The AFP’s tangled lies to cover up its cowardly and dishonorable act of murder of Ka Oris
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) are getting caught in their own web of lies which they have been weaving over the past few days to cover-up their cowardly and dishonorable act of murder of erstwhile NPA spokesperson Ka Oris and his aide Ka Pika last October 29, 2021.
1. Consider the dubious timeline of the military’s story. They claim that Ka Oris and Ka Pika were killed in an 11:30 a.m. firefight at Sitio Gabunan, Barangay Dumalaguing, Impasug-ong, Bukidnon.
More or less ten hours earlier, the AFP dropped six bombs, fired rockets and strafed what they claim was an NPA camp. According to residents, the aerial bombardment lasted for more than two hours, from 12:40 a.m. to past 2 a.m. of October 30.
The AFP justified the aerial strikes by claiming that they needed to clear the path because the NPA camp was surrounded by landmines (another invention of the AFP), and that it took them ten hours to enter the camp.
Ten hours! Given that length of time, an NPA unit would have been able to withdraw to a safe distance of a few kilometers away. If there was an NPA camp in that place, Red fighters would have immediately evacuated the area, and that ten hours later, the military would have found an empty camp. Yet, the AFP claims that the “armed encounter” happened in the same place. It would have been more believable if the 4th ID claimed that an armed encounter happened at another proximate location. But they suggested that the encounter took place at the exact same area.
When asked by reporters, the AFP could not produce photographs of the site. This is contrary to what they typically do when they brag of capturing an NPA camp. All pictures of Ka Oris’ cadaver shown by the AFP are all tight shots, not showing where it was taken.
Unable to show photographs of the site where Ka Oris and Ka Pika were supposedly killed in an armed encounter, the 4th ID could only offer as proof the sound of explosions and machine gun strafing during the midnight aerial bombardment. They forgot that the armed encounter supposedly happened at noon.
2. Let me further point out the following:
a) As many are aware, Ka Oris rarely shaves off his goatee and moustache, and almost never when he is in an NPA area. He only shaves his face clean when he has to travel outside an NPA area and needs to “disguise” himself or alter his appearance to avoid enemy detection.
b) Contrary to the AFP’s claims, Ka Oris never travels armed or with armed bodyguards. When he has to move outside an NPA area, he is accompanied only by two or three people who assists him in technical matters.
c) The 4th ID spokesperson stooped to the lowest form of argumentation yesterday by attacking the person of Ka Maria Malaya as a source for information by questioning her “credibility” because she is a “terrorist.” To enlighten the public, Ka Maria had always overseen travel arrangements for Ka Oris, and was fully aware of his movements until he was waylaid by the AFP.
d) There is yet no word about the habal-habal driver of the motorcycle which Ka Oris and Ka Pika were riding.
In waging war, it is natural to win some and lose some. But there are rules that govern war that humanity have established in the course of civilization. Ka Oris, himself, did not preclude himself getting killed in battle.
As Ka Maria Malaya pointed out, the AFP clearly scored intelligence points against Ka Oris for them to have planned the ambush. Had the AFP captured Ka Oris, there would have been no question as to the legitimacy of their operation. However, we must set facts straight and point out that rules have been violated, and that the AFP has set aside honor in facing an adversary.