Karapatan Monitor Q1 2012 LAYOUT

7/31/2019 Karapatan Monitor Q1 2012 LAYOUT

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KARAPATANMonitorJanuary - March 2012

The second year of Pres. Noynoy Aquinos

counter-insurgency program OplanBayanihan marks an escalation of militaryoperations and consequent human rightsviolations. One year short of its target to endinsurgency in 2013, combat military operationsintensify, alongside and complemented bycontinued surveillance, intelligence gatheringand civil-military operations.

Extrajudicial killings (EJK) continue, asthere are now 76 victims documented as ofMarch 31. Five of the nine documented victims

of EJK in this quarter were killed by themilitar ys indiscriminate firing. Instead ofowning up to the mistakes of their troops in thefield, army commanders cover up their crimesby blaming their civilian victims, whom theytag as New Peoples Army members. Often, thevictims or their relatives are offered monetaryassistance in exchange of not filing chargesagainst perpetrators.

Mamanwa evacuees left the

homes and farms because

intense military operation

TABLE 1:Violation of Civil & Political Rights

under the Noynoy Aquino Government(July 2010 to March 2012)

Violation No. of victims

Extrajudicial Killing 76

Enforced Disappearance 9

Torture 62

Rape 3

Frustrated Extrajudicial Killing 49

Illegal Arrest without Detention 222

Illegal Arrest and Detention 195

Illegal Search and Seizure 160

Physical Assault and Injury 91

Demolition 7,008Violation of Domicile 285

Destruction of Properties 6,129

Divestment of Properties 232

Forced Evacuation 6,556

Threat/Harassment/Intimidation 15,862

Indiscriminate Firing 6,721

Forced/Fake Surrender 45

Forced Labor/Involuntary Servitude 162

Use of Civilians in Police and/or Military

Operations as Guides and/or Shield296

Use of Schools, Medical, Religious and

Other Public Places for Military Purpose1,756

Restriction or Violent Dispersal of Mass

Actions, Public Assemblies and Gatherings 2,074


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In the first quarter of 2012, there is a marked and alarmingincrease in the number of human rights violations.

The 49th Infantry Battalion Philippine Army (IBPA)claimed that farmer Benjamin Mancera, 54, was anNPA after they strafed his home in Malaya village, Labo,Camarines Norte, where an NPA member was resting.The latter, identified as Pedro, was killed in the strafing,along with Mancera, his two young sons, Michael, 10 andRichard, 7. The only survivor was Manceras 14-year-olddaughter, Ella who was wounded.

Ella narrated that on Feb. 25, she was at home withher father and brother Richard when she saw a soldier

approaching their hut. Right after came a hai l of bullets.Michael who was in the bedroom doing homework wasalso killed. She said that Pedro, who was in the kitchen,was immediately killed in the strafing and was not ableto fire a shot. Village officials certified that Benjaminwas not an NPA.

The 9th Infantry Division (ID) expressed sadness overthe deaths of the two children, but blamed the NPA forfiring the first shot. The military kept Manceras daughterunder tight watch as she recovered in the hospital. Whenshe was about to be discharged, 2Lt. Robert Lee of the49th IBPA tried to take custody of the child but her motherLourdes resisted.

In February, soldiers in combat operations killed threepeople and injured four in two separate incidents in theforests of Laguna and Tarlac, in Southern and CentralLuzon, respectively.

In Atingay village, Municipality of Magdalena, Laguna,soldiers of the 1st Infantry Battalion opened fire and killedJaycee Perez, 31 and Christian Roy Noceto, 15. Also withthem were Francis Abanilla, 18, and another 15-year-oldyouth, who were both wounded. In the midnight of Feb.15, the group went out with an air gun and their dog to

hunt for bats and birds in the forests ofMagdalena. Police investigation saidthat when one of the victims fired theair gun, the soldiers mistook them forrebels and fired at them. Recoveredfrom the scene were 53 spent shells ofM14 rifle and 2 shells from a .45 pistol.

