, a peasant organizer, has a PhP 5 million bounty. Almonte was undergoing medical treatment, when he was arrested together with his wife. An agriculturist working with the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines, Dominiciano Muya had a PhP 4.8 million reward for his arrest. Muya is also a consultant of the Salugpungan Ta Tanu Igkanugon Learning Center (STTILC), a community based school for Lumad children.
- “Mistaken identity”. Manuel Esteban was arrested using a warrant meant for a certain Eduardo Esteban who has a PhP 5.8 million reward. Reynaldo Ingal, a driver, was arrested after the AFP insisted that he is “Agaton Topacio” who has a PhP 5 million reward. He was arrested with Lourdes Quioc whom the military claims as “Eugenia Topacio”, also with PhP 5 million reward. Quioc is a cook.
Since the implementation of the Joint Order in 2012, at least Php 88 million was already dispensed with as bounty. Security guard Rolly Panesa, who was accused as CPP leader Benjamin Mendoza, was illegally arrested, tortured and detained for 10 months. A reward of PhP5.6 million for his arrest was given to the alleged “tipster” who gave information leading to his arrest.
As of November 30, 2014 Karapatan documented 491 political prisoners. Most of them are charged with fabricated criminal cases despite the political nature of their activities. “Thus, their detention is baseless and unjust. The political prisoners should be released immediately,” ended Palabay.