EntriesPhil - State of Human Rights: Death toll now 885, disappearances now 183
Phil - SC slates summit on extrajudicial killings
Rights Group Accuses Philippine Army of Abuses Against Leftists
Phil - Search continues for 'desaparecidos'
Phil - NDF rejects Army 'explanation' on Abra students disappearance
Police' vehicle used in forcibly abducting a man in General Santos City
Phl - Church takes cudgels for desaparecidos
Phl -- Region 8 forum tackles protection of all persons from enforced disappearance
PHILIPPINES: Abducted activist suffers torture and food deprivation in captivity
Phl - "Let Us Keep Vigil and Tear the Curtain of Darkness"
Rights groups warn of rise in abductions in Philippines
EU team in Philippines to “assess” murders
Phl - Sign int’l treaty vs disappearances, Palace urged
Phl - Burgos believes her son is still alive
France urges Manila to back disappearances treaty
Phl - Killing of five more activists and forcible disappearance of another one in separate incidents
Phl - Disaster area for human rights
Phl - Signatures on behalf of Jonas Burgos
Phl - Activist Pastor Abducted after Sunday Service in Laguna
Phl - Desaparecidos’ Exhibit: A Day of Remembering and Protest
Philippines denounced for ‘most cruel form of human rights violation’
Fil - Acusan al Gobierno de mantener operaciones contrarias a los derechos humanos
Phl - Elderly activist’ complaint of abduction against military drags on
Phl - 2 Army officers quizzed over Jonas’ disappearance
Philippines: Congress must pass bill banning enforced disappearances – Satur
'Ghost' child prisoners languish in RP jails
Phl - NGOs, militants seek special UN court on killings
UN urged not to renew Philippines’s membership to rights council
Fil - 5 desaparecidos más
PHILIPPINES: Forcible abduction and enforced disappearance
EU team aims to aid Philippines in probes of political killings
Burgos kin to Arroyo: Probe Army's 56th IB officers, men
Phl - 'Disappeared' Activist Lives to Tell Her Tale
Bayan says 'disappearances' escalating in last 3 months
Phil - Armed men seen taking Burgos' son in QC mall
EU Parliament Says Political Killings in Philippines a Growing Problem
Phil - Group hits disappearance of Joe Burgos' son
Phl: Abducted Urban Poor Leader Files Charges
Philippines: Abduction and disappearance of Mrs. Josephine Nogoy
Forced disappearances an ignored malaise in Philippines
PHILIPPINES: Disappearance of four persons
Julio 27, 2007
Phil - State of Human Rights: Death toll now 885, disappearances now 183
Karapatan in Southern Mindanao condemns in the highest terms today the continued spate of killings in the wake of the efforts of the Supreme Court-led summit to work measures that would defend and protect human rights.
Since Gloria Macapagal Arroyo assumed office in 2001, the victims of extrajudicial killings has reached 885 while enforced disappearances or desaparecidos now stand at 183.
The escalation of human rights abuses shows only that the government and its state security forces not only have no respect for existing humanitarian laws but are also bent in keeping a political atmosphere where dissent and redress of grievances can cause one's life or liberty.
The victims and their families may not see justice any time soon, as Arroyo has consistently made no effort to resolve the alarming rights abuses. Even in her SONA, she has not recognized the fact that the country has become the second most dangerous country for journalists and perhaps even to oppositionists. Worse, there was no mention of or how the government can put an end to the escalating number of victims.
Of course, Gloria Arroyo will never take an active stance to resolve these human rights violations because it is her administration that is the main perpetrator. She needs to silence dissent and rid all critics of her anti-people administration in order to continue to perpetuate herself in power.
We lambast Arroyo's statement that the so-called "development" particularly here in Mindanao could only be achieved if and only if the people will give chance and support the full implementation of Human Security Act as what her administration and minions' bragging.
This declaration of hers is just a desperate, deceptive and defective effort to win over the sympathy of the people to easily give Human Security Act a chance. It is hard to believe by saying so to a president which has no credibility at all and no further political will to resolve extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances,
KARAPATAN
Southern Mindanao Region
2nd floor Diakonia Center , Iglesia Filipina Independiente Compound, F. Torres St., Davao City
Telefax number: (082) 305-0824
Email address: karapatan_smr@yahoo.comThis email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it , karapatan.smr@gmail.comThis email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view itFor Reference:
Pipo Sambalud Kelly Delgado
Media Officer Secretary General
Karapatan SMR Karapatan SMR
09217927124 09203500069
Julio 6, 2007
Phil - SC slates summit on extrajudicial killings
The Supreme Court is set to hold a summit on extrajudicial killings in mid-July in a bid to come up with solutions to put an end to senseless killings.According to a statement Friday from the high tribunal, representatives from the three branches of the government will participate in the National Consultative Summit on Extrajudicial Killings and Enforced Disappearances – Searching for Solutions on July 16-17 at the Manila Hotel.
Representatives from the executive and legislative departments, including the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police and the Commission on Human Rights, media, academe, civil society and other stakeholders will be among the participants in the two-day summit. Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno will give the keynote speech and closing remarks.
The summit is aimed at searching for wholistic solutions and providing inputs to the Supreme Court in its objective of enhancing existing rules, or promulgating new ones, in the protection and enforcement of constitutional rights, including the protection of the witnesses.
Likewise, it aims to examine the concept of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances pursuant to the standards provided for by local and international laws, including United Nations instruments.
The summit also aims to revisit the rules of evidence and to explore more remedies for the aggrieved parties aside from the writ of habeas corpus.
During the first day of the summit, the speakers will present their respective papers comprising significant inputs from their respective sectors.
On the second day, the participants will break out into 12 groups and take part in a workshop. Each breakout group will be chaired by a Supreme Court Associate Justice.
Local and international observers will be accredited. They will include members of the diplomatic corps and representatives from various international organizations.
The summit highlight will be a plenary session where each of the 12 groups shall report to the body their recommended resolutions. The reports and proposals will be synthesized and then transmitted to the concerned government agencies for appropriate action.
In March, the Supreme Court designated about a hundred Regional Trial Courts (RTCs) nationwide to hear, try, and decide cases involving killings of judges, political activists, and members of the media.
A total of 23 RTCs have been designated special courts in the National Judicial Capital Region (NCJR), while a total of 76 RTCs in the 12 Judicial Regions were likewise designated as Special Courts.
Puno has said the creation of Special Courts to resolve extrajudicial killings is high on the judiciary’s priority list. He made the announcement even before Malacañang made public the findings of the Independent Commission to Address Media and Activists Killings, headed by retired Supreme Court Justice Jose Melo, confirming the extrajudicial killings of political activists and members of the media. - GMANews.TV
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/49959/SC-slates-summit-on-extrajudicial-killings
Junio 29, 2007
Rights Group Accuses Philippine Army of Abuses Against Leftists
MANILA, June 28 — The Philippine military has been waging a “dirty war” against leftists that has resulted in the death or disappearance of hundreds of Filipino activists, Human Rights Watch said Thursday.
In a report, the group said that the government had failed to prosecute members of the armed forces implicated in the killings and that witnesses were afraid to testify, contributing to “official impunity.”
Human Rights Watch, based in New York, also said that measures by the government to deal with the killings had been largely unsuccessful and that the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo had consistently failed to uphold international human rights law.
The report came a few days after a Philippine newspaper quoted unidentified generals who contended that they had been present at meetings in which a military policy that involved the assassination of leftists was discussed.
An investigation in February by a United Nations human rights envoy, Philip G. Alston, blamed the military for the killings. A commission created this year by Ms. Macapagal-Arroyo reached the same conclusion.
The government also created special courts to try such cases but witnesses have been afraid to speak out.
The armed forces said the Human Rights Watch report was unfair and one-sided. “We categorically deny the allegations that there is a dirty war being waged by the armed forces of the Philippines, particularly against the leftist groups,” Lt. Col. Bartolome Bacarro, a military spokesman, said Thursday.
Though he conceded that some military elements might have been involved in such killings, Colonel Bacarro said, “It is not a policy to commit extrajudicial activities.”
Sophie Richardson, deputy director of Human Rights Watch’s Asia program, said, “There is strong evidence of a ‘dirty war’ by the armed forces against left-leaning activists and journalists.” She said, “The failure to prosecute soldiers or police suspected in these killings shifts the spotlight of responsibility to the highest levels of the government.”
The report said the killings “appeared to shift into a higher gear” in February 2006, after several leftist groups were accused of participating in a coup plot led by renegade members of the military. The report also said that around the same time, Ms. Arroyo also ordered an “all-out war” against Communists.
Karapatan, a Philippine human rights group, some of whose members have been killed, has documented nearly 900 cases of what it describes as extrajudicial killings. There has also been a recent spate of abductions of leftists, some of whose bodies were later found.
The military denies that it goes after unarmed activists, insisting that the killings have been carried out by the Communists themselves as part of a long-running purge.
But Human Rights Watch said that while the rebel New People’s Army continued to violate human rights, its investigation did not uncover evidence of the rebels’ participation in any of the killings.
The group urged Ms. Macapagal-Arroyo to issue an executive order prohibiting extrajudicial killing and called on the United States to suspend military assistance to the Philippines until members of the armed forces those implicated in the killings were prosecuted.
“Actions speak louder than words, and the only real proof of the government’s commitment to end these killings will be when the perpetrators are finally held to account in a court of law,” the group said.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/29/world/asia/29philippines.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
Junio 28, 2007
Phil - Search continues for 'desaparecidos'
By MARIA ALETA O. NIEVA
abs-cbnNEWS.comStories have been told about mothers, fathers, sisters or brothers fervently searching, practically not leaving any stones unturned, for their loved ones who had been victims of involuntary disappearance.
Like a broken record playing over and over again, the search never seemed to stop as new names were added to the long list of victims every year.
Justice was not served to families whose members are still missing because the perpetrators of the crime of involuntary disappearance, considered as the "most cruel" form of human rights violation, remain unpunished.