In a news report, the army said that thefour were all NPA rebels, in spite of thefact that they only carried an air gun.

In a similar incident in Morionesvillage, San Jose, Tarlac, suspectedsoldiers strafed three charcoalmakers, killing 20-year-old BoyetIbarra, and wounding two minorsaged 15 and 17.

On February 7, at 10 p.m. Ibarraand his two cousins went up to themountains in Moriones to check on thecharcoal they were burning. They were

accosted by three suspected soldierscarrying long firearms, one of whom

forced them to follow him to a hut on top of the mountain,while the two others remained. As they approached thehut, they saw around 50 menin black T-shirts and blackpants and armed withlong firearms, comingout of the hut. A volley ofgunfire greeted the six. Thesoldier who accosted Ibarraand the youths ordered themto drop to the ground forcover, while calling on

the shooting soldiers tocease fire. Ibarra, whowas hard of hearing,remained standingand was riddled withbullets. He died onthe spot.

The shootingcontinuedintermittently,even as thefirst soldiershouted that

hed been hit. Healso died and hisbody was wrappedin a blanket andtaken away by hiscompanions, whileIbarras remainswas broughtdown to thebarangay by histwo cousins.

TABLE 2: Victims of Extrajudicia l Killing & Enforced Disappearance under Noynoy Aquino Govtby Region (July 2010 to March 2012)

Region Extrajudicial Killing Enforced Disappearance

Cordillera Administrative Region 0 0

Cagayan Valley 2 0

Ilocos 2 0

Central Luzon 3 0

Southern Tagalog 17 3Bicol 23 0

NCR 3 0

Western Visayas 5 3

Central Visayas 1 0

Eastern Visayas 7 0

Northern Mindanao 2 0

Caraga 2 2

Socsksargen 2 0

Western Mindanao 0 0

Southern Mindanao 7 1

ARMM 0 0

Total 76 9

Organized 38 3

Women 7 0

Jimmy Liguyon


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In Tacayan village, Tapaz, Capiz province, a six year-old Tumandok girl was killed in an explosion by asuspected M203 grenade that came from a nearby militarydetachment. On March 11, Rodelyn Aguirre was at homewith her four year-old sister Baby, when they were hitby an explosion coming from two meters outside their hut.Just some 200 meters uphill was a detachment of the 61st

IB. Villagers reported that a certain army personnel namedWilly Faulo is known known to be brandishing an M203rifle in the community. The detachment has been in thevillage for years and has been subject of complaints byresidents.

Military spokesperson of the 3rd IB Capt. Reylan Javaconcocted a story that not only Rodilyn but also two NPAswere killed from an improvised explosive device (IED) thatexploded while they were assembling it. This was beliedby the childrens grandfather Julian Aguirre, who saidhe and the girls were the only ones in the hut when theexplosion happened. He was the one who brought themto a hospital. According to a team which conducted a fact-finding mission, there is no evidence that the explosioncame from an IED. They also concluded thatit would have been unlikely for NPAs toassemble explosives in broad daylight andwith a military detachment close by.

In Northern Samar, on January 28, soldiersof the 34th IB arbitrarily arrested fiveresidents of Hinagunuyan village, in themunicipality of Catubig, Samar province. Atnoon the following day, January 29, soldiersalso took Hinagunuyan residents Danny andGerlie Rotamola, and their two children, aninfant and a two-year-old and brought themto Palapag town by military helicopter.

Eight of the victims Julio Lebico, EduardoRebato, Noinie Pajares, Rubin Pajares,Danilo Pajares, Felomino Lebico, DannyRetamola, and Flordelina Celes werelater reported by the military to the mediaas members of the New Peoples Army whosurrendered to the government. The victimsare village officials and members of thebarangay peace and order council.

Barangay Hinagunuyan was one of the villages visitedby a Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) Team on January 14 whichinvestigated cases of human rights violations of the military.The FFM Team documented the militarys occupation ofthree houses in the village, and public civilian buildings inother neighboring villages.

