The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) condemned the New People’sArmy (NPA) for the torture and beheading of its former member who surrendered to the government forces.
Mar Acebedo Bocales, a father of three, is a former member of the NPA. He surrendered to the army and then became a member of the Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU).
Bocales went to the mountains to look for a specific butterfly to be sold to a collector. He was then kidnapped by the alleged active members of the NPA. Later, he was tortured and beheaded.
“We condemn the torture done to the off-duty Manobo CAFGU Mar Acebedo Bocales, a father of three, who was abducted as he was hunting for wild animals to feed his family. His body bore torture marks as he was made to suffer before being beheaded by NPA terrorists in the mountains of San Miguel, Surigao del Sur,” said Lt. Col. Emmanuel Garcia, AFP public affairs chief in a statement.
In a report by Rappler, the NPA denied that its members were responsible for his death. NPA Regional Operational Command spokesperson Ka Ariel Montero tagged a certain group called “Magahat” as the culprit.