By Hanah Tabios

Two abaca farmers were killed in an alleged encounter with combined forces of the military and police early morning of September 22 in Panganiban, Catanduanes.

The casualties were identified as Lito Aguilar, 33 and his brother-in-law Christopher Abraham, 31. Both were abaca farmers residing in Barangay San Miguel, Panganiban, Catanduanes.

“Gusto ko pong bigyan ng hustisya [ang pagkamatay ng] kapatid ko. Kasal niya sa Lunes. Napagkamalan daw na NPA (New People’s Army),” Miles Aguilar, brother of Lito, told the Manila Bulletin in an interview.

Jeffrey Velasco, chairman of Barangay San Miguel, also joined the family in its calls seeking justice for the killing of Aguilar and Abraham, stressing that the alleged encounter could have just been a case of mistaken identity.

He said Aguilar was his close aide, asserting that it was nearly impossible to tag them as members of the NPA.

“Lima po silang magkakasama galing sa iisang pamilya. Naghahanap po sila ng panghandang hipon sa sapa dahil ikakasal si Lito ngayong Lunes. Andoon yung motor nila sa bababa at kukunin na sana nila saka sila pinagbabaril,” said Velasco.

He added that three of the victims’ companions survived the alleged encounter.

On Sunday afternoon, a report from Philippine Army’s 83rd Infantry Battalion (83IB) said that the alleged fire fight between the alleged insurgents and government forces occurred at around 1 a.m., and lasted for about 10 minutes in the mountainous portion of Barangay Taopon in the same municipality.

The government forces came from the combined troops of 83IB Alpha Company and Police Mobile Force Company (PMFC). They were reportedly conducting a combat operation in the area when they claimed to have crossed paths with at least seven armed men.

No one was hurt among the military but they allegedly recovered an AR15 rifle from the scene.

Aguilar’s fiancée is pregnant with their supposed first child, while Abraham was survived by his wife and three children.

But on Monday, Catanduanes Provincial Board Member (PBM) Robert Fernandez condemned the incident, stressing that some important details in the survivors’ narratives were not recorded in the police blotter.

“The report from the 9th ID was released at 11 in the morning stating that a hot pursuit is still ongoing for those who managed to escape. Who were they looking for then when the three were already at the police station to file a blotter report?”, he said.

“How come the statements of the three were not recorded on the blotter report book when they came at the police station at approximately 7 in the morning?” the local official pointed out.