The FFM also investigated the killing of Jovito Pajanustan,a farmer from the neighboring village Barangay Osang,Catubig, believed to have been tortured and killed bysoldiers on November 24, 2011.

Paramilitary groups on a rampageA leader of the indigenous peoples who stood up against

mining was brazenly killed by paramilitary men in

Bukidnon province.

Jimmy Liguyon, 37, leader of the Matigsalog tribe andvillage chief of Dao, San Fernando, Bukidnon was shot infront of his house on March 5 by Alde Salusad, a memberof Triom Force. He was accompanied by other armedparamilitary men. Salusad called out to the witnesses thathe killed Jimmy because of his refusal to sign a certification

for Sanmatrida, or the San Fernando Matigsalog TribalDatu Association. The Sanmatrida is facilitating the entryand operation of mining companies in the Lumad ancestrallands. It claims 53,000 hectares in 12 villages, and is beingresisted by tribal leaders including Liguyon. Salusad andSanmatrida are closely associated with the 8th IB basedin Halapitan, San Fernando. Last year, Liguyon receiveddeath threats from and were harassed by Salusads group.

With the gunman still at large and roaming thecommunity, and threats from Salusad and his group, 83individuals, mostly from Jimmys clan and members ofthe local indigenous organization Kasilo, were forcedto evacuate and seek sanctuary in the Provincial Capitol

grounds in San Fernando, Bukidnon.

In Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental, a member of theCitizens Auxilliary Force Geographical Unit (CAFGU) shotdead Binobohan village chief Norberto Recabo inside thevillage chapel on Feb. 18. Recabo, 50, was also a member ofthe local farmers group Kaugmaon. The chapel was some

20 meters from Recabos house, and some 50 meters fromthe CAFGU detachment under the command of the 12th IB.

On February 20, CAFGU member Cerilo Tejaressurrendered to the police in Guihulngan City and admittedto killing Recabo, whom he claimed ordered him to killsomeone. His family however said that in December2011, Recabo intervened in settling an argument betweendetachment commander, Corporal Jose Cananga and avillage councilor, Jose Ramil Caniedo. Recabo earned theire of Cananga which led to an intense argument between

TABLE 3:Victims of Extrajudicial Killing & Enforced Disappearance under Noynoy Aquino Govtby Sector (July 2012 to March 2012)

Sector Extrajudicial Killing Enforced Disappearance

Peasant 35 7

Worker 6 0

Indigenous People 11 0

Government Employee 3 0

Teacher 1 0

Youth and S tudent 2 1

Environmentalist 2 0

Entrepreneur 4 0Urban poor 3 1

Minor 6 0

Church 1 0

Fisherfolk 1 0

Media 1 0Total 76 9


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the two of them. Cananga went to the detachment andreturned with several men in full battle gear, includingCerilo Tejares. The soldiers threatened Recabo andCaniedo, who along with other village officials filed acomplaint before Col. Bitong, commanding officer of the11th IBPA in January 2012.

Under Oplan Bantay Laya, and now in Oplan

Bayanihan, the CAFGU and some armed tribal groupsfounded or controlled by the Phil. Army are used asauxiliary forces by the military in their combat and civil-military operations.

RapeRape of women and minors is proof that the militarys

presence in the communities endangers the lives andrights of the people. However, due to the sensitivenature of the violation, victims would often not reportto authorities their experience for fear of reprisal orhumiliation.

Two minors, both graduating high school girls, wereallegedly lured and raped by Phil. Army Capt. DaniloLalin who was assigned to the 50th Infantry Battalion inMankayan, Benguet.

Katrina was first to be seduced by Lalin in late 2011through text messages. On December 17, 2011, Katrinaasked permission to attend her schools christmas partypreparations. She went home two days later, and herfamily noticed that Katrina was unusually silent. Shebegan skipping classes and showed defiant behaviorwhile she continued to go out with the military officer.Katrinas mother began to worry when she discoveredcontraceptive pills in her daughters belongings.

