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Police deny shooting NPA front officer in crotch

By Rhoda Grace Saron

April 27, 2019, 8:57 am

DAVAO CITY – The Police Regional Office-11 (PRO-11) has dismissed as a lie the claim of leftist group Gabriela that a secretary of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) Guerilla Front was shot in her crotch during a law enforcement operation in Tagum, Davao del Norte, last week.

“It was a legitimate operation,” said Police Maj. Jason Baria, PRO-11 spokesperson, on Gabriela's allegation that NPA leader Cindy Terado bore a bullet wound on her genitals and that her arms were fractured following a shootout with policemen on April 15.

Baria said Thursday that Gabriela was basing only from the statement of Terado's mother and did not offer any medical examination findings to back up its claim.

Terado was killed when police swooped down on a safe house in Barangay Canocotan, Tagum City, Davao del Norte, to serve a warrant of arrest against Jay Mendoza, the executive commander of Guerrilla Front 2 and alleged live-in partner of Terado.

Baria said authorities were acting on a tip from civilians who pointed to the whereabouts of Mendoza and Terado.

Terado and her group allegedly fired at the law enforcers, resulting in a five-minute gunfight. Other NPAs, including Mendoza, managed to escape.

A police report said Terado was found in a prone position at the encounter site, still clutching her M16 rifle.

Terado’s mother, Emma, insisted that her daughter was tortured despite signing a waiver on the conduct of an autopsy.

The medico-legal result of Terado revealed that she was hit twice, one on her neck and the other on her lower stomach, with the bullet exiting her thigh.

“We have an actual picture where she was hit on the body but we cannot release it so it’s for them if they would file a criminal case against the operating troops,” Baria said.

Government troops recovered a rifle, two improvised explosive devices, a rifle magazine loaded with ammunition, and a mobile phone at the encounter site. They also found subversive documents in the NPA lair.

The CPP-NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines. (PNA)

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