By Martin Sadongdong The Philippine Army in Occidental Mindoro accused rights group Karapatan-Southern Tagalog of ties to communist groups after the latter tried to claim the bodies of three suspected New People's Army (NPA) rebels who were killed two weeks ago. In a statement late Monday, Brigadier General Elias Escarcha, acting commander of the Army's 2nd Infantry Division (2ID), slammed Karapatan's supposed "threat, harrassment and coercion against the local authorities in the guise of their fake human rights advocacy." The military accused the Karapatan-Southern Tagalog of claiming the bodies of three suspected NPA rebels who were shot dead by joint troops of the 4th and 76th Infantry Battalions, 203rd Infantry Brigade (203IB) and local police at Sitio Mawan, Panaytayan, Oriental Mindoro on June 13 "without following the legal procedures." According to the military, the suspects were carrying four high-powered firearms, ammunition and other subversive materials when they were neutralized. "Their eagerness to claim the NPA cadavers without following the legal procedures only shows what link they have with the NPA terrorist group," Escarcha said. Accordingly, the rights group presented a certain April Joy de Razo, who introduced herself as the common-law-wife of one of the fatalities; and Jessica Alcos, supposedly the daughter of another, when they trooped to the funeral parlor where the bodies were temporarily kept. The remains were being supervised by the local government of Mansalay town prior to their identification. The military insisted that the group presented "insufficient documents" for their claims and the slain suspected rebels have yet to be identified. However, Karapatan-Southern Tagalog maintained that they have presented all the legal documents needed to identify the cadavers. It said that a humanitarian and quick reaction mission was immediately conducted to help the families of the victims claim the bodies of their deceased loved ones. The group also criticized the failure of the military and police to identify the victims, noting that the prolonged stay of the remains of the victims at the funeral parlor only add to the burden of the kin. However, the military maintained that authorities were just "being very careful" in identifying the fatalities "to avoid a situation where another claimant may appear after the release of the bodies." Meanwhile, Brigadier General Marceliano Teofilo, commander of the 203rd Infantry Brigade (203IB), challenged Karapatan and other rights groups to conduct their own inquiry if they doubt the legitimacy of the operation which led to the death of the three suspected rebels. "It is so obvious for you to claim the bodies of your comrades killed fighting our Army Peace Troopers while being deaf and blind when NPA murders innocent people," Teofilo said.