The commemoration of the International Week of the Disappeared from May 26-June 1 was highlighted with the recent abduction of an agriculturist and a pastor.
Jonas Burgos, a son of the late press freedom fighter Jose Burgos, was abducted by a group of men while eating at a restaurant inside a mall in Quezon City on April 28.
Prior to his abduction, Burgos was giving seminars on organic farming to peasants in Bulacan.
His disappearance sparked protest not only in the Philippines but also abroad.
Berlin Guerrero, on the other hand, was snatched after officiating Mass in Biñan, Laguna. A group of men forcibly took Guerrero despite protests from his family who demanded a warrant of arrest from his captors.
Guerrero, a member of the United Church of Christ of the Philippines, was traced to a police headquarters in Cavite where charges for murder and inciting to sedition were filed against him.
The pastor had served as the secretary-general of the leftist Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan).
His wife said the pastor bore signs of torture marks to the body when she visited him. She said that her husband told her that policemen placed a plastic bag over his face to suffocate him.
Burgos and Guerrero are but two of the hundreds of cases of involuntary disappearance in the country.
The Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD) reported that more than 700 cases have been documented since President Arroyo assumed office in 2001.
"Wala siyang matinong human rights program sa mga State of the Nation Address niya the past years. Tapos, latest nag-praise pa siya kay [Jovito] Palparan na maraming cases of extra-judicial killings and disappearance. Walang nagawa to solve and prevent cases of involuntary disappearance," said Mary Aileen Bacalso, AFAD’s secretary general.
Bacalso said that most of the disappeared were alleged members or sympathizers of communist rebels while others were taken "just for fun."
"Sa ngayon mas maraming cases under Gloria even if hindi siya ganoon katagal. Kahit may change of administration since Marcos…the same military pa rin. Wala talagang change of system," said Bacalso.
According to the October 2006 statistics of the group called Families of Involuntary Disappearance (FIND), the sector which had the highest number of victims are the farmers and workers. Third and fourth in the rank are the youth and women’s sectors.
Mary Ghuy Portajada, spokeswoman for the human rights group Desaparecidos said that 186 people have been reported missing since 2001 up to the present. Fifteen of these cases were reported from January-April this year.
Of the number, nine have been surfaced alive while four, including two students from Bicol who only brought food to poll watchers, were found dead.
"Aktibista lahat sila. Meron din napagtripan lang tulad ng kaso sa Angeles na dinukot ang isang tricycle driver nang hindi nila naabutan iyung mismong kapatid na aktibista. Malinaw naman sa lahat ang mga biktima mula sa hanay na nakikibaka para sa karapatan, nakikibaka para sa lupa. May mga prinsipyong ipinaglalaban," Portajada said.
Usual suspects tagged
Desaparecidos is a Spanish term for "disappeared." These are individuals abducted by a group of people, in many cases, by units of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police, the families of the victims said.
Those who surfaced alive recounted how they were subjected to torture. But others have not been lucky to be reunited with their families as they were summarily executed and their cadavers’ locations are still unknown.
Central Luzon and Eastern Visayas are two of the regions with the highest number of involuntary disappearance of human rights volunteers, youth and farmers.
The trend is becoming more alarming citing the case of Burgos who was abducted while inside the Ever Gotesco mall in Commonwealth, Quezon City.
"Nagsu-surveillance sila. Dumarating sa point na nagkakampo na para i-zero in ang bibiktimahin ng pagdukot at sa mismong harap ng pamilya kaya nilang dukutin. Isa pa iyung paggamit ng sasakyan na walang plate number, tatambay sa kalsada para hintayin ang bibiktimahin. Mga naka-civilian tapos magsusuot ng bonnet, malalaki, mas military men ang dating," Portajada said.
In the case of Burgos’s disappearance, his family suspects the military was behind the incident particularly after a vehicle license plate (TAB 194) used in the abduction was traced to another vehicle impounded at the 56th Infantry Battalion in Norzagaray, Bulacan last year.
"Military may kapasidad na itago ang biktima sa malaking mga kampo nila. May mga testigo ang lumalantad para tumulong pero matagal ang proseso dahil sa pangamba sa kanilang buhay. Pero dala ng konsensiya, nagke-kwento sila," she said.
The crime does not end with the involuntary disappearance of a single person since anxiety, stress and trauma also affects his or her family who would be searching for them .
"Kapag inabduct hindi mo alam kung saan ka magsisimula unless mag-i-ingay ka," said Portajada.
Jose Luis Burgos, Burgos's younger brother, said the family initially called for a press conference to inform the media about his brother’s disappearance and to issue an appeal to those who might have information that would lead his family to his whereabouts.
"Tapos nag-file kami ng blotter at nagpatawag ng investigation sa mga concerned agencies like the Commission on Human Rights at Philippine National Police. Tapos nag-camp hopping kami," he said.
Last month, the Burgos family, members of the Free Jonas Burgos Movement and other concerned agencies staged a peaceful protest in front of Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City to urge the military to surface Jonas.
However, the military answered their appeal by playing songs at full volume and even pushed the families of desaparecidos away.
"Naiba sa amin lifestyle siguro kasi may security threat sa family. May mga sumusunod, nagpaparamdam na nagbabantay kay medyo maingat kami ngayon. Kami ang naghahanap, hindi kami makapagtrabaho," he said adding that "despite this, we family remains strong."
Portajada personally knows what each family of desaparecidos is going through since her father had been a victim of involuntary disappearance 19 years ago.
"Kaya alam ko na hindi ito talaga hihinto. Alam namin na sa sama-sama naming pagkilos doon lang nating kayang patigilin ito," she said.
Her father had been the president of the Coca-Cola Bottlers union when he was abducted on July 20, 1987 in Makati City.
"Si Marcos nagawa niya in 20 years ang 800 biktima. Si Arroyo sa pitong taon niya umaabot na sa 100 ang biktima ng involuntary disappearance at 800 extrajudicial killings," she said.
AFAD recently held the commemoration rites for the International Week of the Disappeared at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani along Quezon Avenue in Quezon City attended by around 80 people mostly by representatives of the diplomatic communities, their country members and families of the victims.
Bacalso said that AFAD offers direct economic assistance to families of desaparecidos.
"Mayroon kaming psychological rehabilitation for families of disappeared and direct economic assistance sa kanila. Kasi iyung ang effort namin to alleviate the pain of their loss," Bacalso said.
She urged the government to act to stop disappearances and enact national laws punishing perpetrators of forced disappearance.
FIND said that involuntary disappearance is not yet considered a crime under Philippine laws and that cases are filed in court as kidnapping, murder or serious illegal detention or combination of the last two crimes.
AFAD considers the International Convention on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced or Involuntary Disappearance as a major source of strength. They call on all Asian governments to sign and ratify the important international treaty that ensures the protection of all persons from forced disappearance.
Its implementation in the national level would require the enactment of national laws criminalizing enforced disappearances which do not yet exist in any part of Asia, AFAD said.
"We hope that the bill sa Philippines magiging the first anti-disappearance law in Asia pero walang political will ang government and no support na maging batas ang bill at marami din oposisyon from the ranks of the perpetrators," said Bacalso.
She said that forced disappearance should be considered as a social issue the public must be aware of to remain vigilant at all times because "anybody can be a victim".
For their part, Portajada appealed to those who might witness an actual abduction to be alert, take pictures from their cellularphones, jot down plate numbers and description of suspects and if possible stop the crime.
"Naniniwala kami na walang ibang magtutulangan. Hindi ito ginusto ng pamilya, umaapela kami sa mga pamilya na kung ano man ang naging gawain o prinsipyo ng mga dinukot huwag ninyong kalimutan at maningdigan para sa karapatan at hustiya," she said.
"Wala siyang matinong human rights program sa mga State of the Nation Address niya the past years. Tapos, latest nag-praise pa siya kay [Jovito] Palparan na maraming cases of extra-judicial killings and disappearance. Walang nagawa to solve and prevent cases of involuntary disappearance," said Mary Aileen Bacalso, AFAD’s secretary general.Bacalso said that most of the disappeared were alleged members or sympathizers of communist rebels while others were taken "just for fun."
"Sa ngayon mas maraming cases under Gloria even if hindi siya ganoon katagal. Kahit may change of administration since Marcos…the same military pa rin. Wala talagang change of system," said Bacalso.
According to the October 2006 statistics of the group called Families of Involuntary Disappearance (FIND), the sector which had the highest number of victims are the farmers and workers. Third and fourth in the rank are the youth and women’s sectors.
Mary Ghuy Portajada, spokeswoman for the human rights group Desaparecidos said that 186 people have been reported missing since 2001 up to the present. Fifteen of these cases were reported from January-April this year.
Of the number, nine have been surfaced alive while four, including two students from Bicol who only brought food to poll watchers, were found dead.
"Aktibista lahat sila. Meron din napagtripan lang tulad ng kaso sa Angeles na dinukot ang isang tricycle driver nang hindi nila naabutan iyung mismong kapatid na aktibista. Malinaw naman sa lahat ang mga biktima mula sa hanay na nakikibaka para sa karapatan, nakikibaka para sa lupa. May mga prinsipyong ipinaglalaban," Portajada said.
Usual suspects tagged
Desaparecidos is a Spanish term for "disappeared." These are individuals abducted by a group of people, in many cases, by units of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police.Those who surfaced alive recounted how they were subjected to torture. But others have not been lucky to be reunited with their families as they were summarily executed and their cadavers’ locations are still unknown.
Central Luzon and Eastern Visayas are two of the regions with the highest number of involuntary disappearance of human rights volunteers, youth and farmers.
The trend is becoming more alarming citing the case of Burgos who was abducted while inside the Ever Gotesco mall in Commonwealth, Quezon City.
"Nagsu-surveillance sila. Dumarating sa point na nagkakampo na para i-zero in ang bibiktimahin ng pagdukot at sa mismong harap ng pamilya kaya nilang dukutin. Isa pa iyung paggamit ng sasakyan na walang plate number, tatambay sa kalsada para hintayin ang bibiktimahin. Mga naka-civilian tapos magsusuot ng bonnet, malalaki, mas military men ang dating," Portajada said.