This year, Katrinas friend Isabel was abducted fromFeb. 17 to 20. Isabel, who knew Lalin as Katrinasboyfriend said she was on her way home when shehitched a ride with Lalin on his motorcycle. Lalin broughtIsabel to a military camp in Ifugao. Isabels family wasnot aware that she was abducted, because her aunt, withwhom she stays on school days, assumed that she went

home to her parents. Her parents assumed that she waswith her aunt. Isabels sister however became suspiciouswhen she noticed that since Isabel returned on Feb. 20, shewas dazed and physically weak, and did not go to schoolthe next day. She also discovered in Isabels belongingssome contraceptive pills, a brand new cellphone, Php1,000 bill and food stuff. They turned out to be gifts fromLalin.

When confronted, Isabel cried and told her sister thatshe was abducted and raped but was too distressedto clearly recall where she had been the four days shewas abducted. Isabels medical examination at theBenguet General Hospital showed that she has hymenallacerations which suggested that she was possibly rapedby more than one man. She was also tested positive forvaginal fungal infection, and was diagnosed as mentallydepressed.

In news reports, the Phil. Army said that Lalin was onlyrelieved from his duties because of the complaints.

Demolition and threat of displacementAnother wave of demolition occurred at Barangay

Corazon de Jesus in San Juan City on January 11 and12. Around 80 police and SWAT members surroundedthe community while the houses were being demolished

HACIENDA LUISITA FARM WORKERS CONTINUE STRUGGLE FOR LANDOn February 20, around 100 security guards of the Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) fired

shots at protesting farm workers, while soldiers and police merely stood by. The farm workers led by the

Alyansa ng Manggagawang Bukid sa Luisita (Ambala) and the United Luisita Workers Union (ULWU) tried to

stop RCBCs hired workers from putting up fences around the collective farm which they had tilled since 2005.

RCBC is claiming 500 hectares of Hacienda Luisita.

On March 27, seven farm workers, two of which are minors, were arrested as police violently dispersed

the barricade in the same area. The two boys, aged 16 and 17 were later released, while the five, who were

charged with malicious mischief, posted bail. Also those who posted bail are 17 farmer leaders following an

arrest warrant issued against them for grave coercion.

On November 22, 2011, the Supreme Court ruled in a 14-0 decision that favored the farm workers and

ordered the distribution of the 4,915 hectares of land but the Cojuangco-Aquino clan continues to hinder its

implementation invoking its demand to just compensation and it is yet to be finalized. The 184-hectare

parcel of land was reportedly used by the Cojuanco-Aquino clan as payment of obligations to the RCBC

In 2004, farmworkers of Hacienda Luisita, Inc. protested the bogus Stock Distribution Scheme, and

picketed the Central Azucarrera of the Hacienda. In an attempt to disperse the picketing farm workers and

their supporters, security guards, police and soldiers open fired at the protesters on November 16, 2004.

This resulted to the death of seven farm workers, and injury of many others. Soldiers had encamped in the

hacienda since then.


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On February 22, soldiers assisted by 30 hired laborers,began clearing 1.5 hectares of mangroves and were onlystopped by the village folk. The soldiers had alreadycut 400 Kalapinay mangroves, including 120 that were acentury-old, as well as saplings.

On Feb. 23, the Hukay villagers trooped to themunicipal hall for a dialogue with Mayor Sophia Palacio,but she was reportedly unavailable. That same day,soldiers on board five trucks arrived in the area, followedby 50 laborers. The residents along with Nasugbu police

chief Supt. Aguda who mediated, hurried to the site afterlearning that the soldiers were going to clear even moremangroves. The military showed a construction planto develop the area, which the villagers again resistedbecause there was no such agreement. Sgt. Ryan Gonzalessaid that they were there to protect development in thearea, and agreed that the soldiers would not cut anymore mangroves.

