HUMAN
RIGHTS WATCH
Mission Probes
Kalinga Peasants’ Attempted Murder
The Cordillera Human
Rights Alliance (CHRA) recently organized a fact-finding mission (FFM) to
investigate the reported attempted murder of at least three peasants in
Pinukpok, Kalinga this last week of June. The latest victims are Orlando
Awingan, 60 and wife Petrona, 55 who escaped death after a strafing
incident on June 30 in Limos, Pinukpok by unidentified armed forces
between 10:00 and 11:00 p.m.
BY KIM QUITASOL
Northern Dispatch
Posted by Bulatlat
The Cordillera Human
Rights Alliance (CHRA) organized a fact-finding mission (FFM) to
investigate the reported attempted murder of at least three peasants in
Pinukpok, Kalinga during the last week of June.
The victims are
Orlando Awingan, 60 and wife Petrona, 55 who escaped death after a
strafing incident on June 30 in Limos, Pinukpok by unidentified armed
forces between 10:00 and 11:00 p.m.
Orlando said he and
his wife were awakened by the sound of an approaching vehicle. A few
minutes later, someone stoned their roof twice. After the second stoning
he shouted and seconds after, a volley of gunfire hit their house. Orlando
and his wife took cover instinctively.
“We dropped to the
ground and crawled towards the window and headed to the backyard,” Orlando
said in Iloko. “Heavy gunfire continued but we got out of the house and
maneuvered to the nearby forest. It was very dark. We sustained bruises
and abrasions but we went on.”
Based on an earlier
Northern Dispatch report, Orlando went missing and was feared
abducted but the recently-concluded FFM found him safe. Orlando and his
wife sought refuge in the woods until he was sure it was safe to return to
the community.
CHRA reports state
that the strafing is part of the anti-insurgency campaign of the military
operating in the area particularly the 21st Infantry Battalion
of the Philippine Army since his children are involved in progressive
groups labeled as “communist fronts.” The group also reported a suspected
conspiracy between the military and Barangay Captain Diohenes Gopa-al in
the said incident due to personal motives. Gopa-al reportedly filed a
civil case against Orlando sometime in 2005.
Orlando said prior to
the strafing incident, sometime last August, soldiers issued a warrant of
arrest and invited him to the nearby military detachment for allegedly
keeping arms in his house but Petrona insisted to go to Gopa-al’s house,
instead. They stayed there until 3:00A.M. Authorities did not find any
firearm in Orlando’s house.
The Lejo Cawilan
Command of the New People’s Army (NPA)-Kalinga in a statement denounced
the strafing, saying that the armed men are suspected vindictive elements
of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Citizens’ Armed Forces
Geographical Unit (CAFGU) who wanted to kill the couple because they are
parents of another NPA guerilla.
The same statement
said a soldier of the 21st IB was killed and two others were
wounded in a tactical offensive launched by NPA-Kalinga last June 29 in
the boundary of Tanglag, Lubuagan and Lower Taloctoc, Tanudan.
Another victim,
farmer Nicolas Dammay, is now out of danger after being shot in the left
arm by still unidentified armed forces at around 10:00 p.m. on June 28 in
his house in Malagnat, Pinukpok.
Dammay said he had
just finished watching television that night and went out for a necessity.
Before he could return, he was shot in the left arm. Initial
investigations showed that the assassin used a gauge 12 shotgun.
“I don’t know (who
would want to kill me) because I have no enemy,” Dammay said. “It was too
dark. I did not see my assailant. Police reports say I was a victim of
mistaken identity.” Dammay said. He added that unconfirmed reports reached
him that the real target might be his brother Tomas, a member of the
regional council of Alyansa dagiti Pesante iti Taeng Kordilyera (Apit Tako).
Moreover, Pinukpok
Mayor Erving B. Dasayon added that since the deployment of Provincial
Director Pedro Geronimo Ramos, around 30 persons have been killed in
Kalinga. He said Ramos was formerly assigned in Bulacan where he also had
a long list of human rights violations and killings.
Dasayon further said
police investigation hardly prospers because witnesses are afraid to come
out.
PO3 Geofrey Bawla,
the investigating officer of Pinukpok admitted that the said incidents had
already been reported to the police but remain unresolved. He explained
that aside from lack of witnesses, there are only 32 policemen covering
the 23 barangays of Pinukpok, which has a population of 35,000.
Apit Tako, the
College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP) and the Northern Media and
Information Network (NMIN) joined the FFM. Northern Dispatch / Posted
by Bulatlat
BACK TO
TOP ■
PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION ■
COMMENT
© 2006 Bulatlat
■
Alipato Media Center
Permission is granted to reprint or redistribute this article, provided
its author/s and Bulatlat are properly credited and notified.