In the case of Burgos’s disappearance, his family suspects the military was behind the incident particularly after a vehicle license plate (TAB 194) used in the abduction was traced to another vehicle impounded at the 56th Infantry Battalion in Norzagaray, Bulacan last year.
"Military may kapasidad na itago ang biktima sa malaking mga kampo nila. May mga testigo ang lumalantad para tumulong pero matagal ang proseso dahil sa pangamba sa kanilang buhay. Pero dala ng konsensiya, nagke-kwento sila," she said.
The crime does not end with the involuntary disappearance of a single person since anxiety, stress and trauma also affects his or her family who would be searching for them .
"Kapag inabduct hindi mo alam kung saan ka magsisimula unless mag-i-ingay ka," said Portajada.
Jose Luis Burgos, Burgos's younger brother, said the family initially called for a press conference to inform the media about his brother’s disappearance and to issue an appeal to those who might have information that would lead his family to his whereabouts.
"Tapos nag-file kami ng blotter at nagpatawag ng investigation sa mga concerned agencies like the Commission on Human Rights at Philippine National Police. Tapos nag-camp hopping kami," he said.
Last month, the Burgos family, members of the Free Jonas Burgos Movement and other concerned agencies staged a peaceful protest in front of Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City to urge the military to surface Jonas.
However, the military answered their appeal by playing songs at full volume and even pushed the families of desaparecidos away.
"Naiba sa amin lifestyle siguro kasi may security threat sa family. May mga sumusunod, nagpaparamdam na nagbabantay kay medyo maingat kami ngayon. Kami ang naghahanap, hindi kami makapagtrabaho," he said adding that "despite this, we family remains strong."
Portajada personally knows what each family of desaparecidos is going through since her father had been a victim of involuntary disappearance 19 years ago.
"Kaya alam ko na hindi ito talaga hihinto. Alam namin na sa sama-sama naming pagkilos doon lang nating kayang patigilin ito," she said.
Her father had been the president of the Coca-Cola Bottlers union when he was abducted on July 20, 1987 in Makati City.
"Si Marcos nagawa niya in 20 years ang 800 biktima. Si Arroyo sa pitong taon niya umaabot na sa 100 ang biktima ng involuntary disappearance at 800 extrajudicial killings," she said.
AFAD recently held the commemoration rites for the International Week of the Disappeared at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani along Quezon Avenue in Quezon City attended by around 80 people mostly by representatives of the diplomatic communities, their country members and families of the victims.
Bacalso said that AFAD offers direct economic assistance to families of desaparecidos.
"Mayroon kaming psychological rehabilitation for families of disappeared and direct economic assistance sa kanila. Kasi iyung ang effort namin to alleviate the pain of their loss," Bacalso said.
She urged the government to act to stop disappearances and enact national laws punishing perpetrators of forced disappearance.
FIND said that involuntary disappearance is not yet considered a crime under Philippine laws and that cases are filed in court as kidnapping, murder or serious illegal detention or combination of the last two crimes.
AFAD considers the International Convention on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced or Involuntary Disappearance as a major source of strength. They call on all Asian governments to sign and ratify the important international treaty that ensures the protection of all persons from forced disappearance.
Its implementation in the national level would require the enactment of national laws criminalizing enforced disappearances which do not yet exist in any part of Asia, AFAD said.
"We hope that the bill sa Philippines magiging the first anti-disappearance law in Asia pero walang political will ang government and no support na maging batas ang bill at marami din oposisyon from the ranks of the perpetrators," said Bacalso.
She said that forced disappearance should be considered as a social issue the public must be aware of to remain vigilant at all times because "anybody can be a victim".
For their part, Portajada appealed to those who might witness an actual abduction to be alert, take pictures from their cellularphones, jot down plate numbers and description of suspects and if possible stop the crime.
"Naniniwala kami na walang ibang magtutulangan. Hindi ito ginusto ng pamilya, umaapela kami sa mga pamilya na kung ano man ang naging gawain o prinsipyo ng mga dinukot huwag ninyong kalimutan at maningdigan para sa karapatan at hustiya," she said.
Junio 25, 2007
Phil - NDF rejects Army 'explanation' on Abra students disappearance
06/24/2007 | 08:52 PM
Despite the Army's claim that six high school students who disappeared in Abra province were just "delayed" in getting home, the National Democratic Front (NDF) demanded Sunday night the pullout of soldiers from the area.
In a statement on the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) website (www.philippinerevolution.net), NDF Cordillera spokesman Simon "Ka Filiw" Naogsan said there should be "no excuses" for the disappearance.
"Military troops have saturated several mountain ridges in the area, sowing fear among the peasants and their children and preventing them from their usual activities such as firewood gathering, farming and travel. It is tantamount to the denial of the rights of the tribal people to the full use, access and development of their ancestral lands and to livelihood," he said.
"The Cordillera Peoples' Democratic Front (CPDF) joins the village folk of Tubo and Sagada in condemning in the strongest words possible the AFP's inhumanity, brutality and total disregard of the children's democratic rights and welfare," he added.
He said no amount of explanation by the AFP can justify the cruelty soldiers are inflicting on these school children.
Last Friday, the CPP accused the military of abducting the six students of the Mountain Province General Comprehensive High School (MPGCHS), and detaining and torturing them.
The CPP said villagers of Kili, with help from neighboring villages in northern Sagada, organized search teams to locate the missing students, and found them detained by Army troops at a military camp in Lagangilang, Abra.
He noted that one year ago, on the same mountain ridge, an 18-year-old student Michael Uyad of Gueday, Besao was murdered by operating troops of the same Army's 54th IB.
On March 18 that same year, another organic unit of the 54th IB illegally arrested, detained, and tortured two men from Baclingayan, Tubo, Abra who were en route to Mainit, Bontoc to deliver carabaos as ordered by their counterpart in Mainit.
"Even their carabaos were not spared by [soldiers] who butchered them," he said.
He said that by intensifying militarization and state terrorism, the military is wreaking havoc and severe suffering, most particularly on the poor peasant families and national minorities. - GMANews.TV
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/48025/NDF-rejects-Army-explanation-on-Abra-student-disappearance
Junio 20, 2007
Police' vehicle used in forcibly abducting a man in General Santos City
20 June 2007
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UA-198-2007: PHILIPPINES: Police' vehicle used in forcibly abducting a man in General Santos CityPHILIPPINES: Abduction and disappearance; police inaction; inadequate police investigation; witness protection; absence of rule of law
---------------------------------------------------------------------Dear friends,
The AHRC writes with deep concern regarding the forcible abduction and subsequent disappearance of a man, Arnold Aliman, in General Santos City on 27 May 2007. Witnesses have revealed that the vehicle used by the abductors, who were armed, has been traced to the local police Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB). The whereabouts of the victim remain unknown and no credible investigation have been taken so far into the possible police' involvement in the abduction.
CASE DETAILS:According to various sources, including a local newspaper, the Sun Star, victim Arnold Aliman (a.k.a. Dodong), was driving his motorcycle at around 5:30pm along Pedro Acharon Boulevard in General Santos City, on his way home on 27 May 2007 when he was forcibly abducted. He was supposed to return home after sending his girlfriend off at Saging Street, Barangay (village) Dadiangas South, of the same city. The victim is a resident of the city's Purok (a subsection of the village) Veterans Village.
While Aliman was stopped at an intersection, waiting for traffic light to turn green, a white pick-up vehicle stopped beside him. Three men from the vehicle alighted and forcibly dragged him inside their vehicle. When they were not able to subdue the victim due to his resistance, another three persons alighted and forced him inside. One of the abductors also took over the victim's motorcycle, with license plate number IV 3878.One of the witnesses recounted that as the incident was taking place, the police officers at a police outpost situated just few meters did not intervene, despite the victim’s loud cries for help. Passersby and bystanders likewise ignored his plea. It is also learned that some of those who witnessed the abduction were activists, but they were too frightened to intervene because the abductors are armed and they too had been facing serious threats on their lives. The place where the abduction took place is usually a crowded and busy street, but the abductors were allowed to escape without hindrance or pursuit.
Soon after the victim’s abduction, some of witnesses went to a local police station, Pendatun Police Station, and later to the General Santos City Police Office’ (GSCPO) headquarters in Camp Fermin G. Lira. Surprisingly, a witness recognized the vehicle used by the abductors parked beside one of the headquarters’ office, the Intelligence and Detective Management Section (IDMS), which was formerly Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB).
Even though the testimonies of the witnesses could have help in locating the victim and identifying the abductors, no credible investigation has so far been taken as to why the vehicle used in abducting the victims was found inside the police headquarters. What the head of the GSCPO, Senior Superintendent Vicente Bautista, has done so far is to order the relief of the chief of the IDMS, Senior Inspector Maximo Sebastian, from his post. It was at Sebastian’s office that the vehicle was parked. But, amazingly, no investigation has been conducted to compel him or his men to explain the matter. The police leadership has even refused to admit that the relief order was due to the incident.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
The abduction and subsequent disappearance of Arnold Aliman took place prior to the abduction of a political activist, Gilbert Rey Cadino (a.k.a Jing) on June 6. Unlike Cardino, who was released two days later by his captors, Aliman’s family had difficulty locating him. For further details please see: UA-185-2007. There is also no existing mechanism in place as to how the authorities would assist and help disappeared victim’s families to locate their loved ones.
Prior to his abduction, Aliman had served his jail term at the General Santos City Reformatory Center (GSCRC) for nine years for kidnapping charges. He had just been released in July last year.
