They said the task force has disregarded more obvious angles of the case, such as when they dismissed the idea of making Bation a prime suspect to the crime.
Instead the task force is pursuing the angle that personal motive was behind the crime. One angle the police is pursuing is personal revenge – they have identified dismissed Police Superintendent Isaias Tonog, whom Father Lucero purportedly linked in the case of the abduction and frustrated killing of a certain Carlos Espinosa, as a probable suspect.
The police is also linking Father Lucero’s killing to the death of former Catubig mayor Cesar Vicencio. The NPA’s Rudante Urtal Command claimed responsibility for Vicencio’s killing.
This angle, according to the FFM team, is being used by the military and the police to link Father Lucero to the NPA.
The team was baffled why Task Force Lucero readily dismissed Father Lucero’s work in human-rights advocacy as a possible motive for the killing. Because of the high probability that a cover up is in the offing, the FFM team is asking the police to disclose the result of their investigation.
Concern
Allan A. Embile, chairman of Bayan Northern Samar, said Father Lucero had made a substantial contribution in exposing the human-rights abuses of the military especially in remote barangays. He said Father Lucero’s biggest contribution is being able to raise the awareness of the church on the different military atrocities.
“The Diocese was made aware that there really are incidents like these in Northern Samar. He was able to ignite the sympathy of the church,” Embile said.
With the death of Father Lucero, Embile is concerned that no one would be able to follow through the different cases that he was handling. Embile said the church performs a major role in upholding human rights in the region.
This concern was also raised by Father Bugtong who said that the Diocese might have a hard time finding a priest to replace Father Lucero. One who would have the same commitment and determination.
“Here, there are only a few priests involved in human-rights work. The new priests are not as involved because the seminary does not encourage them to get involved in human-rights work anymore,” he said.
Monsignor Cerbito, however, said that while there is no priest assigned to replace Father Lucero in the human-rights desk, cases involving human-rights abuses would now be forwarded directly to the Social Action Commission.
Another Abduction
Even with the memory of Father Lucero’s death still fresh in the minds of the people of Northern Samar, elements of the military continue to implement the Oplan Bantay Laya in the province, targeting civilians.
Last October 5, Ruth Gecaro, barangay treasurer of Somoroy, Lope de Vega, was taken allegedly by military men as she was consulting a local herbalist in Catubig. Gecaro had been asked by the organizers of the FFM to help bring witnesses who could shed light on Father Lucero’s killing, a task to which she willingly obliged.
Because of this, the fact-finding mission team is urging the authorities to surface Gecaro and to investigate and expose the human-rights abuses in Northern Samar, particularly those perpetrated by the 63rd IB, PA.
Remove Indifference
In his statement of condemnation, His Eminence Most Reverend Emmanuel C. Trance, bishop of Catarman, called on all parishioners in the diocese “to be concerned and be united in our pursuit of justice for Fr. Cecilio Lucero, as well as justice for all victims in the country.”
He asked the people not to be indifferent with what is happening in the province because “indifference to evil is more treacherous than evil itself.” (Bulatlat.com)
*The names of witnesses have been changed for their protection.
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No matter what we think or say, there is a need to adopt the tolerant thinking of western democracies when it comes to human rights. Likewise, there is an urgent need to educate some sectors who have the mistaken notion that equate democracy with submission of other people's ideas and actions to theirs.
I remember that back in 2001, the CPP leadership lauded the ouster of Estrada as a victory for the movement because they were part of the 'coalition' behind Edsa 2. Wonder what Sison is thinking now re the state of human rights under the successor they conspired with?
In a way, the Left who came to EDSA 2, or at least the leaders who forged the anti-Estrada coalition with the forces of Arroyo and ex-President Fidel Ramos, are indirectly responsible for the obtaining spate of disappearances and other forms of human rights violations. Arroyo, in a sense, is a big, big stone the leftists hit their own heads with.
Repost link:
State of RP human rights: 1st Catholic priest killed in 400 years