Human Rights Team Held Hostage

It was 5:20 a.m. of April 16 when the call was received by this writer: “Pinaligiran kami ng mga military. Yung iba nakasibilyan, nakabonet, may dalang mga M16” (We were surrounded by the military. Some were in civilian clothes, wearing ski masks, with M16 rifles). The shaking voice was that of Christine dela Cruz of the human rights group Tanggol Karapatan. She and 60 others were in a Protestant church in Bagong Bayan, Roxas, Mindoro Oriental, staying for the night before proceeding to investigate reports of abduction and killing. Some 20 armed men, most of whom were in civilian clothes and some wearing ski masks, have surrounded the church, virtually keeping them hostage.

by dabet castañeda
Bulatlat.com

The harassment and illegal detention of their fact finding mission (FFM) team last April 16 was a horrifying experience for Dela Cruz who, almost exactly a year ago, witnessed the abduction/slaying of fellow human rights worker Eden Marcellana and peasant leader Eddie Gumanoy in Bansud town, in the same province, also by armed men in ski masks who are believed to be members of the military’s death squad.

But then, the atmosphere of terror has never really left Mindoro, a highly militarized island in central Philippines.  Here, even human rights advocates become victims.  In fact, Dela Cruz’s 61-member fact-finding mission group was held hostage twice: first, at the Protestant church and then in a Catholic church in Pinamalayan town the following day.

The FFM was conducted in response to reports of human rights violations allegedly committed by the military against residents of Pola and Roxas towns in Mindoro Oriental. The Southern Tagalog chapter of the human rights group Karapatan (Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights), together with other allied organizations in the region, initiated the mission. 

According to initial reports, a certain Siso and Ismael, both fishermen from Barangay Calima, Pola town were reportedly abducted on April 12 by elements of the 204^th Brigade of the Philippine Army, which is headed by Col. Fernando Mesa.  The following day, April 13, Edwin Mascariñas, the provincial coordinator of the party list group Anakpawis (Toiling Masses), was also reportedly abducted by the military, after an encounter between soldiers and New People’s Army (NPA) guerillas on the same day. He was found dead on April 15, according to newspaper reports.

In the said encounter, seven-year Ariel Artocilla was also hit by a bullet that allegedly came from the military’s side and died on the spot.

According to Karapatan-ST, these alleged violations occurred when the military pursued the NPA guerillas who held Pola town Mayor Alex Arenas and 11 of his security men last April 11.  The mayor and nine of his aides were released six hours later while the remaining two others – Army Pvts. Rommel Javier and Michael Rapadas - were rescued by the military on April 13 after an encounter between the military and the NPA in the morning of the same day. 

12 hours of tension

In a telephone interview with Bulatlat.com, Doris Cuario, secretary general of Karapatan-Laguna and FFM team spokesperson, said the military accused them of coddling wounded NPA rebels, using this as an excuse for holding the FFM team for 12 hours.

The team arrived on April 15 and spent the night at the Iglesia Filipino Independiente (Philippine Independent Church) in Brgy. Bagong Bayan, Roxas, Mindoro Oriental. 

It was supposed to start its investigation the following day but instead found itself surrounded by members of the 58^th IB of the 204^th Brigade by 4 a.m. the following day. The entire church was cordoned off by the soldiers led by a certain Lt. Pascual.

At 2 p.m., the team reported that another group of soldiers on board a six-by-six truck arrived.  They reportedly had with them several K-9 dogs and a .30 caliber machine gun.

The soldiers were later joined by policemen and men in civilian clothes wearing ski masks, believed to be members of the Bonnet Gang. 

The Bonnet Gang is the notorious death squad involved in a number of cases of human rights violations, the most recent of which was the double murder of Vice Mayor Juvy Magsino and Bayan Muna Provincial Coordinator Leyma Fortu last Feb. 13. 

The gang is also believed responsible for the murders of  Expedito and Manuela Albarillo in the town of San Teodoro on April 8, 2002; for the killing of Edilberto Napoles who was shot at broad day light on May 28, 2002 in Calapan City; and for the abduction and salvaging of Eden Marcellana and Eddie Gumanoy a year ago on April 22, in the town of Bansud. 

Its most notorious member, Aniano “Silver” Flores, was reportedly arrested by the military and police in Buyayao, an island off Bongabong town, on March 18 but was never presented to the media. 

A case of illegal detention

Human rights lawyer Edre Olalia of the Public Interest Law Center (PILC), in a telephone interview with Bulatlat.com, said that what happened was a clear case of “illegal detention.”

“In general, detention is the deprivation of liberty. It need not be in jail, it can be in an open space. As long as one’s liberty is restrained and there is no freedom of movement, it is a clear case of illegal detention,” he said.

Olalia also said he talked to Col. Mesa of the 204^th Brigade through his mobile phone. “From the start, he was already defensive. He told me they have been following certain procedures in dealing with the fact finding mission team.”

But Olalia insisted that “the group should be set free and be allowed to go to their destination without being harassed.” 

After some 12 hours, Col. Mesa arrived at the scene and entered the church where the FFM team was being held. When he came out, he was holding a bloodied shirt, claiming it belonged to one of the members of the team.

Col. Mesa also brought with him the two security men of Pola Mayor Alex Arenas who was earlier held by the NPA to see if they recognized anyone in the team. They accused Mary Jane Alvarez, provincial coordinator of Anakpawis, of being part of NPA unit that held them. The team, however, refused to turn Alvarez over to Mesa.

Olalia said that the military had no right to arrest Alvarez because they did not have a warrant. 

Held again

The FFM team was finally able to leave when Mindoro Oriental Vice Gov. Thaddeus Venturaza escorted them to the St. Ignacius Church in the nearby Pinamalayan town where the team spent the night.  But the following morning, they again found themselves and the church surrounded by the same group of military men.

Dela Cruz reported to Bulatlat.com that the FFM team was held again for 12 hours. It was allowed to leave only at around 4 p.m. and they proceeded to Calapan City. 

Continuing Violations

In a related incident, members of the 204^th Brigade blocked the caravan of Anakpawis’ Southern Tagalog chapter in the town of Victoria, Mindoro Oriental last April 18. The soldiers were led by a certain Mayo and Fernandez who were identified only through their nameplates.

According to the multi-media group Southern Tagalog Exposure (STEx), the 204^th Brigade had “no official papers to justify or give legal basis to the blocking of the caravan.  They pointed their guns at the members of the caravan and threatened to blow up the wheels of the vehicles.”  Bulatlat.com

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