The capture of six suspected NPA guerrillas in Mabinay last week continued to make headlines this past week, days after their capture.
The six, including one woman who had graduated with a Masscom degree from the University of the Philippines-Cebu, were captured after what the Army claimed was an encounter at dawn of Saturday, March 3. The Army also seized six high-powered rifles, one each for the six suspects.
It came as no surprise that the left came out swinging, holding press conferences and issuing statements deploring the arrest of the six, who they claimed were not NPA guerrillas but people who were just out on an exposure and immersion trip.
These have somewhat put the military on the defensive.
But we laud the action of the Philippine Army in bringing the six to the folds of the law.
The Army could have shot and killed the six suspects right then and there in that dark, isolated place in Mabinay. They were sure to get the full support of their ever popular Commander-in-Chief, who even called on the police and military to shoot female NPA combatants in the genitals.
Instead of using their might and firepower, the soldiers chose the humane path. They took the suspects in, brought them to their camp and fed them.
Let’s face it-this does have some positive propaganda value for our Armed Forces. The last time we checked, pro-AFP comments far outnumber the anti-AFP comments on social media.
The challenge in sustaining the positive gains of the AFP is to have the Prosecutors come up with a solid case that would prove the guilt of the suspects. The ball is now out of the military’s hands.
The rest of us will have to sit back and wait for the justice system to work.
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