Autopsy findings on NDF consultant Ericson Acosta still being analyzed, Fortun says

The autopsy findings on National Democratic Front consultant Ericson Acosta are still being analyzed, forensic pathologist Dr. Raquel Fortun said Wednesday.

“Still analyzing the case findings,” Fortun told GMA News Online.

Fortun was asked on the results of the autopsy on the remains of Acosta. She performed the autopsy on the NDF consultant on Monday.

Atty. Luchi Perez said the autopsy was conducted upon the request of the  Acosta family. Perez serves as the legal counsel of the family.

“It is the request of the family kasi marami pang victims ito, so the family wants to know what happened with the body,” she said in an interview with GMA News Online on Tuesday.

The lawyer said they will wait for the autopsy results before proceeding with any legal action.

“We will not put the matter to rest and we will proceed with any legal action concerning the matter,” she added.

Sought for comment, Philippine Army spokesperson Colonel Xerxes Trinidad said they respect the decision of Acosta’s family.

“We respect their rights as well as with the rights of every Filipinos that we have sworn to protect from all kinds of threats,” Trinidad told GMA News Online.

NDF-Negros spokesperson Ka Bayani Obrero said Acosta and a peasant organizer were killed in a military operation in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental on November 30.

Obrero claimed the Army’s 94th Infantry Battalion (94IB) and 47th Infantry Battalion (47IB) captured the two alive at Sitio Makilo, Barangay Camansi around 2 a.m.

But a few hours later, Obrero said the military tagged Acosta and his companion “casualties of an encounter,” which the rebel spokesperson described as “fake.”

Armed Forces spokesperson Colonel Medel Aguilar earlier called the statement of NDF-Negros “lies,” saying that the group was trying to discredit the AFP.

According to the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division, two rebels were killed in separate encounters in Kabankalan in Negros Occidental early morning of November 30. 

According to Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, Acosta was an NDF consultant during the 2016 to 2017 peace talks for the drafting of the agreement on socio-economic reforms.

He also participated in the formal peace talks and discussions of the reciprocal working committees, Bayan added. — Richa Noriega/RSJ, GMA Integrated News