IKINADISMAYA ni Secretary Hermogenes Esperon, vice-chairperson ng National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), ang pagka- abswelto ng 15 na lider ng Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF).
Ito’y matapos sa inilabas na desisyon ng Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) sa ilalim ni Presiding Judge Thelma Bunyi-Medina na ipawalang-sala ang 15 sa 40 na mga kilalang lider at miyembro ng komunistang teroristang grupo na may kinalaman sa Inopacan massacre.
Para kay Esperon, sa naturang desisyon ay nananatili ang malupit na sinapit ng mga biktima ng Inopacan massacre na may kinalaman ang nasabing mga lider.
“We are deeply saddened and dismayed with the news that the Manila RTC Branch 32, under Presiding Judge Thelma Bunyi-Medina, has granted the demurrers to evidence resulting in the acquittal of known communists, namely: former Bayan Muna representative Satur Ocampo; National Front consultants Vicente Ladlad, Rafael Baylosis and Adelberto Silva, among others, two for the pertetration of at least 15 summary executions in the killing fields by the NPA in Sapang Dako, Inopacan, Leyte in the 1980s,” pahayag ni Esperon.
Aniya ang kasong pagpatay ay isinampa upang magbigay ng hustisya sa kalagim-lagim na pagkamatay ng 67 katao na nahukay ang mga bangkay noong Agosto 26, 2006.
Matapos ang pagkadiskubre ng naturang mass grave, nagsampa si Esperon, na noon ay isang chief of staff ng Armed Forces of the Philippines, ng 15 counts ng murder sa Manila Regional Trial Court laban kay CPP founding chair Jose Maria Sison at 37 iba pa na umano’y may kinalaman sa isinagawang pagmasaker.
Kabilang din sa kinasuhan ang mag-asawang Benito at Wilma Tiamzon, Ocampo, Ladlad, Randal Echaniz, Baylosis, at Exusperado Lloren atbp.
Ang mga biktima na pawang mga miyembro ng NPA ay pinarusahan ng kamatayan sa mandato ng CPP dahil sa pagkikipag-ugnayan ng mga ito sa gobyerno.
“The clear intention behind the Inopacan massacre case is to stand, speak, and obtain justice for the dead – the victims and their families. With the purest intentions, we fought for what is right and the truth. We hoped that light will shine and pass through even in the eye of the needle,” ayon pa ni Esperon.
Aniya, ang pagwawalang-sala ay hindi nangangahulugan na walang krimeng nagawa.
“With the quantum of evidence of proof beyond reasonable doubt required by our criminal judicial system, we still emphasize that a ruling in favor of the accused does not equate to innocence nor the finding that the crime did not happen. The philosophy is based on Blackstone’s formulation that it is better to acquit ten guilty men, that to covict an innocent man. To reiterate, the decision is based on insufficiency of evidence and not that the crime did not happen at all,” paliwanag ni Esperon.
Hindi naman aniya nahinaan ng loob ang NTF-ELCAC sa nasabing desisyon ng korte at marami pang mga kaso at warrants ang nakabinbin para sa mga komunista at ng kanilang mga tagaprotekta na nagtatanim ng terorismo at kawalan ng hustisya sa bansa.
“With your help and cooperation, the NTF-ELCAC remains steadfast in its quest to vanquish communist terrorism and will hunt down and prosecute those who are liable to the fullest extent of the law,” ani Esperon.
