The Philippine Army in Negros Oriental yesterday said it welcomes investigations by the Commission on Human Rights or any other government agency on the alleged disappearance of two farmers in Brgy. Talalac, Sta. Catalina town.

In a press statement, the 61st Infantry Battalion under the 302nd Infantry Brigade, said the inquiry in the barangay conducted by Maj. Anastacio Sugaybaguio, on the disappearance of Reynold Yanoc, yielded a negative result.

Sta. Catalina Mayor Ruben Melodia and village officials confirmed that they received no report on the disappearance of two persons in their municipality.

No information was also received by the Sta. Catalina Philippine National Police on said missing persons, the military said.

Meanwhile, in the case of Arante, troopers of the 61st IB invited him on January 25 this year, to shed light on his alleged involvement with the communist movement as reported by his neighbors in Brgy. Nagbinlod, Sta. Catalina, the statement said.

The military said that Arante admitted to them his involvement with the underground movement since 2004. He confided that he had attended seminars conducted by the Communist Party of the Philippines sometime in 2005, and that he became a full-fledged member in May, 2006, the military added.

While in the rebel movement, Arante has attended several trainings and revolutionary lectures, one of which was the “Lambat Paniktik.” He was also issued an M-14 rifle by a certain “Lolong,” the army said, citing Arante’s alleged admission.

The military said that after the inquiry, Arante signed an affidavit that he was neither harmed nor intimidated during his stay at the army detachment, and he was advised to go home.

The affidavit of Arante showed that he was treated courteously before he went back home to his family in the morning of January 26. The affidavit was attested to by three civilian witnesses in their separate sworn statements, the military said.

The Army said that as a result of Arante’s revelations, 61 IB troops encountered NPA rebels at Sitio Bantolinao, Brgy Talalac, Sta. Catalina on Jan 28, where a certain “Daks,” a squad leader of Platoon 1 of the SEF, was killed.

Efforts to locate Yanoc and Arante are going on to prove that the accusations are not true, the military said. Government troops were dispatched to check the veracity of some tip-offs that Arante was abducted by his own comrades, who blamed the military for his disappearance. 

The allegations of the Kilusang Mambubukid ng Pilipinas, through its secretary-general Danilo Ramos, are all fabrications and unfounded in order to malign and destroy the image of the army, the  statement added.*MA

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