Philippines: 11 Land-Indigenous HRDs extrajudicial killed in the early months of the year 2017
Event- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jan 5, 2017
- Event Description
Based on the report from Front Line Defender, in the early months of the year 2017, 11 of land rights activists, farmers, members of indigenous communities have been the target of extra-judicial killings. The termination of the ceasefire between the government of the Philippines and the NDPF and the cancellation of the peace talks have intensified the repression and attacks against the civilian population, human rights defenders and their organisations. None of the vicitims have been properly investigated by the authorities to this day. Most of the HRDs targeted in the recent spate of killings were working on environmental, land or indigenous peoples' rights. On 5 January 2017, around 4pm, Venie Diamante, 43, a T'boli and municipal tribal chieftain, was brutally killed by an unnamed assailant on board a motorcycle while on his way home from Koronadal City, in South Cotabato. He was a strong advocate for the defense of ancestral T'boli lands. --- On 20 January 2017, Veronico Lapsay Delamente, 27, a Lumad-Mamanwa and member of Kahugpungan sa Lumadnong Organisasyon (KASALO) in the CARAGA region, was shot by two unnamed assailants in Punta Naga, Barangay, Cagdianao, Claver, Surigao del Norte. On the evening of the same day, around 8pm, Alexander Ceballos, 54, regional council member and district area coordinator of the National Federation of Sugar Workers (NFSW) was gunned down by two unnamed assailants near his house in Purok Tangke, Brgy. Pandanon Silos, Murcia, Negros Occidental. Ceballos' involvement in organising and mobilising farmers to uphold and defend their rights have earned him the resentment of local landowners. --- On 25 January 2017, Wencislao Pacquiao, 48, a member of the San Benito Farmers Association- Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP), was shot several times at close range in a targeted killing while he was working in the fields in Negros Occidental. Pacquiao had been instrumental in filing a case which seeks to secure legal title to the land for the people who work it. --- On 3 February 2017, Renato Anglao was shot dead by three unidentified men in Quezon, Bukidnon province. Renato Anglao was the Secretary-General of TINDOGA (Tribal Indigenous Oppressed Group Association), an indigenous peoples' organisation representing the Manobo-Pulangion tribe in Barangay Botong, Quezon, Bukidnon. TINDOGA works on issues related to human rights violations linked to agri-business plantations which are encroaching on their ancestral lands. --- On 6 Feb 2017, Emelito Rotimas was shot dead by suspected military agents. Emelito Rotimas was a local leader of Lapu-Lapu village, Maco, Compostela Valley. He was also an active member of a progressive partylist group Anakpawis (Toiling Masses). --- On 11 February 2017, Orlando Eslana was shot dead by an unidentified armed man in Roxas City, Capiz, Visayas. Orlando Eslana was an active member of the Kahublagan sang Mangunguma sa Capiz (KAMACA), an organisation of farmers in Capiz. They were holding a peasants' protest to assert their ownership of the land occupied by the Tan Estate. During the protest, unidentified armed men open fired leading to five protesters being injured. --- On 16 February 2017, Edweno "Edwin' Catog, 44, a Lumad-Mansaka farmer and a land rights activist, was shot in public by two men on a motorcycle, suspected of being linked to the 46th Infantry Battalion-Philippine Army (IBPA), in Pantukan, Compostela Valley. He was a member of the Hugpong sa mga Mag-uuma sa Walog Compostela (HUMAWAC), a local peasant organisation. --- On 25 February 2017, Gilbert Bancat, 32, a coconut farmer and peasant leader in Quezon, was gunned down by an unidentified assailant, suspected of being a member of the private army of a landlord in the area and a serving member of the Philippine Army, in Sitio Long Beach, Barangay, San Lorenzo, San Andres, Quezon province. Gilbert was a peasant organiser of the Anakpawis (Toiling Masses) Partylist and a land rights activist. Prior to his killing he had been warned to give up his support for the farmers because he was on a military hit list. --- On 2 March 2017, among the latest victims were Ramon Dagaas Pesadilla and his wife Leonila Tapdasan Pesadilla, who were shot dead by unidentified gunmen in their home, in Barangay Osme_a, in Compostela Valley. They were both active members of Compostela Farmers' Association, which has been vocal in its opposition to major mining projects in the area. As a result, their members are regularly targeted by security forces and thugs hired by the mining companies. Ramon and Leonila Pesadilla had recently donated land to host a Lumad (indigenous community) school.
- Impact of Event
- 11
- Violation
- Death
- Extrajudicial Killing
- Judicial Harassment
- Killing
- Rights Concerned
- Land rights
- Minority Rights
- Right to life
- HRD
- Indigenous peoples' rights defender
- Land rights defender
- Lawyer
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military
- Suspected state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Event Location
Latitude: 12.879721
Longitude: 121.774017
- Event Location
- Summary for Publications
In the Philippines, more than 11 HRDs working on land and indigenous rights were the victims of extra-judicial killing during the early 3 months of the year 2017.