- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Feb 9, 2021
- Event Description
Government prosecutors are blocking the release of journalist Lady Ann Salem and labor organizer Rodrigo Esparago despite the local court’s dismissing the charges against them last Feb. 5.
The City Prosecutor Office of Mandaluyong, on behalf of the Philippine National Police, filed on Feb. 9 an opposition to the urgent motion for release filed by Salem’s lawyers from the Public Interest Law Center (PILC).
The prosecutors claimed that the decision of the Mandaluyong Regional Trial Court Branch 209 is not yet final, thus, Salem and Esparago could not yet be released.
Salem’s lawyers disagreed, saying that “the rules on criminal proceedings require that a judgment of acquittal, whether ordered by the trial or the appellate court, is final, unappealable, and immediately executory upon its promulgation.”
“The dismissal of the cases, drawn upon the quashal of the search warrant and consequential declaration that the seized evidence is inadmissible as evidence, is one tantamount to an acquittal,” PILC said in its reply.
“The Order of the Honorable Court, being an adjudication on the merits, is final and executory,” Salem’s lawyers asserted.
Salem, editor of Manila Today and communications officer of the International Association of Women in Radio and Television (IAWRT), and Esparago were arrested on December 10 last year. They were charged with illegal possession of firearms and explosives.
On Feb. 5, Judge Monique Quisumbing-Ignacio dismissed the charges, noting “numerous inconsistencies and contradictions” in the sworn statements and testimonies cited in the search warrant.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Denial Fair Trial, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Offline, Right to fair trial
- HRD
- Labour rights defender, Media Worker, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Feb 16, 2021
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Feb 2, 2021
- Event Description
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines expressed their concern over yet another red-tagging incident of a journalist who reported on the plight of Aetas who were tortured to admitting that they are members of the New People’s Army.
The red-tagging of Philippine Daily Inquirer reporter Tetch Torres-Tupas took place just two days after petitioners against the Philippine terror law raised its dangers.
On February 3, 2021, Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr., labeled Inquirer.net journalist Tetch Torres-Tupas a propagandist over her story “Tortured Aetas seek SC help against anti-terror law”, saying she should have “[checked] the side of the [Armed Forces of the Philippines] and [government] if what you are reporting is true or fake.”
“Congratulations for a sloppy work Tetch Torres-Tupaz of Inquirer.net. You did not even bother to check the side of the [Armed Forces of the Philippines] and [government] if what you are reporting is true or fake. Propagandista. No such thing happened. That unit is not even there but in Davao,” Parlade’s Facebook post read.
Parlade’s post was referring to an August 2020 incident where Philippine soldiers allegedly detained and beat three Indigenous people in Zambales province.
However, the story penned by Torres-Tupas touches on the petition-in-intervention filed by Aeta farmers Japer Gurung and Junior Ramos on February 2, 2021 and the allegations made in that petition.
A social media user also commented in Filipino asking, “Sir, can we file charges against them?,” to which Parlade replied: “Aiding the terrorists by spreading lies? Yes.”
In another post, the lieutenant general asks if Torres-Tupas referenced “propaganda machines of the [Communist Party of the Philippines],” with an attached photo of links directing to the websites of Human Rights Watch and Kodao Productions.
The NUJP reiterated that while the government has issued reassurances that the ATA will not be used to stifle dissent or clamp down on the press, statements and actions similar to what Parlade has shown holds more value than the press statements.
The group added, “the Facebook post against Torres-Tupas, are threats directed not only at those questioning the ATA but also at those covering the controversial law.”
The NUJP expressed fears that government inaction on the threat against Tupas and on similar threats against journalists and activists would signify that the government is consenting and even endorsing such actions, contrary to the claim that the ATA will not target government critics.
Justice and Court Reporters Association (Jucra) also condemned Parlade’s threat against Tupas saying that it is “utterly unacceptable.”
In a statement the group said journalists at the justice beat also reported the same story which is based on two Aeta’s petition for intervention. “Should we all wait for threat from Parlade too?”
“Had Parlade also done his research and listened to the oral arguments, he would have known that posts like these are what petitioners claim as evidence of a credible threat of prosecution – threat that can warrant a judicial review of the law he seeks to protect and promote,” JUCRA said in a statement.
National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers president Edre Olalia also said Parlade’s threat against Tupas is validating the myriad of objections and criticisms against the ATA.
“This is a big favor he is giving us which is awfully unwelcome and outrageously unacceptable. Thanks but no thanks,” Olalia said.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats, Online Attack and Harassment, Vilification
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to protect reputation
- HRD
- Media Worker, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Feb 10, 2021
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Feb 5, 2021
- Event Description
Four leaders of progressive groups were arrested in separate incidents in Butuan City last weekend, according to human rights group Karapatan in Caraga region.