Abduction, arbitrary arrests and fake surrendereesWhile claiming to respect human rights, the military

stage fake encounters, label arbitrarily arrested minorsas child warriors and brand abduction victims as rebelreturnees in an attempt to hide rights abuses.

In Paranas, Samar, the 87th IB surfaced a villagecouncilor and his two sons two weeks after abductingthem, only to take them all again to military custody; thistime, with his wife and two other children who are minor.

Pagsan-an village councilor and farmer ArtemioLabong, 57 and his son Roel, 21, were missing after beingabducted by soldiers in their vi llage in Paranas on March4. Then on March 13, soldiers, while still holding Artemiocaptive, abducted his other sonJeffrey, 26 at the Paranastown proper.

despite appeals of the residents. On January11, leaders of Samahan ng MamamayangNagkakaisa (Samana or Society ofUnited Residents) conducted a dialoguewith Police Chief Inspector MelchorRosales. The dialogue was led by AntolinPearanda, Samana Vice-chairperson and

spokesperson of the local Kadamay chapter.Two days later, police attempted to detain

urban poor leader Antolin Pearanda.

On January 13, while Pearanda wasloading his familys belongings to a jeepneyfrom their demolished home, he wasapproached by police inspector MelchorRosales. Rosales grabbed Pearanda by thearm and waistband while shouting Youreone of the leaders here. You are initiatingthe violence! Antolin was pressed againstthe jeep while other policemen arrivedand pinned down both his arms. Rosales

accused Pearanda of slander. Pearandaswife begged the police to let her husband go.She even asked them if there is a warrant ofarrest for her husband, but was ignored. Other residentsalso went to Pearandas aid and pulled him from thepolicemen. Rosales threatened Pearanda not to return.

The community of Corazon de Jesus is being demolishedby the San Juan City government for the construction ofa local government and commercial district, including ahelipad supposedly for the local governments use, despitea presidential decree issued by former Pres. Arroyogranting the land to the residents. Mayor Guia Gomez,through her spokesperson, authorized the police to use

force if residents do not vacate by 3pm of January 13.The police camped at night at the San Juan Municipal

High School and the newly constructed municipal hall.They have also set up checkpoints, apprehending passersbyor preventing people from entering the community.

Residents of Hukay village, Calatagan, Batangas hadbeen under threat of displacement because of claims tothe land by the Rossana Sy Development Corporation,which holds a bogus title but is reportedly backed up thelocal government.

For almost two years, the soldiers of the 16th IB and 730thCombat Group of the Phil. Air Force have been staying atthe barangay health center and Sangguniang Kabataan

hall in the village and residents have demanded that theyleave. As if to spite the people, on Feb. 20, the soldiers left,only to construct their camp beside the barangay healthcenter. The residents protested. In a dialogue with thevillage officials, the residents decided that the militarydetachment site should only be by the coastline. Fisherfolkled by the Samahan ng mga Mangingisda sa BarangayHukay (SMBHI) even reminded the soldiers not to cut themangroves, because these protect the community fromthe big waves.


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On March 19, the militarypresented Artemio andhis two sons as rebelsurenderees at a meetingof the Municipal Peace andOrder Council in Paranas,even granting them Php20,000 as livelihoodfund under the SocialIntegration Program.

This was despite protestby Pagsan-an barangay chair Marito Mabanan that thethree are not rebels, and that Artemio is in fact an electedgovernment official. Instead of letting them go, themilitary also took Artemios wife Anecita and their twoyounger children, ages eight and 12.

Soldiers of the 56th IB and police faked a firefightwith alleged rebels to carry out the arbitrary arrest offive persons, including a minor and a former politicaldetainee, in Cabanatuan City. They also seized moneyamounting to at least Php 250,000, medicines, householdand personal belongings of the victims.

