Karapatan decried the multiple incidents of harassment by state agents against a South Cotabato-based protestant pastor serving as the human rights alliance’s coordinator for Socksargen.

Pastor Sadrach Sabella of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) Southeast Mindanao Jurisdiction reported that his family had been receiving disturbing texts and calls and unwanted visits from the military and “rebel surrenderees” urging him to surrender.

On July 24, 2024, Pastor Sadrach’s sister received a call from an unidentified man saying, “Be careful. If we can’t get Zadrach, we will get some other member of your family.” At around 10 p.m. of the same date, Pastor Sadrach’s nephew roused sleeping family members after he noticed a man trying to break into their house at Barangay Silway 8, Polomolok, South Cotabato. The man suddenly scampered away and took off on a motorcycle.

“We condemn the continuing threats and persecution of human rights defenders, especially in the regions,” said Karapatan secretary general Cristina Palabay. “This latest incident of harassment against Pastor Sadrach is especially worrying,” she added, noting that it was actually a death threat against him and his family.

It was the second time an unidentified man tried to break into the house of Pastor Sadrach’s parents. At around 1:30 a.m. of February 21, 2024, another nephew of Sadrach caught a man trying to enter through the gate. When the would-be intruder noticed that he had been found out, he rushed to his parked motorcycle and pushed it towards a dark area of the street. The barangay police responded too late and failed to find the man or his motorcycle.

On July 7, two men came to the house and talked to his sister and asked her where her brother lived. The same men came back at 5 p.m. that day, introduced themselves to Pastor Sadrach’s parents as his soldier friends and asked them where Sadrach’s wife is from. They came back on July 8 asking the same questions. On July 9, Pastor Sadrach’s parents noticed a van and later, a motorcycle circling their house.

Earlier, on May 5, two “rebel surrenderees” known by the aliases “Ai-ai” and “Dodong Sidlak” had also come to the house of Pastor Sadrach’s parents and asked them about his whereabouts.

Pastor Sadrach also reported that from September to December 2023, his parents kept on receiving calls and text messages harassing them to convince him to surrender.

“This harassment must stop,” said Palabay. “We will hold the state forces in South Cotabato responsible should anything untoward happen to Pastor Sadrach or a member of his family,” she warned.