- Military denies involvement in missing labor organizer
ARMY commanders denied kidnapping a labor union leader as alleged by the Kilusang Mayo Uno-Southern Mindanao Region following a clash between soldiers and communist guerillas in Purok 8, Barangay Butong, Quezon in Bukidnon on April 10.
On Thursday, April 18, KMU-SMR and William Lariosa’s wife called for a press conference directly accusing the 48th Infantry Battalion of being behind the 63-year-old’s disappearance.
Lariosa reportedly went missing on April 10 in Barangay Butong, Quezon town, Bukidnon.
But in an interview on Thursday afternoon, Brigadier General Marion Angcao, the commander of the 1003rd Infantry Brigade based in Malagos, Baguio District, said Lariosa never figured in the legitimate military operation against the communist terrorist group (CTG) in the vicinity of Barangay Butong on April 10.
“We have no idea on this. We are not involved in this,” Angcao said when asked about KMU’s allegations.
Angcao said they took three communist fighters under custody, Lariosa wasn’t among them.
Angcao was referring to the operation that neutralized five CTG members, including the death of a high-ranking NPA leader, identified as alias Rica/Tomboy.
Rica/Tomboy was a prominent figure in the Guerilla Front 57 and the Southern Mindanao Regional Committee (SMRC), while three other NPA members, identified as Sopia/Mada, Kyle, and Joshua/Jason, were captured during the operation.
One NPA member, alias Del, fled the scene but later surrendered to government forces, bringing his M16 rifle with him.
KMU allegation
On Thursday, Socrates Luayon, KMU-SMR council member, said they sent a fact-finding team to the area after receiving reports that Lariosa had gone missing. Their trips to the barangay hall and the Quezon Police Station proved futile.
“We found out, according to the statements in the barangay, there were forces they called the composite team that conducted an operation, meaning not sanctioned by the 48th IB,“ he said.
They also claimed to have visited the 48th IB headquarters and talked to one soldier who told them to wait. However, no one returned to face them even after standing around for two hours.
Grave accusation
In a separate interview on Thursday afternoon, Lt. Col. Gilbert Gomez, the commander of the 48th IB, said, “We deny the grave accusation of KMU-SMR that 48IB arrested William Lariosa.”
Gomez said “There was an encounter in the area. It was a legitimate joint law enforcement operation with the PNP. It is important to note that Mr. William Lariosa, who is accordingly a member of a labor organization, was neither a part nor a target of the operation. The unit and the Philippine National Police had no prior knowledge of Mr. Lariosa’s identity and were completely unaware of his presence in the area.”
Furthermore, he said “it is imperative to emphasize that the unit is strictly prohibited from engaging with or involving itself in matters concerning labor organizations. Any association or interaction with such organization falls outside the scope of the unit’s mission.”
When asked about the fact-finding team’s reported visit to their headquarters, he said he was on the field since their combat operation against the CTG remnants was ongoing.
“If this was really a fact-finding team, I would have received a request letter,” he said.
Lariosa’s family filed a Writ of Habeas Corpus on April 16. Lt. Col. Gomez confirmed attending the court hearing on April 18, where the petition was reportedly dismissed due to lack of merit.
Meanwhile, the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) vehemently condemned the arrest of Lariosa if the KMU allegation proved to be true. Nevertheless, the agency launched a quick response operation (QRO) to investigate the matter further.