Arbitrarily arrested were former political detaineeEfren Delalamon, resident of Makati City; AndresLapuz, resident of Cabiao, Nueva Ecija; Carla Bautista,resident of Paraaque City; Ambrosio Ileto, Anakpawispartylist member and resident of Polilio village,Cabanatuan, and his nephew, 17-year-old Jan MichaelIleto, of Sto. Nio village. The five were in Sto. Nio,at the yard of Elpidio Ileto, Ambrosios brother, whenthe soldiers came in combat formation and began firing.Delalamon sustained minor wounds in the right arm andleft side of the body.

Soldiers and police alsosearched Elpidios housewhere they claimed to havefound a gun; and Ambrosioshouse in the nearby village ofPolilio, where they claimedto have seized a grenade.

Witnesses however attestedthat soldiers have entered thetwo houses prior to servingthe search warrant to villageofficials. The victims reportedthat the soldiers also seized atotal of at least Php 250,000cash from them, a laptop,medicines and other personalitems. These were not includedin the list of seized itemspresented by the police andmilitary, who only reportedthe amount of Php 116,000

taken from the victims.

The five were charged withviolations of the HumanSecurity Act or the Anti-Terrorism Law, rebellion,illegal possession of firearmsand explosives and werekept under tight watch at theNueva Ecija Provincial PoliceOffice detention facility.

Delalamon, 58, wasreleased in January 2011after one year and four

months of detention.Charges of murder and attempted murder against himwere dismissed. He is once again arbitrarily detainedbased on trumped-up charges.

In Quezon province, on March 22, soldiers of the 74thIB arbitrarily arrested a farmer and two minors whowere accused as NPA rebels involved in an encounter inPansoy village, San Andres town.

The soldiers claimed that Elmer Desuyo, 20, ReyRodrigo, 17 and Reynaldo delos Santos, 16, were arrestedafter allegedly figuring in an encounter between the AFPand NPA.

The military refused to present the three to Karapatan-Southern Tagalog workers who went to the 74th IBheadquarters. The three were charged with illegalpossession of firearms and were later transferred to theQuezon Provincial jail in Lucena City where they arenow detained.

In Northern Samar, it was the vigilance and will ofhis family and village mates that saved farmer FelipeTermo from further harm after he was abducted by20th IB soldiers.


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On March 4, at around 8 pm, Termo was at home inBobon, Northern Samar when three armed men cameand introduced themselves as NPA members and askedfor help. When Termo did not react, one of them blurtedthat the victim was an NPA supporter. The two othersgrabbed Termo and interrogated him about the NPAshiding place for firearms. The three then took Termo to

the forest.The victims wife sought the help of the village officials

and residents, and they gathered and searched for thevictim in the forest. They walked for three kilometersand found the armed men still interrogating Termo. Thearmed men introduced themselves as members of thePhilippine Army.Because of the villagers pressure, hewas able to go home that same night.

They later learned that the soldiers were looking foreight other residents of E.Duran, who are suspectedto be NPA supporters. For fear that they might also beabducted, the residents were afraid to go to their farms.

As arbitrary arrests and filing of fabricated charges

continue against innocent civilians, there are now (as of31March) 363 political prisoners in detention centers indifferent provinces. A total of 93 were arrested under theNoynoy Aquino government.

Attacks against rural communitiesOplan Bayanihan, in full swing, is a picture of intensified

military operations in rural communities forcing civiliansto evacuate their homes. Soldiers however continue toharass village folk even at the evacuation centers.

On March 5, two fighter planes dropped bombs, whilea helicopter strafed the nearby mountain areas of Ansiliand Zapanta sub-villages in Kitcharao, Province of

Agusan del Norte. The explosions occurred some 400meters away from the communities. Later that afternoon,both planes and helicopter returned and armed soldiersrapelled down a nearby hill. Residents then heard andsaw trees felled by chainsaws as soldiers set up camp.Civilians were unable to go to their farms to gather food,or to the forest to gather firewood, which was their daily

source of income.Residents were hungry and terrorized by the military

operations which continued for several days with aerialstrikes and bombings, regular hovering of helicoptersand fighter planes, sporadic gunfire and encroachment ofsoldiers in the communities. Residents of Ansili were thefirst to evacuate on March 6. Other communities followed.