Aliman’s abduction followed to abduction and subsequent disappearance that have previously taken place in the city. The couple, Nelly Intice (45) and her husband Federico (52), and another companion have remained missing after they were believed to have been abducted in 25 October 2006. The couple is both political and human rights activists. They were last seen heading towards the city’s bus terminal on their way home to nearby Davao City. Please see for further details: UA-380-2006.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please send letters to the authorities below requesting their effective intervention in locating the victim’s whereabouts. A credible investigation must also be conducted on the police’ possible involvement into the victim’s abduction. Please also request for an effective security and protection mechanism for the witnesses and the victim’s families without delay.Suggested letter:
Dear _________,
PHILIPPINES: Police’ vehicle used in forcibly abducting a man in General Santos City
Name of disappeared victim: Arnold Aliman (a.k.a. Dodong), a businessman
Alleged perpetrators: Six men believed to have links with the police
Place of incident: At an intersection in Pedro Acharon Boulevard and Magsaysay Avenue, General Santos City
Date of incident: At around 5:30pm on 27 May 2007I am writing to express my deep concern into the forcible abduction and subsequent disappearance of a man, Arnold Aliman, on 27 May 2007 in General Santos City. I have learned that six unidentified men, who are carrying firearms, in a crowded traffic intersection, forcibly abducted Aliman. One of them took over in driving the victim’s motorcycle soon after they forced him inside their vehicle.
What is shocking in this case, according to the information I have received, is that the vehicle used in forcibly abducting the victim was later traced to the police, which was even parked inside the headquarters office of General Santos City Police Office (GSCPO). It was reported to have been parked at the Intelligence and Detective Management Section (IDMS) of GSCPO soon after the incident. Those who witnessed the abduction also confirmed this.
I have learned, however, that despite serious allegations of the possible police’ involvement, as a result of the vehicle being traced to its headquarters, there has not been credible and independent investigation being made to look into this. While I appreciate the relief of the IDMS chief, Senior Inspector Maximo Sebastian, from his post, there is no known investigation conducted on him of his men. It is also disappointing that the investigation being conducted into the victim’s disappearance so far does not include them. The gravity of allegations I strongly believe should have merits an investigation of these policemen.
Furthermore, following the incident, I am disappointed that there has not been substantial progress in locating the victim’s whereabouts. I am also not aware of any mechanism created by the concerned authorities in place to locate the victim, in particular of involving his family into this process. I have also not heard of any security and protection arrangement afforded to the victim’s family and to witnesses of the abduction, which I believe, should have been urgently provided. I am deeply concerned that unless this requirement is meeting, there cannot be substantial progress to any effort to locate the victim’s whereabouts.
I am aware that this abduction is the latest to have occurred in the city and nearby area. As you are aware, the couple, Nelly Intice (45) and her husband Federico, and another companion were also reported abducted in October 2006. They whereabouts have remained unknown and they are still missing until now. They were last seen heading at a bus terminal when they disappeared. On June 6, political activist Gilbert Rey Cadino was also abducted but was later released in nearby Koronadal City. No substantial investigation has likewise taken place to identify his abductors.
I am deeply concerned of these incidents of forcible abduction and subsequent disappearance taking place in the city and nearby, and the lack of effective remedies for the victim’s families to locate their loved ones. I therefore urge you to use your authority to ensure that this is adequately addressed without delay. The government’s negligible action into these alarming cases is inexcusable.
Yours sincerely,---------------------------------------------
PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:
1. Mrs. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
President
Republic of the Philippines
Malacanang Palace
JP Laurel Street, San Miguel
Manila 1005
PHILIPPINES
Fax: +63 2 736 1010
Tel: +63 2 735 6201 / 564 1451 to 802. Dr. Purificacion Quisumbing
Commissioner
Commission on Human Rights
SAAC Bldg., Commonwealth Avenue
U.P. Complex, Diliman
Quezon City
PHILIPPINES
Tel: +63 2 928 5655 / 926 6188
Fax: +63 2 929 0102
Email: drpvq@yahoo.com3. Director General Oscar Calderon
Chief, Philippine National Police (PNP)
Camp General Rafael Crame
Quezon City
PHILIPPINES
Tel: +63 2 726 4361/4366/8763
Fax: +63 2724 8763
Email: bluetree73@gmail.com4. Mr. Raul Gonzalez
Secretary
Department of Justice
DOJ Bldg., Padre Faura
1004 Manila
PHILIPPINES
Fax: +63 2 521 16145. Mr. Emilio Gonzalez
Deputy Ombudsman
Office of the Deputy Ombudsman for the Military
and Other Law Enforcement Offices
3rd Floor, Ombudsman Bldg., Agham Road, Diliman
1104 Quezon City
PHILIPPINES
Tel: +632 926 9032
Fax: +63 2 926 8747
Email: omb1@ombudsman.gov.ph
Thank you.Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ua@ahrchk.org)Junio 19, 2007
Phl - Church takes cudgels for desaparecidos
WITH the government exerting its utmost efforts to find kidnapped Italian priest Giancarlo Boss, the head of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) urged authorities "to show the same zeal and dedication" in locating other victims of forced disappearances and abduction or desaparecidos.
"The government should also exert effort finding those who are victims of mysterious disappearances," said CBCP president Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo.
Lagdameo also said the government should consider the series of disappearances and abductions as "a serious matter."
The military and Moro rebel group are on the heels of a group that abducted Bossi two weeks ago in Zamboanga Sibugay.
Citing a report of the human rights advocate group Karapatan, Lagdameo said the total number of people abducted and been victims of forced disappearances has already reached 199 since President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo assumed office in January 2001.
Lagdameo called on the Arroyo administration to investigate and determine the fate of those who disappeared under mysterious circumstances. "They should be able to bring the perpetrators to justice," he added. (MSN/Sunnex)
Junio 16, 2007
Phl -- Region 8 forum tackles protection of all persons from enforced disappearance
Tacloban City (June 15) -- The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) is spearheading a forum/workshop which will tackle the issue on the protection of all persons from enforced disappearance, on June 22, 2007 at 8:30 in the morning to 5:00 o'clock in the afternoon at MacArthur Park Hotel, Candahug, Palo, Leyte.
Atty. Desiree Pontejos, Officer in Charge of the Commission on Human Rights Regional Office 8 informed that the Forum aims at the deliberation on the Draft International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance.
Atty. Pontejos said that the Forum is aimed at informing the participants about the rationale for the Draft Convention. It also hopes to explain the provisions of the Convention and to discuss the implications of the convention to the Philippines.
He added that the Commission on Human Rights Commissioner Quintin Cueto will be among the resource persons during the Forum which will be attended by various sectors like the military, the police force, media groups, non-government organizations, representatives of government agencies, regional state prosecutors, public attorneys office, Red Cross, among others.
Atty. Pontejos enjoins all those invited to attend said important forum which is vital to the implementation and respect for individual human rights.
Enforced disappearance constitutes a violation of international human rights and in a time of war is a violation of international humanitarian law. It is tantamount to deleting a person's very existence and denying him or her, the basic protection of the law to which every man and woman is entitled whether guilty or innocent. It is a violation of that person's rights and the rights of his or her family. The damage to the bereft, who continue to hope against all hope, is far-reaching and long-lasting, affecting not only individuals but the societies in which they live. The passage of time brings no relief from the anguish or anger they suffer from.
The prohibition of enforced disappearance, like all rules of humanitarian law, allows no exception. No war, no state of exception, no imperative reason of national security can justify enforced disappearance. Just as no State, group or individual is above the law, no person can be placed outside the law: enforced disappearance tries to do just that.
This is why this Convention is so important. It is the first international treaty to explicitly ban practices leading to enforced disappearance. This Convention requires States: to hold all persons deprived of liberty in officially recognised locations, to maintain up-to-date official registers and detailed records of all detainees, to authorise detainees to communicate with their families and legal counsel and to give competent authorities access to detainees. All these obligations are critical to prevent enforced disappearance.
The Convention also enshrines the right of families to know the fate of their relatives, one of the pillars on which all rules on missing persons must rest. Further, it requires States to incorporate the crime of enforced disappearance into their own legislation, to investigate cases of disappearances and to prosecute and punish perpetrators accordingly. If enforced disappearances are kept silent and go unpunished, the memory of the missing persons will haunt the societies in which such acts are covered up.
Junio 15, 2007
PHILIPPINES: Abducted activist suffers torture and food deprivation in captivity
Dear friends,The AHRC writes to inform you that 27-year-old Gilbert Rey Cardiño (a.k.a. Jing), a political activist who was forcibly abducted and disappeared on 6 June 2007 in Koronadal City, Mindanao, has been released on June 8. Cardiño showed signs of trauma, torture and food deprivation while he was in captivity for two days. Despite Cardiño's release, the identities of his abductors are yet to be confirmed. The trauma Cardiño is presently experiencing was so severe that he could not even talk and has not yet been interviewed.
CASE DETAILS:
The AHRC was informed from a reliable source regarding Gilbert Rey Cardiño's forcible abduction and disappearance hours after it happened in Koronadal City at around 11:00am on 6 June 2007. Cardiño was on his way to his office at that time. A white van suddenly blocked the motorcycle rickshaw he was riding in at an intersection in Barrio Dos, in Koronadal City. The said intersection is at the boundaries of Barangays (villages) Sto. Niño and New Pangasinan of the same city.
Five men reportedly emerged from the vehicle and forcibly dragged Cardiño into their van. Two witnesses described the alleged perpetrators as having short military-like haircuts while another one was wearing a black, long sleeve jacket marked with "POLICE" on the back. The vehicle, a Mitsubishi L-300 van model, was last seen heading towards direction of nearby General Santos City.
After the victim's colleagues came to know of the incident, they went to the Police Regional Office (PRO 12) of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Barangay Tambler, General Santos City, more than an hour from Koronadal City. The police informed them that there were aware of Cardiño's abduction but denied holding him in their custody. The victim's colleagues then went to the police headquarters asking for his whereabouts because in the past some persons who were reported missing have later been found to be in police custody.
The police informed the victim's colleagues they were following up on the case but did nothing to promptly assist them in locating the victim's whereabouts. Neither did they show any willingness to cooperate with them. It is extremely difficult for local activists to obtain adequate police assistance because some of them, in particular in this area, have had long held grudges against local activists.
