This story
was taken from Bulatlat, the Philippines's alternative weekly
newsmagazine (www.bulatlat.com, www.bulatlat.net, www.bulatlat.org).
Vol. V, No. 39, November 6-12, 2005
HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH
Killing
Dissent A
total of 120 political activists and supporters of progressive party lists and
people’s organizations have been killed from January to October 26.
For the sake of human rights, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her mean
killing machine must be prevented from inflicting more harm on the Filipino
people.
BY THE Alliance for the Advance of People’s Rights Karapatan, an alliance of
human rights organizations, reports that a total of 120 political activists and
supporters of progressive party lists and people’s organizations have been
killed from January to October 26,2005. From September to Oct. 15,
an activist was killed every week. Karapatan cites October 25-26 however as the
worse. “It is enraging,
alarming and deplorable that five persons were killed in the provinces of
Tarlac, Pampanga and Bulacan within 24 hours,” said Ruth Cervantes, Karapatan
Public Information Officer. Three of those
summarily executed belonged to militant organizations. Initial reports that
reached Karapatan indicate that Ricardo Ramos, CATLU president was killed at
around 9:30 p.m. of Oct. 25. Francisco Rivera of Bayan Muna-Pampanga was shot
dead with his two companions, Dr. Angel David and Von John Maniti in the morning
of Oct. 26 or some 12 hours after Ramos was shot dead. At 5:30 p.m. the same
day, Pedy De Leon of the transport group Piston and Anakpawis-Bulacan was
likewise shot dead. Eighteen
(18) persons were
killed in Central Luzon (12 Sept- 26 Oct), 12 of them were members of
progressive party lists and people’s organizations, the other six (6)
were their supporters and sympathizers. The assailants
have yet to be identified but families of the victims have strong suspicions
that the military is behind the killing, especially since there has been a rise
in extra-judicial killings of members and supporters of militant organizations
after Gen. Jovito Palparan, Jr. was transferred from Eastern Visayas where a
similar pattern occurred. “We cannot
blame the next of kin of the victims for believing that the military, especially
Gen. Palparan, could be behind the killings. The general’s reputation precedes
him, and that is not because of militant organizations’ propaganda against him
but because of documented cases of rights violations wherever he went,”
Cervantes said. Cervantes
asked, “Are we to believe the generals’ alibi that the rise in killings of
civilians branded by the AFP as being `enemies of the state’ in areas where he
was assigned is only a coincidence?” Cervantes
challenged Gen. Generoso Senga, who said that Palparan’s complicity in the
killings of activists is yet to be investigated, “to prove to the families of
the victims that the AFP is not abetting human rights violations by putting Gen.
Palparan under preventive suspension and subject him to an investigation.” Human rights
groups picketed the office of the Department of National Defense (DND), October
28, Friday morning, to press Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz to act judiciously
and help put a stop to the killings.
“If Mrs. Arroyo continues to cling to power, more lives could be at stake. For
the sake of human rights, Mrs. Arroyo and her mean killing machine must be
prevented from inflicting more harm on the Filipino people.” Cervantes
concluded.
Posted by Bulatlat
List of political activists killed from September 1 to
October 26, 2005,
Name
Age
Affiliation
Date of Incident
Place of Incident
Suspected Perpetrators
Atty.
Norman Bocar
57
BAYAN-Eastern
Visayas
September
1, 2005
Borongan,
Samar
Unidentified armed men on board a motorcycle
Renier
Cusio
33
UMAGPAS-KMP
Sept 12
(abducted)
Sept 16
(found dead)
Guimba,
Nueva Ecija
5 elements
of the 71st Infantry Battalion Philippine Army under Lt.
Viterbo and a certain Paul Serrano
Leodegario
Punzal
41
Anakpawis
Party List
September
13, 2005
Norzagaray,
Bulacan
Elements
of the 56th IBPA
Diosdado
Fortuna
50
Union of
Filipino Employees, Nestle workers' union
September
22, 2005
Calamba,
Laguna
still
unidentified assailants
Victoria
P. Samonte
51
KMU-CARAGA
September
30, 2005
Bislig
City
Unidentified man
Armando
Javier
36
Anakpawis
Party List
October 2,
2005
Cuyapo,
Nueva Ecija
Elements
of the 71st IBPA
Priscilla
"Celia" Esteban
56
Bayan Muna
Oct. 2
(abducted)
Guimba,
Nueva Ecija
Elements
of the 71st IBPA under command of Col. Cayetano and Lt. Madrid
of the Charlie Company
Rolando
Mariano
53
TARELCO
Employees Union
October 7,
2005
Gerona,
Tarlac
Unidentified assailants
Ponciano
Silva
54
Anakpawis
Party List
October
11, 2005
Unisan,
Quezon
Unidentified motorcycle-riding men
Florante
Collantes
54
Bayan Muna
October
15, 2005
Tarlac
Unidentified motorcycle-riding man
Bienvenido
Capuno
Central
Luzon Aeta Association
October
20, 2005
Porac,
Pampanga
Elements
of 24th Infantry Battalion
Tito
Macabitas
Bayan Muna
October
20, 2005
San Jose
City, Nueva Ecija
Unidentified men
Bgy. Capt.
Rodante Bautista
Bayan Muna
October
24, 2005
La Purisima,
La Paz, Tarlac
(verifying
information)
Ricardo
Ramos
CATLU
October
25, 2005
Brgy.
Mapalacsiao, Tarlac
(verifying
information)
Francisco
Rivera
Bayan Muna-
Pampanga
October
26, 2005
Angeles
City, Pampanga
Armed men
on board a van and a back-up vehicle
Federico
de Leon
53
Anakpawis
Party List BTODA
October
26, 2005
Malolos,
Bulacan
1 woman
and 1 man who boarded his tricycle and another unidentified perpetrator on
board the tricycle tailing his vehicle. © 2005 Bulatlat
■
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Posted by Bulatlat
based on initial reports from KARAPATAN regional officers.
Oct 5 (found dead and mutilated)