By March 14, a total of 158 families, or at least 800individuals including children had fled from their homesin Ansili and Maribuhok in Sitio Zapanta and fromManhumapay, all in Kitcharao; and from Sitio Lusong,Brgy. Puting Bato, Cabadbaran City. Most of the evacueesare Mamanwa indigenous peoples. They trekked, some

up to eight kilometers, to take shelter in neighboringvillages.

Among the evacuees, 78 Mamanwa families soughtsanctuary with the provincial government in Butuan City

but were refused. They stayed insteadin the covered court of barangayImadejas in Butuan.

On March 23, seven soldiers armedhigh-powered guns led by MajorNilo Kanashiro, spokesperson ofthe 4th ID and Lt. Patrick Martinez,civil-military operations of the 402ndBrigade, arrived at the evacuation

center and harassed the people. On thesame day, 107 residents of Palidan,Mahaba village, and some villagesof Cabadbaran City arrived, and themilitary insisted to photograph thenewcomers individually before they areallowed inside. Tired and distressed,the evacuees ignored the soldiers.

Maj. Kanashiro entered theevacuation center without givingcourtesy to the datus, and proceededto berate the evacuees for acceptinghelp from organizations such as Kasalo

and Gabriela. He told the evacuees togo home because the soldiers had lefttheir villages, a claim belied by another military officialwho announced on radio that same afternoon that militaryoperations were continuing. The soldiers also set up acheckpoint at the entrance of the evacuation center, andasked everyone to log in. They tried to deny entry to AtelHijos, Gabriela-Caraga Chair and Genasque Enriquez,Secretary General of Kasalo-Caraga, who insisted that thesoldiers have no right to do so.

RegionTOTAL

No. of PPsWomen

NDF Consultants

& StaffUnder PNoy

Cordillera Administrative Region 0 0 0 0

Cagayan Valley 7 2 1 5

Ilocos 5 3 0 5

Central Luzon 18 2 1 8

Southern Tagalog 37 7 0 14

Bicol 24 3 0 8

NCR 143 5 6 13Negros 13 0 1 8

Panay 7 1 0 0

Central Visayas 3 0 1 1

Eastern Visayas 21 6 0 10

Northern Mindanao 10 0 2 2

Caraga 7 0 0 0

Socsksargen 7 0 0 0

Western Mindanao 7 1 0 2

Southern Mindanao 27 1 0 9

ARMM 27 0 0 9

Total 363 31 12 94

Sickly 60 TABLE 4: Political Prisoners(As of March 31, 2012)Elderly 12


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In reaction, Hijos said: If they cannot show commoncourtesy towards the Lumad datus and local leaders inbroad daylight, in the middle of the city and in frontof the media who witnessed their actions, imagine thetotal disregard for human dignity and terror tacticsthat they subject the residents of lumad communitiesin the isolated mountains.

As of this writing, more than 300 individuals are stillin an evacuation center in Butuan City, as they continueto appeal for the immediate pull-out of soldiers in theircommunity and to end the airstrikes.

Surveillance, target research and harassmentSuspected soldiers and military agents donned

different disguises to harass peasant and labor leadersand members, organizers and rights defenders.

In Carmen, Bohol province, farmers were harassed byfour suspected soldiers of the Peace and DevelopmentTeams of the 1st Special Forces Battalion who wentaround villages.

In Tagaonan village, Marietta Ayop, 42 was interviewedby four men who did not introduce themselves butclaimed to be doing a survey for a medical mission tobe conducted in a nearby village. They asked her name,address, place of birth and monthly income, all of whichAyop answered, believing it was required for the medicalmission. She became suspicious when the men askedabout the peasant organization she was affiliated with.She was then photographed her and made to sign a formthat the men themselves filled-out.

