Party-list group whose members are tagged in judge’s killing disqualified

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has disqualified the Abang Lingkod, a party-list for small farmers, from joining the 2013 polls.

The Abang-Lingkod party-list has for its first nominee Joseph Stephen Paduano, also known as Carapali Lualhati, the national commander of the Revolutionary Proletarian Army-Alex Boncayao Brigade (RPA-ABB), whose six alleged members were tagged in the killing of Kabankalan Regional Trial Court Judge Henry Arles last April.

Among the 10 suspects in the Arles killing are supposed RPA-ABB members Jessie Daguia, Alejandro “Vincent” Capunong, Eddie Fortunado, Gerald Tabujara, Marvin Salve, and Rustom Puro. They were all issued subpoenas by the Department of Justice last September. 

Two militant groups – Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) and Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP)  – protested the application of Abang Lingkod before the Comelec last September. 

KMU-Negros spokesman Ronald Ian Evidente earlier said Abang Lingkod must be disqualified by the Comelec because the party allegedly represents a gun-for-hire organization supported by landed families in Negros Occidental.         

Evidente alleged that those who belong to Abang Lingkod are human rights violators and exploiters of sugar workers.

He added that the RPA-ABB has been linked to different crimes and human rights violations, including the Arles killing. 

“Abang Lingkod’s attempt to join the party-list elections is an outright mockery of the party-list system,” KMP-Negros secretary-general Greg Ratin earlier said. 

“It is totally revolting that the RPA-ABB, through the pseudo party-list Abang Lingkod, claims to be a farmers’ representative when the truth is, they have evolved into a bandit group and private army of landlords, especially in areas where agrarian disputes exist,” Ratin added.