HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH

Rights Group Blame Soldiers for Bulacan Massacre

A massacre at CV Tamayo Farm in Barangay (village) Pinaod, San Ildefonso, Bulacan (66 km. north of Manila) claimed the lives of five persons.  Two others remain missing.  Police investigators point to New People’s Army (NPA) guerillas as the probable culprits.  Findings of a fact finding mission conducted by a human rights group implicated soldiers belonging to the 24^th Infantry Battalion. 

BY DABET CASTAÑEDA
Bulatlat

Soldiers belonging to the 24^th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army (IB PA) under the 7^th Infantry Division (ID PA) are the probable culprits in the massacre at the CV Tamayo Farm in Barangay (village) Pinaod, San Ildefonso, Bulacan, which claimed the lives of five people at around 8-9 p.m. Feb. 1. Two others, Ricardo Valmocina Jr. and Robin Solano, who were reportedly taken by the soldiers, remain missing. 

This was the conclusion of the fact finding team organized by the Alyansa ng Mamamayan para sa Pantaong Karapatan ( People’s Alliance for Human Rights) or ALMMA, the provincial chapter of the human rights group Karapatan (Alliance for the Advancement of Peoples’ Rights) in Bulacan. The group held a fact-finding mission at the scene of the crime on Saturday, Feb. 4.

Earlier media reports said the intent of the crime was robbery while police investigators readily pointed to New People’s Army (NPA) guerillas as the probable perpetrators.

On Feb. 3, Bulacan Rep. Lorna Silverio initiated a dialogue between Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan, commanding officer of the 7^th ID, and local government officials from the towns of Norzagaray, San Ildefonso, San Miguel, San Rafael and Doña Remedios Trinidad.

In the said dialogue, Palparan denied accusations that the military was to blame for the incident and instead said the motive for the killings was robbery.

Premeditated

In its report, the human rights group said the massacre was premeditated. It said that a few hours before the massacre, soldiers went to each household surrounding the CV Tamayo Farm in Brgy. Pinaod and forced the residents to leave their homes and proceed to a nearby wake. 

“Umalis na kayo dito at baka kayo madamay,” (Get out or you might also get hurt.) the soldiers reportedly told the residents.

Witnesses also told the fact-finding team that when gunshots were heard, there was no immediate response from soldiers at the detachment of the 24^th IB at the Pinaod Barangay Hall, about 250 meters away from the scene of the crime. Moreover, there was also no response from soldiers manning a checkpoint 100 meters from the farm.

Eyewitness account

The fact-finding team was also able to interview Melanie Cardinal, 24 years old, who is nine months pregnant and wife of Melchor Cardinal, 24, one of the victims.

In her testimony, nine-month pregnant Melanie said that at around 8-9 in the evening of Feb.1, 12 men armed with high powered rifles and wearing black ski masks and fatigue army uniforms stormed the CV Tamayo Farm. The farm is owned by a certain Conching Valmocina-Tamayo.

Melanie was together with her one-year old child, her husband Melchor, Michael Milanay, 19, and Manuel Avilla Jr., 24, inside a hut in the middle of the farm when the armed men barged in asking for the farm owners and workers.  Upon seeing Melchor and  his companions, the armed men asked for their mobile phones and guns.

“Ilabas ninyo na ang baril!” (Bring out the guns.) the soldiers reportedly told the three farm workers. Melanie said the armed men also accused the farm workers of being NPA guerillas and started beating them up with rifles.

Melanie told the fact-finding team she just watched in despair. When one of the armed men noticed her, she was told to go inside a small room. “Anong pinapanood mo? Pumasok ka sa loob ng kuwarto kung ayaw mong madamay,” (Why are you watching us? Go inside that room if you don’t want to get hurt.) Melanie quoted the armed men as saying.

Melanie peeped through a hole in the wall and witnessed the armed men shoot Michael and Manuel pointblank. Melchor, on the other hand, was carried outside the hut where he was shot.

Autopsy reports indicated that Melchor suffered 15 gunshot wounds and had bruises all over his body. He had a cut on his right cheek and another on his left eyebrow. One of his hands was almost crushed.

Michael and Manuel each suffered around four to five gunshot wounds.

Farm owners

Another witness, who was not named by the fact-finding team, saw the armed men enter the house of the farm owners’ family, which was also inside the farm. Upon entering the house, the witness said the armed men saw Ricardo Valmocina, 61, and Roel Joseph Valmocina, 16. The witness said the armed men shot the two killing them instantly.

The armed men then proceeded to a room where they stole money amounting to about P110,000.

After taking the money, the armed men reportedly went outside the house where they bumped into Ricardo Valmocina Jr. and Robin Solano, a farm worker. The armed men took the two with them and drove off in a Mitsubishi Adventure and a public utility jeep. The two are missing to this day.

Under attack

ALMMA, in its human rights report distributed to media, said that the number of rights violation in the province of Bulacan has increased since last year. Human rights and church groups said that human rights violations in the province increased significantly ever since Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan was assigned to head the 7^th Infantry Division stationed in Central Luzon.  

In 2005, the human rights group recorded seven cases of murder, two cases of disappearances, four cases of illegal arrest, and nine cases of harassment and torture. There were also three labor related harassment cases and one case of arson. Bulatlat

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