Two days later, at 11:00am on June 8, Cardiño was released near his house in Barangay (village) New Panganisan in Koronadal City. Cardiño was supposed to appear in public, in particular with the media, but was not able to do so as his condition is still being evaluated and observed at the South Cotabato Provincial Hospital where he is confined. Cardiño was met by his family at the hospital after his release. A local politician and a priest were able to rescue Cardiño reportedly after a negotiation for his release and have placed him under their protective custody.
Cardiño was barefoot, completely exhausted and unable to talk. He was still in a state of shock. The physicians evaluating his health condition ordered him to take a complete rest. Cardiño underwent medical examination and was treated for stress at the hospital. It is also reported that Cardiño appeared to have been deprived of food and sleep during his two days in captivity.
Prior to this incident, Cardiño has reported to a human rights group, Alliance for the Advancement of People's Rights (Karapatan) local chapter, about the suspicious movement of vehicles passing in front of their office and who were believed to have been spying on them. On March 23 this year, Cardiño noticed a light blue car that stopped in front of their office at around 11:20am. The person inside leaped out and suddenly took pictures of him.
Cardiño is the youngest member of Bayan Muna's National Council, the second-highest governing body of their party. He is also the party's Provincial Chairperson for South Cotabato and the Regional Coordinator for Socsksargen (combination of the provinces of and city South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos City).
A reliable source also informed that some of Cardiño's colleagues had in the past experienced being followed by persons unknown to them who appear to have been spying on them. However, there has not been substantial progress with regards to arrangement for their security and protection since then. Some of these activists are acquainted with and are known to the AHRC.
In July 2006, four of Cardiño's colleagues also received threats to their lives reportedly from a group of anti-Communists, critical of their group. One of them was forced to leave the place and relocate to a distant city following the incident. For further details please see UA-228-2006.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write letters to authorities listed below requesting them to conduct a credible investigation in this case. The police authorities must exhaust all means to identify those responsible into the victim's abduction. Adequate security and protection must be afforded to Gilbert Rey Cardiño and his family in the process of this investigation and the subsequent prosecution of the perpetrators. He must also be given adequate medical and psychological treatment for the trauma he suffered.Sample letter:
Dear __________,
PHILIPPINES: Abducted activist suffers torture and food deprivation in captivity
Name of the victim: Gilbert Rey Cardiño (a.k.a. Jing); aged 27; He has one child; National Council Member of a political party Bayan Muna (People First) and its provincial chairperson in South Cotabato, Mindanao
Alleged perpetrators: Five men riding on a white van with no license plate number. One of them wears black long sleeves marked with "POLICE" on the back.
Place of incident: At the intersection in Barangays (village) Sto. Niño and New Pangasinan in Barrio Dos, Koronadal City
Date of incident: From 6 to 8 June 2007I am writing to draw your attention to the forcible abduction and subsequent disappearance of Gilbert Rey Cardiño for two days in 6 June 2007. I have learned that Cardiño had been held in captivity for two days after five men riding on white van at an intersection in Barrio Dos, Koronadal City, abducted him. On June 8 he was released near his place but appeared to have been traumatized, tortured and have not eaten while in captivity.
After the victim's abduction, his colleagues and relatives had searched for him at the Police Regional Office (PRO 12) of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in General Santos City. They, however, were unable to get satisfactory police assistance to help them locate the victim's whereabouts aside from informing them the victim is not in their custody. I am disappointed by the manner the police handled Cardiño's case and their inadequate police assistance. I have learned that the police inadequate actions could have been due to their long held bias against the local activists.
While I am glad of Cardiño's release, I am disappointed that there has not been substantial progress to determine the identities of those responsible in forcibly abducting, torturing and depriving him of food while in two days captivity. I have learned that Cardiño is presently suffering extreme trauma that he could not even talk following the incident. His physicians likewise noticed torture marks and indications that he was deprived of food while in captivity. I therefore urge you to ensure that an adequate medical and psychological treatment is afforded to him until his full recovery. He and his family should also be afforded with immediate protection without delay to ensure their security and safety.
I also urge you to exhaust all means to identify the alleged perpetrators and to file appropriate criminal charges against them without delay by closely cooperating with the victim and his family. Cardiño's protection and security arrangement must be long term period and sufficient so that they could prosecute those responsible without fear of being harmed and threatened. The authorities should also consider affording security and protection to Cardiño's colleagues facing similar threats to their lives.
Further more, I urge the Philippine government to ratify the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance and to subsequently enact enabling laws on this. I am aware that the absence of an enabling law on enforced disappearance had long been denying disappeared victims and their relative redress and adequate redress from the authorities. For instance, there was the police's inadequate assistance towards the victim's colleagues and relatives in this case. This could have been prevented and that the police could have been held to account had there been laws clearly stipulating their obligations on disappearance cases.
I trust that you will take immediate action in this case.
Yours sincerely,------------------------------------
PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:
1. Mrs. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
President
Republic of the Philippines
Malacanang Palace
JP Laurel Street, San Miguel
Manila 1005
PHILIPPINES
Fax: +63 2 736 1010
Tel: +63 2 735 6201 / 564 1451 to 802. Dr. Purificacion Quisumbing
Commissioner
Commission on Human Rights
SAAC Bldg., Commonwealth Avenue
U.P. Complex, Diliman
Quezon City
PHILIPPINES
Tel: +63 2 928 5655 / 926 6188
Fax: +63 2 929 0102
Email: drpvq@yahoo.com3. Director General Oscar Calderon
Chief, Philippine National Police (PNP)
Camp General Rafael Crame
Quezon City
PHILIPPINES
Tel: +63 2 726 4361/4366/8763
Fax: +63 2724 8763
Email: bluetree73@gmail.com4. Mr. Raul Gonzalez
Secretary
Department of Justice
DOJ Bldg., Padre Faura
1004 Manila
PHILIPPINES
Fax: +63 2 521 16145. Mr. Orlando Casimiro
Deputy Ombudsman
Office of the Deputy Ombudsman for the Military
and Other Law Enforcement Offices
3rd Floor, Ombudsman Bldg., Agham Road, Diliman
1104 Quezon City
PHILIPPINES
Tel: +632 926 9032
Fax: +63 2 926 8747
Email: omb1@ombudsman.gov.ph6. Mrs. Esperanza I. Cabral
Secretary
Department of Social Welfare and Development
3/F DSWD Building, Batasang Pambansa Complex,
Constitution Hills
Quezon City
PHILIPPINES
Tel: +63 2 931 7916 / 931 8068
Fax: +63 2 931 8191
Email: eicabral@dswd.gov.ph7. Prof. Manfred Nowak
Special Rapporteur on the Question of Torture
Attn: Safir Syed
C/o OHCHR-UNOG
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Tel: +41 22 917 9230
Fax: +41 22 917 9016 (ATTN: SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR TORTURE)8. Ms. Hina Jilani
Special Representative of the Secretary General for human rights defenders
Attn: Melinda Ching Simon
Room 1-040
C/o OHCHR-UNOG
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Tel: +41 22 917 93 88
Fax: +41 22 917 9006 (ATTN: SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS)
Thank you.Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ahrchk@ahrchk.org)Junio 11, 2007
Phl - "Let Us Keep Vigil and Tear the Curtain of Darkness"
June 9, 2007
This statement is the unity statement of writers, artists and journalists regarding Jonas Joseph Burgos' (son of the late freedom fighter Jose Burgos) disappearance.
Let Us Keep Vigil and Tear the Curtain of Darkness
Quezon City, 09 June 2007
We are writers, artists and journalists. Our work thrives on the freedom of expression and of the press – which is among the foundations of any democracy.History shows that the curtailment of freedom of expression and of the press is among the first steps taken by would-be dictators. It is no small wonder then that writers, artists and journalists have historically been among the fiercest opponents of authoritarianism.
On Feb. 25, 1986, the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos was ousted after three days of what has come to be known as the EDSA I uprising.
The struggle against the dictatorship, however, was not just three days. EDSA I was the culmination of more than a decade of anti-dictatorship struggle by the Filipino people, which took several forms at various times.
Among the key figures in the fight against the Marcos dictatorship were many of our fellow writers, artists and journalists – the likes of Romulo “Mulong” Sandoval, Lino Brocka, and Armando Malay to name just a few.
At this point in our country’s often-turbulent history, we are compelled to revisit the struggle for democracy waged by those who came before us, because the gains of that battle – which greatly benefited us – are now under attack.
This manifests, among other things, in the April 28, 2007 abduction of Jonas Joseph Burgos – son of the late press freedom hero Jose “Joe” Burgos, Jr. – in Quezon City by armed men. He was snatched while having lunch at Hapag Kainan Restaurant at Ever Gotesco-Commonwealth and dragged into a van with plate number TAB 194. He has not been seen since then.
Jonas is an agriculturist who teaches organic farming methods to peasants in Bulacan. The van with plate number TAB 194 had been impounded for some time at the headquarters of the Philippine Army’s 56th Infantry Battalion – which is based in Norzagaray, Bulacan – after being confiscated by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in anti-logging operations.
Jonas is not the first to fall victim to enforced disappearances. With 199 victims having been documented since 2001, he is the 16th victim this year alone.
The enforced disappearances are taking place alongside extra-judicial killings, now numbering more than 800 since 2001.
The victims were known in their communities as government critics. A good number were confirmed to have been active in cause-oriented groups, while the rest were not affiliated with any political organization. In several of the cases, state forces have been identified as the perpetrators.
The recent passage of an Anti-Terrorism Bill that defines terrorism so vaguely that even publishing or producing works with the slightest criticism of the government may be construed as a “terorristic” act should concern all who value the freedom of expression and of the press.
We are indeed at a dark chapter in our country’s history. We urge our fellow writers, artists and journalists to join us in keeping vigil and tearing the curtain of darkness in this night of our people.
