Unidentified men shadowing Bayan Muna official
A ranking official of the militant partlylist group Bayan Muna in Panay allegedly escaped an attempted abduction or possible physical attack at her house on Monday.
Hope Hervilla, Bayan Muna coordinator in Panay, said she managed to elude five unidentified men in two motorcycles posted near her rented house in Barangay Dungon A in Jaro District in this city.
Hervilla said the "heavily-built" men were observed by members of her household watching a few meters from their house before 7 a.m. until she got out of the house two hours later.
One of the men went near the house and was seen trying to see who was inside, said Hervilla.
"They were acting as if they were confirming if the person they were interested in was inside our house," said Hervilla in a telephone interview.
Hervilla said she was only able to get out of her house when security escorts provided by Iloilo Rep. Niel Tupas Jr. and Iloilo Gov. Niel Tupas Sr. came over.
She said the incident followed reports of activists and leaders of militant organizations of being monitored or tailed by unidentified men in offices and in their residences.
The groups accused military agents of being responsible for the alleged surveillance on Hervilla and other activists.
Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño condemned the incident.
"Only the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) units in the island are the primary suspects, having the motive, means and evil designs to harm Hervilla, a respected political leader in the province," said Casiño in a statement.
"If Hervilla meets any harm, we shall hold the AFP top leadership responsible," he said.
The military denied any involvement in the incident.
"They are always quick to blame us for such incidents. But we do not condone such actions," said. Lt. Col. Erwin de Asis, public information officer of the Army's 3rd Infantry Division, in a telephone interview.
De Asis said "despite their (political) leanings, they are not our targets. We are only after the armed elements of the Left."
Senior Supt. Wesley Barayuga, Iloilo City police chief, said they are investigating the incident and have monitored other areas that are allegedly being subjected to surveillance.
Bayan-Panay spokesperson Aurelio Bosque said they are anticipating possible attacks based on reports of intensified surveillance of leaders of militant groups following the abduction in April of Maria Luisa Posa-Dominado and Nilo Arado.
"This could be a continuation of the attacks similar to what they did to Nilo and Luisa," said Bosque in a telephone interview.
Dominado and Arado were abducted by unidentified armed men in Barangay Cabanbanan in Oton town on April 12 and have remained missing. Their companion, human rights worker Jose Ely Garachico was shot and seriously wounded but was left behind.
Dominado was the spokesperson in Panay of the Samahan ng mga Ex-Detainees Laban sa Detensyon at para sa Amnestiya (Selda) whiel Arado headed the regional chapter of Bayan.
Around 800 activists and leaders of militant groups have been killed since 2001, according to the human rights groups Karapatan. Around 90 others have been abducted and remain missing.