Philippines: Family receives body of rebel killed in military clash
The body of a suspected rebel fighter has been returned to her family following a deadly clash with government forces in the eastern Philippines.
Marife Gayadan, also known as Agnes, was killed during an encounter between the New People's Army (NPA) and the military's 4th Infantry Battalion in Roxas, Oriental Mindoro province on Sunday.
The handover was coordinated between security forces and Ms Gayadan's family, with support from local officials and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples.
The case has highlighted ongoing tensions between activist groups and authorities in the region. The military claims that Karapatan-Southern Tagalog, a human rights organisation, had been holding Ms Gayadan's father and spreading misinformation - allegations the group has not yet responded to.
Local sources report that members of Karapatan-Southern Tagalog were initially allowed to keep vigil at the funeral home where Ms Gayadan's body was being held, but this led to confrontations resulting in property damage.
Background
The NPA is the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, which has been waging one of Asia's longest-running insurgencies. Peace talks between rebels and the government have repeatedly broken down over the decades.
Human rights groups have long expressed concerns about the treatment of indigenous peoples caught between government forces and rebel groups in the Philippines.
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