Rights groups warn of rise in abductions in Philippines
By Carlos H. Conde
Published: June 11, 2007MANILA: Berlin Guerrero has been an activist for much of his adult life. Aside from being a pastor for a Protestant church in Laguna, a province just south of Manila, he has also been involved in protests and in organizing Bayan Muna, the Philippines' largest leftist party.
But nothing prepared him for what happened on May 27. He had just attended a service that day when a van without license plates cut into his path. Several men got out, dragged him into the vehicle and sped away, leaving behind Guerrero's horrified wife and children.
In the next 12 hours, Guerrero recounted in a sworn statement he released three days later, he was tortured and accused of being a Communist.
Guerrero's abduction and his claims of torture highlighted what human rights groups consider to be a resurgence of "enforced disappearances" and torture in the Philippines, which many Filipinos thought had ended with the ouster of President Ferdinand Marcos in 1986. His dictatorship was responsible for the disappearance of more than 1,500 people, according to human rights groups.
"Abductions are on the rise. There were more abductions than killings in the last three months," said Renato Reyes Jr., secretary-general of Bayan, an alliance of leftist groups.
The number of documented abductions, according to Desaparecidos, a group of relatives of the disappeared, has been increasing, from 7 in 2001 to 28 in 2004, the year the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo began to be besieged by allegations that she rigged the 2004 presidential vote.
Last year, 75 were abducted, the group reported.
So far this year, it said, 19 have been kidnapped by people suspected of being military agents, 10 of them in May, including Guerrero.
Two turned up dead.
Moreover, most of the victims of the disappearances - 106 of the 198, according to Desaparecidos - are farmers and workers identified with leftist groups and labor unions, a majority of them from provinces that are among the most militarized in the country.
Prior to this wave of abductions, the human rights situation in the Philippines had been characterized by a series of extrajudicial killings of leftists, which are also blamed on the military. Nearly 900 people have been summarily executed since Arroyo took power in 2001, according to Karapatan, an alliance of Philippine human rights groups. In recent months, the killings have generated international attention, embarrassing the administration.
The abductions and torture in the past three weeks suggest, according to Reyes, a possible shift in strategy by state security forces designed to blunt the international outrage at the killings but at the same time continue "to strike fear in the hearts of critics," Reyes said. "The perpetrators have resorted to quiet abductions instead of high-profile assassinations," he said.
Last week, France urged the Philippines to ratify the United Nations' International Convention on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances. "We do regret and condemn disappearances anywhere in the world," Gérard Chesnel, the French ambassador to the Philippines, said last week. "It's something that democratic countries cannot accept."
The European Union, which has been consistently monitoring the human rights situation in the Philippines, will send a team of experts to Manila this month to determine whether the government needs assistance to address human rights problems.
"Hardly a day goes by without a fresh reminder of the essential importance of human rights in this country," Alistair MacDonald, head of the EU delegation to Manila, told Agence France-Presse last month.
The Roman Catholic Church has also weighed in. Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, expressed outrage over the disappearances, which he said "shamed and saddened" the church.
Felixberto Calang, a Protestant bishop and human rights advocate, maintains that these disappearances are part of a campaign against political dissenters by the state. "It is doing so with impunity, without fear of accountability, and in full view of the international community that has repeatedly condemned the country's darkening human rights record," he said.
The military has repeatedly defended itself against the allegations, saying last month that it does not condone human rights violations and that "any soldier found guilty of such will face the full force of the penalty corresponding to his crime." It challenged its accusers to file charges in court.
Army officials did not respond to repeated efforts to contact them.
The Arroyo administration cited Manila's re-election to the UN Human Rights Council as evidence that it was working to investigate human rights violations.
"The Philippines' re-election to the council is a clear vote of confidence for the Philippines and President Arroyo's efforts to move forward the global agenda of upholding and protecting human rights," said Alberto Romulo, Arroyo's secretary for foreign affairs. The Human Rights Council was formed in 2006 to address human rights issues. Its 47 members, who will serve for three years each, are elected by a majority of the UN General Assembly.
Guerrero, 40, recounted that his captors repeatedly hit him with all sorts of objects, including a water bottle. His captors also put a plastic bag over his head. "They threatened to kill me, burn me or bury me," he said. The men took his laptop and replaced its contents with subversive documents, he said. "They called me 'pastor impostor,' " Guerrero said.
The country's police chief, Oscar Calderon, promised last week to investigate the Guerrero incident.
"This matter is being looked into, and we will file cases against those who will be found guilty," Calderon said.
Since Guerrero's abduction, two more activists have disappeared. One, Gabriel Rey Cardiño, a Bayan Muna official in Cotabato Province, in the south, was snatched on June 6. Two days later, Cardiño, 27, was found wandering along a highway, shocked and bruised.
Junio 10, 2007
EU team in Philippines to “assess” murders
9 June 2007 - Issue : 733
A team of experts from the European Union (EU) will arrive in the Philippines within the month for a 10-day visit to assess possible assistance to help resolve a spate of political killings in the country, diplomats said last week.
The team would be composed of three officials from the Brussels-based European Commission and about four to five police, technical and human rights experts from EU countries.
The experts were scheduled to arrive in Manila on June 18, according to an official at the Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs.Ambassador Alistair MacDonald, head of the EC delegation in the Philippines, has said the team will not investigate a spate of killings alleged to be politically motivated in the country but instead make “an assessment of needs.”
He said the team would look into what forms of assistance the EU could give to help Philippine authorities resolve the murders, prosecute suspects and prevent more attacks. The DFA official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the EU team was also scheduled to meet with human rights groups during the visit.
“It’s part of their assessment,” the diplomat said. “They will speak with members of the civil society that includes local human rights groups.”
According to human rights group Karapatan, close to 900 people have become victims of extra-judicial killings since 2001. Most of the victims were leftist activists, labour leaders, human rights workers and journalists.
Karapatan has also documented some 180 cases of forced disappearances of mostly leftist and political activists in the same period.
In one of the high-profile cases of forced disappearances, the son of a late press freedom activist has been missing since April, when he was seen being dragged by armed men into a van in a crowded Manila shopping mall. The family of Jonas Burgos, an agriculturist providing skills training for leftist farmers cooperatives, has blamed the military for the kidnapping.
The military has denied involvement in Burgos’ abduction, but police have traced the van used in the kidnapping to an army camp in a northern province. An investigation was ongoing.
Several foreign governments have condemned the unabated political killings and attacks. They have criticised the Philippine government for failing to stop the murders, which leftist groups have blamed on the military.Phl - Sign int’l treaty vs disappearances, Palace urged
Families of disappeared militants challenged Malacañang over the weekend to sign an international treaty that requires the investigation of cases of enforced disappearances.
In a statement, the Pamilya ng Desaparecidos Para sa Katarungan (Desaparecidos) said this is the only way to make sure the government acts on disappearances.
“To stop the continued rise in disappearances, we challenge the Arroyo regime to sign the International Convention for the Protection of all Persons against Enforced Disappearance which requires the states to investigate enforced disappearances and punish those who are found guilty of such crime," the group said in a statement on the Kilusan website www.kilusan.net
.Families of the victims said they have been subjected to risks and continued psychological torture as they continue to search and remain uncertain of the fate of their missing loved ones.
According to the group, those who remain missing have reached 199 from 2001 to May this year.
From January to May this year, 16 persons were abducted and had remained missing, including six women and one minor. In 2006 was recorded the highest number of disappeared, with 75 victims.
“As part of the regime’s Oplan Bantay Laya, elite intelligence and operation groups of the Armed Forces of the Philippines have conducted the surveillance, abduction, torture, concealment and possibly execution of their victims, who were mostly members of cause-oriented groups and even the underground Left," the group said.
Worse, the group said cases of disappearance pointed to the involvement of state security forces, use of government resources and facilities.
The group cited the cases of:
* Joseph Jonas Burgos, 37, was abducted by armed men suspected to be soldiers on April 28, at the Ever Gotesco mall in Quezon City. The abductors’ Toyota Revo had the license plate TAB 194 which was traced to an XLT jeep impounded at the 56th ID headquarters in Norzagaray, Bulacan.
* On April 3, Cavite urban poor leader Lourdes “Nay Ude" Rubrico was abducted by armed men who identified themselves as agents of the “NBI" (National Bureau of Investigation) and used a brown van with license plate XRR 428 which was traced to Army Major Darwin Sy.
* Oscar Leuterio, a former security guard in Doña Remedios Trinidad, Bulacan, was also abducted last year and kept incommunicado for five months, inside the Fort Magsaysay where he saw other victims of disappearance. He had filed criminal and civil charges against his abductors and captors, including now ret. Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan Jr.
* Last April 12 in Cebu, soldiers abducted and tortured Bayan Muna coordinator Preciosa Daño, 48 and Kabataan partylist’s Beethoven Avila, 28. The military later released them to the Regional Intelligence Investigation Division in Toledo City.
* Last March 27, in Sta. Ana, Pampanga, peasant Villamor Adona was abducted by armed men who carried Armalite rifles with laser devices, which are used by military and policemen.
* Soldiers in civilian clothes were involved in the May 7 illegal arrest of Virgilio Borja in Ormoc, Leyte which could have also led to another disappearance, were it not for the presence of Bayan Muna partylist Rep. Teddy Casiño who accompanied Borja.
* Manuel Sioson Jr., abducted May 5 in brgy. Lambakin, San Miguel, Bulacan by armed men suspected to be soldiers of the 56th IB PA led by Lt.Col. Noel Clement
* Benedicto Magdaong, 52, Anakpawis member, abducted May 5 in Pampanga by 2 armed men in ski masks.
* Leoniso Ragudos, 33, farmer, abducted May 6 in Sapang Dalaga, Misamis Occidental.
* Philip Limjoco, 52, NDF consultant, disappeared May 8 in Dau, Pampanga.
* Roland Rallo Porter, 50, member of Bayan Muna and First Quarter Storm Movement, abducted May 16 in brgy. Olympia, Makati City.
