Army: Fernandez losing control over minions
Frank Fernandez of the New People Army’s Kilusang Rehiyunal-Negros at present is nothing but a mere figurehead of the rebel movement in Negros Island, according to the military.
The Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division said in a statement that Fernandez, a priest turned rebel, “can do nothing but continue to cover up and make excuses for their group’s atrocities while his subordinates run amuck, violating their own laws and beliefs and pursuing personal agendas above those of their political ones.”
“There are indicators to prove our previous assertion that Frank has lost political control over his minions within the movement in Negros,” First Lt. Mark Andrew Posadas, 3rd ID spokesman, said.
For one, Posadas cited the recent issuance of a statement of the NPA’s northern Negros group, who call themselves the Jean Pelle Command, through their spokesperson Cecile Estrella on the human rights violations allegedly perpetrated by the rebels in Toboso town, Negros Occidental.
“We find the release of the most recent statement dated Sept. 29, 2010 very malicious. Despite Frank Fernandez having already issued his statement on their human rights violations in Toboso, the northern Negros terrorist cell of the KR-N deemed it necessary to issue a separate statement justifying their inhumane and cruel acts,” he said.
He added: “It leaves us with the impression that Frank’s earlier public statement wasn’t convincing enough and that the Jean Pelle Command took matters into their own hands by releasing their own side of the story separate from Frank’s and the KR-N’s general statement.”
He said this is just but one proof that the group was dissatisfied with how the KR-N spoke on their behalf.
“We also do not discount the fact that their actions in Bug-ang, Toboso are seriously being questioned by their own members. Some of them may actually be feeling guilty after having participated in the brutal act of murdering Staff Sergeant Ephraim Bagonoc,” Posadas said.
Considering that, there is a need to justify their actions through this statement in order to keep their doubting members intact and to encourage public sympathy that their actions were justified and in accordance with international statutes on respect for human rights, Posadas said.
However, in the eyes of the general public, they are still seen as thieves and murderers who have no respect for human dignity, he added.*
