The spokesman of the Philippine Army declared that the move to withdraw the cases against the so-called “Morong 43 will have a negative impact on the morale of the troops as the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) maintains that the arrest of the suspected rebels follows all the rules of engagement.
Army spokesman Col. Antonio Parlade Jr. also said the suspects were members of the New People’s Army (NPA) and not health workers as they claimed to be. He however said that the military has to follow the chain of command and will abide with the instructions of the commander-in-chief.
Armed Forces Southern Luzon Command chief Lt. Gen. Roland Detabali for his part said there is nothing to apologize as the military did not violate anything in the arrest of the suspects. Detabali said the arrest was a product of thorough surveillance operations and also belied claims that the suspects were tortured and molested.
Detabali further said the dropping of charges against the suspected rebels would not deter their counter-insurgency drive.