* Virgilio Tranquilino, 34, abducted May 17 in Nueva Ecija.
* Fidel Palting, worker of the United Church of Christ in the Phils., abducted May 21 by suspected soldiers of the 71st IB PA.
* Dionelo Borres, 45 and Roberto Marapo, 44, peasants, abucted May 28 by suspected operatives of the 61st IB PA.
Earlier, the group branded the Philippines’ election to the United Nations Human Rights Council a supreme form of irony.
It said that despite its standing, the Philippine government has not shown any respect, much less protection of human rights.
“Ironically, the Philippines was reelected as member of the United Nations Human Rights Council, after finishing a one year term. We at Desaparecidos, however maintain that the country’s membership to the recently-created UNHRC has not reflected in any show of respect, much less protection of human rights of Filipinos, as shown by the rising cases of disappearances and extra-judicial killings," it said. - GMANews.TV
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/45852/Sign-intl-treaty-vs-disappearances-Palace-urged
Junio 2, 2007
Phl - Burgos believes her son is still alive
By KATHERINE ADRANEDA
The Philippine Star
More than a month after her son went missing, Edita Burgos expressed a "mother’s feeling" that her son Jonas Burgos is still alive.
Showing the softness and strength of a mother all at the same time, Edita said she expects to see her son very soon.
"I really firmly believe that he is alive," Edita said. "In my heart, I know that he is still alive."
Edita, however, admitted her concern for the condition of Jonas under his captors.
"I don’t even want to think about it," she told reporters in an interview prior to the tree planting activity at the culmination of the International Week of the Disappeared that was organized by the Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani yesterday.
"You know how things are when victims are (at the mercy) of their abductors," she said.
Edita appealed anew to her son’s supposed captors to spare her son.
"I am appealing to my son’s captors, if there’s still compassion left in your hearts, please don’t hurt him," she said.
Burgos, son of the late journalist and press freedom fighter Jose Burgos Jr., has been missing after he was snatched by unidentified men in a shopping mall in Quezon City late April.
The military denied having a hand in the disappearance even though witnesses tagged two soldiers from the Army’s 56th Infantry Battalion based in Norzagaray, Bulacan as among those who allegedly snatched Burgos.
Militant groups and various human rights organizations accused the military of being behind Jonas’ enforced disappearance.
The military, however, consistently denied the accusation but offered to help in locating the missing activist.
International human rights groups were also quick to condemn the incident.
The European Union lamented human rights abuses had become a daily occurrence in the country.
The US-based Amnesty International also said Jonas’ disappearance had reinforced the country’s image as a "land of lawlessness."
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) expressed concern over the disappearance of Burgos.
"In our prayer we would like to request that those who are handling him may have the mercy and the compassion to return him to his family. This is our prayer," CBCP president Archbishop Angel Lagdameo said.
"We would like to express our sympathy to the mother and family of Jonas Burgos with our prayers. We do not know what is the objective of his disappearance, but we sympathize with the family over his disappearance," he said.
Edita, in turn, thanked Lagdameo "for taking importance of the disappearance of my son."
Edita is the elder sister of Diocese of Legazpi’s vicar general Msgr. Ramon Tronqued.
"The bishops’ prayer for the release of my son is definitely a big help for us," she said. With Edu Punay
France urges Manila to back disappearances treaty
MANILA, June 1 (Reuters) - France appealed to the Philippines to sign and ratify an international treaty on disappearances as European human rights experts are due to help local authorities solve political killings.
Gerard Chesnel, France ambassador to the Philippines, said democratic governments around the world must support the treaty on disappearances to criminalise and to put to an end rampant state-sanctioned abduction of people.
"We do regret and condemn disappearances anywhere in the world," Chesnel said. "It's something that democratic countries cannot accept."
In the Philippines, human rights advocates say nearly 200 people have disappeared since President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was swept to power by street protests in 2001. Most of abduction cases were blamed on the military.
France has been rallying global support for the International Convention on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances since it was adopted by the U.N. General Assembly in December 2006.
Gabriel Munuera Vinals, head of the European Union's public affairs section, said nine European human rights experts from the United Kingdom, Finland, Sweden, Germany and Spain were due this month to help Manila solve extra-judicial killings.
Junio 1, 2007
Phl - Killing of five more activists and forcible disappearance of another one in separate incidents
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UA-168-2007: PHILIPPINES: Killing of five more activists and forcible disappearance of another one in separate incidentsPHILIPPINES: Extrajudicial killings; violence against women; enforced disappearance; defective police investigation; a need for witness protection and security; collapse of rule of law
------------------------------------Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) deeply regrets to inform you that another five activists have been killed while another one was forcibly disappeared in separate incidents in February, March and May of this year. These belated reports received from various sources clearly exposes the reality of the alarming state of insecurity the Filipino people are forced to lived with, in particular human rights and political activists, as a result of unabated extrajudicial killings and the complete absence of remedies for victims' families.
CASE DETAILS:
The information below was received from various sources, including the Alliance for the Advancement of People's Rights (Karapatan), a human rights organisation based in Quezon City, Metro Manila.
Case 1: Two young men found dead
Around 7:00am on May 15, Ronilo Brezuela and Roberto Bagasbas, Jr. (a.k.a. Junjun) were tasked to deliver food rations for their colleagues who were serving as election watchers at that time. That was the last time they were seen alive. Their bodies were recovered by their relative days later.
According to the information received it was only on the morning of May 17 when Bagasbas' father, Roberto Sr., learned that two dead were lying at the Capalonga plaza for the purpose of determining their identities. When the elder Bagasbas learned that one of the bodies resembled his son, he hurriedly went to the plaza to check. Upon arrival he found two boxes made of plywood in which the bodies were placed. Soon after opening one of the boxes, he found the decomposing body of his son. His son's chin was damaged and there was a hole in his chest. His hands were tied with rope behind his back and his feet were also tied.
The elder Bagasbas then sought the permission from the police officers of Capalonga to take his son's body back home. After the police completed their procedures they allowed him to do so.
While Bagasbas' body had already been claimed, the body of Brizuela was not claimed until May 19. It was only on this time that his mother, Anita Brezuela, learned about the death of her son from her neighbours. She was not able to claim her son's body at the time it was presented at the plaza. When she came to know about his son's death, his body was already buried because nobody had come forward to either claim or identified it when it was presented.
Days before the victims' bodies were recovered, the villagers in the area on May 16 had heard in the local radio station in Daet, Camarines Norte the announcement by the Philippine Army that it had killed two rebels during an encounter. The military's claim was however denied by the villagers living in the area where the military claim an encounter took place. The villagers insisted that no such fighting had occurred.
Additionally, hours after the two victims were last seen on May 15, it is learned that their bodies had already been recovered at around 2:00pm. A man whom the military ordered to take the dead bodies and hired vehicles to ferry them towards the village center of Barangay Mataqui, recounted that he had loaded the bodies in a "paragos" (a carabao-drawn cart). He took them down to the village centre where they were presented to the public for identification. Later that evening, the parish priest of Capalonga had blessed the dead bodies which were later found out to be belonging to Bagasbas and Brizuela.
This man who carried the dead bodies had been interviewed by a staff of the Camarines Norte People's Organization (CNPO).
Case 2: A man was shot dead following arrest and questioning by soldiers
On March 14, Cipriano Ligaspo was on his way home at about 1:30 pm when he was shot dead by two unidentified men wearing bonnets in Masapia, San Andres, Bunawan. Masapia is located about 18 kilometers from the village of Sta. Monica where the victim was residing. It is also close to where the military camp is located. Ligaspo suffered 16 gunshot wounds said to be from 9mm and .45 caliber pistols. Ligaspo is survived by his wife and two children.
At the time of his death, Ligaspo was earning a living as motorcycle driver. Prior to Ligaspo's death, however, the military had already been allegedly harassing and threatening to kill him. The military had accused Ligaspo of being a sympathizer of a rebel group, the New People's Army.
A month prior to his death, Ligaspo was together with his brother and five other peasants when they were forcibly taken by 14 military men belonging to the 36th Infantry Battalion, Philippine Army, into a military truck on February 20. They were taken to their headquarters stationed in Scaling, Barangay San Roque, Bislig City, Surigao del Sur. The military accused them of supporting the rebels.
While inside the headquarters, the military subjected them to questioning and took photos and video recordings of them. They had them interrogated separately in different rooms as to whether or not they had a certain affiliation or knowledge of the rebel's activities and their supporters. They were subjected to questioning in the absence of their legal counsels, and were psychologically tortured.
At about 3:00 pm that same day, their relatives and family members went to the military's headquarters asking for their whereabouts. At that time they were under the military's custody. Only until at around 5pm when the military allowed their relatives to meet the victims and they were subsequently released. However, they were made to sign a waiver stating that they were in good condition when they were released. Before leaving the camp, they were allegedly threatened that they would be killed if they continued supporting the rebels, allegations which the victims denied.
After Ligaspo's killing, no suspect has so far been arrested or charged. The military unit involved in allegedly threatening him and his colleagues have not been subjected to investigation to answer the allegations of their possible involvement in the victim's killing subsequent to the February 20 incident. No appropriate actions have likewise been taken against the said military unit for illegally arresting and detaining the victim and his colleagues.
Case 3: A woman was murdered a day after she was spied on
At around 7:30 am on March 2, Felisa Ocampo was walking in front of her sister's store when two men suddenly approached and shot her in the forehead. The gunmen waited for awhile to make sure the victim was dead before leaving the area. They also threatened those people who tried to intervene from making any move. The attackers escaped in a car waiting nearby in which two other men were inside. Two other men were seen riding on a motorcycle escorting the car.
After the shooting, Ocampo was immediately rushed to the Morong Municipal Health Unit but was already declared dead on arrival.
