Leftists slam raid on office in Iligan

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines—Militants in Lanao del Norte said the raid on their office in Iligan City on Nov. 5 by unidentified men could be part of the military’s surveillance operations against leftists.

Members of the Makabayang Koalisyon Para sa Mamamayan (Makabayan) said their office was in disarray after the break-in but no valuables were missing.

The men who broke into the office, said Denver Escalera of the Kabataan party-list group, apparently were just after documents.

Escalera said the steel cabinet that kept files was opened and the central processing unit (CPU) of the office’s computer was detached and found on the kitchen table.

In a statement, Makabayan said what was disturbing was some pictures of members of the League of Filipino Students (LFS), a leftist youth group, were taken, including one where LFS members posed with actress Angel Locsin.

In Compostela Valley, another leftist group, Anakpawis, accused the military of spreading leaflets that showed “demonic caricatures” of Bayan Muna representatives Satur Ocampo and Teddy Casiño and Gabriela Rep. Liza Maza.

But Maj. Randolph Cabangbang, spokesperson of the military’s 10th Infantry Division in Davao City, said the military had no hand in the distribution of the leaflets by the Krusada Kontra Komunista (Crusade Against Communists). Vicente Corrales, Inquirer Mindanao