9 RED-TAGGED IPS KILLED, 17 OTHERS NABBED IN POLICE OPS ON PANAY ISLAND

NINE PEOPLE WERE KILLED WHILE 17 OTHERS WERE ARRESTED IN SIMULTANEOUS
POLICE OPERATIONS ON PANAY ISLAND EARLY WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 30.

BASED ON THE PHILIPPINE NATINAL POLICE (PNP) PRO-6 REPORT, 9 DIED AND 10
WERE ARRESTED IN POLICE OPERATIONS AT TAPAZ, WHILE 7 SUSPECTS WERE NABBED
IN CALINOG.

THE SUSPECTS ALLEGEDLY FOUGHT THE AUTHORITIES DURING THEIR ARREST, WHICH
WAS DENIED BY HUMAN RIGHTS GROUP PANAY ALLIANCE KARAPATAN.

KARAPATAN CLAIMED THAT THE 9 FATALITIES, WHO WERE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE (IP)
BELONGING TO THE PANAY TUMANDOK COMMUNITY, WERE “MASSACRED” BY THE
AUTHORITIES.

“THOSE KILLED WERE RECOGNIZED INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY LEADERS IN THEIR

RESPECTIVE BARANGAYS. THEY WERE CIVILIANS AND NOT ARMED COMBATANTS. THEY
HAVE CONSISTENTLY OPPOSED MILITARIZATION AND HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN
THEIR COMMUNITIES AS THEY UPHELD THEIR RIGHTS AS INDIGENOUS PEOPLE,” THE
GROUP SAID.
THEY IDENTIFIED THE FATALITIES AS:
1. ROY GIGANTO, BARANGAY LAHUG KAGAWAD AND CHAIRPERSON OF TUMANDOK
2. REYNALDO KATIPUNAN, BARANGAY LAHUG KAGAWAD
3. GALSON CATAMIN, BARANGAY NAYAWAN CHIEFTAIN
4. ELISEO GAYAS JR.
5. MAURITO DIAZ
6. ARTILITO KATIPUNAN
7. MARIO AGUIRRE
8. JOMAR VIDAL
9. ROLANDO DIAZ
THE ARRESTED INDIVIDUALS WERE ALSO PART OF THE IP COMMUNITY, THE GROUP
ADDED.