Church Group Condemns Shooting of Priest
in Leyte
A church group has
expressed concern over the “alarming” human rights situation in the
Eastern Visayas region, with the recent shooting of an activist priest.
The victim is Fr. Allan Caparro, a member of the Iglesia Filipina
Independiente (IFI or Philippine Independent Church) and vice-chairperson
of the Promotion of Church People’s Response in Eastern Visayas (PCPR-EV).
BY BULATLAT
A church group is concerned over the
“alarming” human rights situation in the Eastern Visayas region, with the
recent shooting of an activist priest.
The victim is Fr. Allan Caparro of the
Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI or Philippine Independent Church) and
vice-chairperson of the Promotion of Church People’s Response in Eastern
Visayas (PCPR-EV), central Philippines.
PCPR is an ecumenical organization of
church people involved in human rights and social justice advocacy.
On Feb. 18 at around 6:30 p.m., three
still unidentified assailants on board a motorcycle fired a .45 pistol at
Caparro and his wife Aileen in Abuyog town, Leyte, wounding them both.
“From the circumstances surrounding
the attack,” said the PCPR-EV in a statement, “there (is) no possible
motive other than to silence Fr. Allan because of his long and consistent
defense of the masses, especially the peasants in Northern and Western
Samar who have been continually harassed and attacked by members of the
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).”
Of late, Caparro has been vocal in his
stance against large-scale mining, which the PCPR-EV views as closely
linked with rising militarization in prospective mining areas. It is
feared that these operations would displace upland peasants.
Similar attack
“It is worthy to note that the manner
of the attack was almost the same as that of the still-unsolved case of
Anakpawis (Toiling Masses) regional coordinator Samuel Bandilla who was
gunned down (on) Oct. 15, 2004,” the PCPR-EV added.
Bandilla was also shot by assailants
on board a motorcycle. However, in his case, it has been established that
a certain Soledad, a member of the military intelligence group (MIG), was
involved in the fatal shooting.
“There is reason to believe that (the
Caparro shooting) is another handiwork of the military,” the PCPR-EV
stated.
The PCPR-EV also condemned the
designation last February of Col. Jovito Palparan, Jr. as commander of the
Eastern Visayas-based 8th Infantry Division of the Philippine
Army. “His name and presence are synonymous to heightened human rights
violations especially attacks on members of progressive legal
organizations,” the PCPR-EV stated.
Palparan, who was promoted as
brigadier general by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, is a former
commander of the Philippine Army’s 204th Infantry Battalion,
based in Oriental Mindoro. His name figured in several human rights
violations alleged to have been perpetrated by government forces and
military hitmen against activists in the province.
“When church people themselves, imbued
by their faith to live out their preferential option for the poor become
victims of malicious attack, it (shows) total disregard of the dignity of
men and women,” the PCPR-EV stated. “More so when the attack is
perpetrated by armed agents of the State.”
Bulatlat
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