NPA Blames Military for Botanist’s Death, Refutes Encounter Claim by Army

 NPA Blames Military for Botanist’s Death, Refutes Encounter Claim by Army

By RONALYN V. OLEA
Bulatlat.com
MANILA — The New People’s Army (NPA) blamed the military for the murder of botanist Leonard Co and two others and denied that there was an encounter.

Co, Sofronio Cortez and Julius Borromeo, were killed inside the Energy Development Corporation (EDC) complex in Kananga, Leyte, on November 15, 2010. They were part of a team conducting a research for the EDC.

Officers of the 19th Infantry Battalion (IB) of the Philippine Army claimed that the three were killed in crossfire between the soldiers and the NPA rebels. Later, the Department of Justice (DOJ) reported that the NPA were the ones who shot dead the three victims....

.In a statement sent through email, the Mt. Amandewin Command of the NPA-Leyte denied any responsibility and said that what happened on November 15, 2010, was a plain massacre by the 19th IB.
The NPA said that the EDC area is disadvantageous to them because it is “too heavily guarded by the 19th IB, the police, paramilitary and private security guards.”MORE

Source:  Bulatlat.com

URL: http://bulatlat.com/main/2011/03/11/npa-blames-military-for-botanists-death-refutes-encounter-claim-by-army/