In Antolinga village, on Feb. 12, Julian Quensina,34 and Joselito Gulayan, 36 were interrogated by twomen who barged into their hut, while two others stayedoutside. The farmers were asked about their name, age,address and organization. They were photographed andwere forced to sign a document without explanation.

The victims raised these incidents with Carmen MayorConchita delos Reyes in a dialogue on Feb. 20. The mayorhowever did not give any commitment to address thecase of the victims and instead discouraged the farmersfrom participating in rallies.

A Cebu labor organizer became victim of aninterrogation entrapment operations whereintelligence agents lure unsuspecting activists throughtext messages or internet to meet with them, and theninterrogate and harass them. On January 19, Jovan

Igot, 51, radio program host of the Visayas HumanDevelopment Agency (VIHDA), got a message throughhis Facebook account from a certain Cris Torreswho pretended to be interested in buying a memoriallot. Igot, who is also a sales agent for Golden HavenMemorial Park, believing that Cris is a buyer, agreed

to meet with the latter that night.

As Igot was waiting inside a mall, a man arrived andtried to push him inside a restaurant, but Igot resisted.Another man believed to be an intelligence agent soonarrived and the two took turns interrogating Igot on hisinvolvement in Anakpawis and AMA-Sugbo-KMU. Theyalso hinted at having his cooperation. Visibly shaken,

Igot told the two he was heading home, and refused theiroffer to go to a bar.

In other cases, military officials are more direct inmaking allegations as they turn formal meetings ofthe Provincial Peace and Order Councils (PPOC) intovenues to brand leaders of progressive organizations asCommunist Party of the Philippines (CPP) -NPA officials,and in effect, make them possible targets of militaryattacks, as was experienced under the OBL.

In Bohol, Carmilo Eloy Tabada, 39, provincialcoordinator of the Farmers Development Center(FARDEC) Inc. heard his name over a radio broadcast ofDYRD in Tagbilaran City, being tagged as the Kalihim

(secretary) of the White Area Party Committee of theCPP in Bohol. The radio program quoted the report ofArmy Col. John Bonafos to the Bohol Provincial Peaceand Order Council.

A similar case was reported in Ilocos Sur, when themilitary, in its briefing at a PPOC meeting, claimed that anelected government official, was seen with the NPA. In aMarch 17 meeting of the Ilocos Sur PPOC, Lt. Col. RogelioMesias, commanding officer of 3rd IB, reported thatincumbent Provincial Board Member and human rightslawyer Robert Tudayan and seven progressive leadersand members were seen with or accommodating NPAmembers. Tudayan, 53, refuted the militarys claims and

questioned their report. Tudayan said that he had beenreceiving death threats.

On the second year of its implementation, theP-Noy Aquino governments Oplan Bayanihanhas unmasked itself as nothing but Oplan BantayLaya all over again. The deceitful embellishment ofpeace, development, people-oriented and forhuman rights could no longer disguise the stateterror being waged against the people especiallythose defending their rights and seeking justice,democracy and freedom from foreign domination.

OpBay, like the OBL, has not succeeded in sowing

fear but it has instead given reason for the people,especially the downtrodden and most oppressed,to organize themselves and resist the few greedyand powerful who are trampling on their freedoms,rights and liberties.

KARAPATAN Monitor is released quarterly byKarapatan (Alliance or the Advancement o Peoples Rights)

National Ofce: 2nd Flr. Erythrina Bldg. #1 Maaralin St. Central District, Quezon City 1100

Teleax: (+63 2) 4354146 / 4342837

E-mail: [email protected] | Website: www.karapatan.org

Published in partnership with the National Council of Churches in the

Philippines under the Defending the Defenders Program promoting

human rights and the protection of human rights defenders.

This publication is produced with the assistance

of the European Union.

The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of KARAPATAN and can in no way be taken to reect the views of the European Union.

Documents

Karapatan Monitor Q1 2012 LAYOUT