A day before the incident, on March 1, it was around 2:30 pm while she was doing her laundry she noticed that four men were apparently monitoring her house. The two men were carrying mobile phones with them. When she noticed the suspicious movement of these two men, she hid in a corner. Ocampo's neighbours likewise spied on the movement of the two men. The two were seen in front of the victim's house while the other two men were seen at the nearby marketplace. One of Ocampo's neighbours asked the two men in front of the house of who are looking for. One of them replied; "Nobody, we're just waiting for someone."
Only after two hours or so later did these two men left the area. After they left, Ocampo immediately went outside her house towards her sister's. She slept at her sister's place that whole night. She was supposed to report to the police station the following day that she was being spied upon by two men.
Prior to Ocampo's killing, she had been repeatedly summoned by the military attached to the 24th Infantry Battalion, Philippine Army (IBPA) in Balanga, Bataan but she had refused to go for questioning. It is reported that she was allegedly included in the military's "Order of Battle" list. At the time of her death, Ocampo was a well respected person in their community. She was described as a person whom the villagers could at least seek assistance from. She was the municipal coordinator of a political party, Bayan Muna (People First) in Morong, Bataan chapter.
Case 4: Killing of a man and irregular police investigation
On March 11, Carlito Getrosa was having a usual gathering with his friends and relatives at the back of his house at around 8:30 pm. When Carlito stood up to take his dinner inside the house, a man shot him on the head with a .45 caliber pistol equipped with silencer. The gunman was described as wearing dark long sleeves and a ski mask when he attacked the victim killing him instantly.After the shooting, the gunman immediately escaped onboard a red motorcycle towards the direction of the national highway. But before leaving, the gunman warned the witnesses not to follow him.
Hours before the shooting incident, it was at around 7:30 pm the witnesses noticed the red motorcycle, a Honda XRM model, parked in front of a small market. Close by was the person sitting on a stall that would later shoot the victim. According to the witnesses, the said person was later seen heading towards Getrosa's house onboard the motorcycle. The witnesses, however, could not recognize the man at that time because the place was dark. One of the victim's friends have likewise notice two other men behind a nearby tree, which indicates that the attackers was not alone. The following day, residents discovered traces of boots markings.
Days before the shooting incident, sometime on March 8 to10, the villagers in the area likewise claimed to have noticed persons with suspicious movements. The persons were riding on a motorcycle roaming in the area often during in the afternoon. The motorcycle they were riding on did not bear a license plate number.
At the time of his death, Getrosa was a member of a political party, Bayan Muna (People First).In late April, the police authorities, in particular the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG XII), have reported to have already filed charges against perpetrators of Getrosa's murder. The police charged three of Getrosa's "close associates" as allegedly responsible for the victim's murder. They claimed to have obtained an affidavit from the victim's mother, Alicia, as a complainant. Her affidavit was said to have been used in the filing of charges against the three persons.
However, according to sources, there were irregularities in the manner by which the police conducted their investigation and subsequent filing of charges. It is reported that the victim's mother could not recollect any instances where police investigators have her signed an affidavit regarding her son's murder. It is alleged that the Alicia's signature in the complaint could have been forged.
Case 5: Forcible abduction and disappearance of a man
In another incident, it was around 2:00 am on February 25 when five armed men in military uniform and with faces covered with ski masks forcibly entered inside Romualdo Balbuena's house where he and his family were sleeping inside.
The armed men forcibly destroyed the door and went straight to where Balbuena was sleeping. They immediately grabbed him from his room and forcibly dragged him outside their room. They had his hands tied behind his back. The soldiers dragged him out of their house and forced him towards a vehicle waiting nearby.
Balbuena's wife, Violeta, was in a state of shock during the incident that she has not been able to immediately intervene and run after her husband's abductors. At the time, their house had been surrounded by around 17 military men. The vehicle where the victim was taken was seen heading towards national highway.
Although Balbuena family had already sought police assistance and had the incident registered into the police blotter, there has not been substantial progress since. They also went to a nearby detachment of the 34th Infantry Battalion, Philippine Army, located few kilometers from their house but they were told they were not holding the victim in their custody. The family likewise sought the help of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) but they are not aware of any progress on the case since. The victim's whereabouts has remained unknown and still could not be located.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write letters to the authorities listed below requesting for them to take the appropriate and effective actions, in particular in identifying, arresting and prosecuting the perpetrators of these cases. The alleged involvement of the military; for instance the cases of Ronilo Brezuela and Roberto Bagasbas, and Cipriano Ligaspo, must be thoroughly investigated. The authorities must exhaust all means to hold those military men involved accountable by filing appropriate charges. To ensure this, they must likewise guarantee the security and protection of the witnesses and the victims' families without further delay.Suggested letter:
Dear____________,PHILIPPINES: Killing of five more activists and forcible disappearance of another one in separate incidents
Case 1:
Name of the victims killed:
1. Ronilo Brezuela, 16 years old, a resident of Sitio, Maligaya, Barangay (village) Alayao, Capalonga, Camarines Norte. He was a farmer and a member of a youth political party, Kabataan Youth
2. Roberto Bagasbas, Jr. (a.k.a Junjun), 27 years old, a resident of Sitio Ulipanan, Barangay Dahican, Jose Panganiban, Camarines Norte. He was also a member of the same party. He was a fisherman
Alleged perpetrators: Elements of the Alpha Company of the 31st Infantry Battalion Philippine Army based in Tigbinan Base, Labo, Camarines Norte
Place of incident: Sitio Santolan, Barangay Old Camp and Barangay Mataqui, Capalonga, all in the same province.
Date of incident: 15 May 2007Case 2:
Name of the victim killed: Cipriano Ligaspo, 43 years old, a resident of Sta. Monica, Bunawan Brook, Bunawan, Agusan Del Sur. He had two children. He earns living by driving a motorcycle
Alleged perpetrators: Two unidentified armed men wearing bonnets believed to be members of security forces
Place of incident: Masapia, San Andres, Bunawan, in the same province
Date of incident: At around 1:30pm on 14 March 2007Case 3:
Name of the victim killed: Felisa Timog Ocampo, 59 years old, a resident of Barangay Poblacion, Morong, Bataan. She was a widow with one child. She was the municipal Coordinator for Bayan Muna (People first) in Morong
Alleged perpetrators: Two unidentified armed men with four other accomplices, two of them were in car and another two were riding on a motorcycle
Place of incident: In front of a store owned by the victim's sister in the same place
Date of incident: At 7:30am on 2 March 2007Case 4:
Name of the victim: Carlito Getrosa, 49 years old, a resident of Purok Narra, Midpapan 2, Pigcawayan, North Cotabato. He was a member of Bayan Muna (People First) in Pigcawayan
Alleged perpetrators: An unidentified gunman described as wearing dark long sleeves and a mask. The person was riding on a red motorcycle. He was alleged to have several accomplices during the attack.
Place of incident: Near the victim's residence
Date of incident: At around 8:30pm on 11 March 2007Name of disappeared victim:
1. Romualdo Balbuena, 55 years old, a resident of Barangay 1, Poblacion, Quinapondan, Eastern Samar
Alleged perpetrators: Twenty two persons who are believed to be security forces carrying long firearms and ski masks.
Place of incident: At the victim’s home in Quinapondan, Eastern Samar
Date of incident: At around 2am on 25 February 2007I am writing to raise my grave concern regarding the killing of another five activists and forcible disappearance of another one in separate incidents in February, March and May this year.
I have learned that on May 15, two young men, namely Ronilo Brezuela (16) and Roberto Bagasbas, Jr. (27), both members of a political party for the youth, Kabataan Youth, were found dead after they are supposed to deliver food rations to their colleagues serving as watchers in elections in Labo, Camarines Norte. I am gravely concerned to allegations of the military's possible involvement into their death.
I have learned that although the military had already claimed the two victims had been killed during an encounter, there are circumstances that have not been thoroughly investigated thereby putting serious question on this claim. Firstly, while the military claimed an encounter had taken place in the area where the victims' bodies were recovered, I have learned that according to villagers and witnesses' accounts there was no such encounter that have occurred.
I am also disappointed on the manner by which the victims' bodies were displayed for identification at a park in public. It was disorderly that even one of victims’ mothers, Anita Brezuela, was unable to claim it and give his son a descent burial. Had she not been informed by her neighbours four days later, she would have not known the circumstances behind her son's death. Her son was buried with no one claiming it.
I have also learned that three other activist, namely Cipriano Ligaspo of Bunawan, Agusan Del Sur; Felisa Timog Ocampo of Morong, Bataan and Carlito Getrosa of Pigcawayan, North Cotabato, have also been killed in separate incidents.
While I am aware that the police have already filed charges against the alleged perpetrators of two of these cases; for instance Ocampo and Getrosa, I am gravely concerned to allegation of irregularities in the police investigation and the subsequent filing of criminal charges in court. For instance, I have learned that the affidavit taken from Getrosa's mother, Alicia, used in filing the case was alleged to have been fabricated. Gestrosa's mother, according to my sources, could not remember having signed an affidavit with the police as a complaint.
Should these allegations are found to be true; this will have serious implications into validity of the complaint on Getrosa's case. I therefore urge you to look into these allegations. To ensure this, I urge the police authorities to instead actively involve the victim's families in any process of this case. This is necessary because should any fabricated or invalid complaint be allowed to be filed in court, it undermines the effective prosecution of the case. To prosecute person who could have been not involved in the Getrosa's murder, and as a result of fabricated charges, is also unacceptable. Justice cannot be achieved by wrongly prosecuting individuals.
In another case, I am also concern of the possible involvement by the military into the killing of Ligaspo. Although the perpetrators have yet to be identified, I have learned that prior to his killing there have been incidents of harassment and intimidation perpetrated against him by the military attached to the 36th Infantry Battalion, Philippine Army stationed in Bislig City. For instance, on February 20, Ligaspo and his six other companions were illegally arrested, detained and psychologically tortured while being questioned by the military in absence of their legal counsel.
I have also learned that Ligaspo and his companions were threatened that they would be killed should they continue to support a rebel group, the allegations by which the victim and his companions had claimed innocence. Had their families not intervene and went to the military camp demanding for t