Arrested were community health worker Vilma Dalangin-Yecyec, Gabriela Women’s Partylist Coordinator Gina Tutor, PISTON Spokesperson Isaias “Sayas” Ginorga, and Pamalakaya-Agusan del Norte member Greco Regala.
Police in Caraga claimed in a statement that those arrested are high ranking members of the New People’s Army. Three of them are being implicated in the killing of members of the Manobo tribe and former New People’s Army fighters in the region but rights group assert that all of them are active in the people’s organizations based in the city.
Two of those arrested are both 72 years old. One of them, Yecyec, was arrested on Feb. 6, in Mainit, Surigao del Norte. According to the group, she was taken to Camp Rafael Rodriguez, Butuan City.
Yecyec is suffering from various ailments, according to Karapatan.
The Council for Health and Development condemned the arrest. “Yet again, for perpetually failing to quell people’s resistance against the quagmire of poverty and oppression that breeds disease, state forces went after the unarmed civilian merely doing what she does best from decades ago up to the twilight of her life — serving the people through community-based health work,” CHD said.
On the same day, Tutor also arrested in her home in Buenavista while Regala was arrested in Tubay.
Meanwhile, Ginorga, also 72 years old, was arrested by the Butuan police on Feb. 5.
Ginorga and Tutor are known in Butuan City as leaders of progressive organizations. They were also slapped with trumped-up charges in relation to NPA offensives last year. Two of the charges filed in Surigao del Sur were later dismissed.
Pamalakaya said in a statement that Regala is involved in local campaigns, including the protection of municipal waters against illegal fishing and other destructive projects.
Gabriela Women’s Party, meanwhile, said Tutor has been working with the group in “pushing for pro-women and pro-poor legislation that will benefit Caraga, one of the poorest regions in the country.”
“Gina, along with the other community organizers arrested, are clearly not terrorists. This cruel act of arresting progressive community organizers demonstrates the perils of the Anti-Terror Law against unarmed civilians who are merely voicing out their legitimate concerns amid the crises we are facing,” the group said in a statement.
- Impact of Event
- 4
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community), Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment, Vilification
- Rights Concerned
- Right to liberty and security, Right to protect reputation
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, NGO staff, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Feb 10, 2021
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Sep 25, 2020
- Event Description
The Observatory has been informed by Karapatan - the Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights - of the judicial harassment of Karapatan National Council member Daisy ‘Jackie’ Valencia.
On September 25, 2020, the Regional Trial Court Branch 30 in Tagum, Davao del Norte Province, issued an arrest warrant for Daisy ‘Jackie’ Valencia. However, she was only recently made aware through a reliable source of the murder charges pressed against her. At the time of publication of this Urgent Appeal, Ms. Valencia had not received any formal notice from the Court.
Daisy ‘Jacky’ Valencia is accused of being a member of an armed rebel group responsible for the killing of Mr. Garito Tiklonay Malibato on March 22, 2018 in Mindanao, although she was not in Mindanao when the killing took place. It is believed that Mr. Malibato was killed by members of the paramilitary group Alamara, from which he was receiving death threats for his work with indigenous people’s organisation Karadyawan.
The Observatory notes that since 2018, Daisy ‘Jackie’ Valencia has been a victim of red-tagging[1]. Her name has appeared on leaflets in Isabela and Cagayan provinces that label her as a “communist” and a “terrorist” and link her to the armed opposition group New People’s Army (NPA).
The Observatory recalls that since President Duterte took power in June 2016, human rights defenders have faced relentless vilification and red-tagging, and have been repeatedly subjected to trumped-up charges and lengthy pre-trial arbitrary detention, with the aim to discredit their legitimate work and to silence critical voices. Karapatan members have been subjected to frequent harassment, criminalisation and attacks, including the killing of Ms. Zara Alvarez in August 2020.
The Observatory expresses its utmost concern over the judicial harassment of Daisy ‘Jackie’ Valencia as it seems to be only aimed at punishing her for her legitimate human rights activities.
The Observatory urges the Philippines authorities to immediately and unconditionally drop the charges against Daisy ‘Jackie’ Valencia and to put an end to all acts of harassment against her, including at the judicial level.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- Denial Fair Trial, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Right to fair trial, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- NGO staff, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Feb 9, 2021
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jan 18, 2021
- Event Description
Peasant groups condemned the arrest of six farmers in Norzagaray, Bulacan after harvesting their own crops, and the series of eviction of farmers in Bataan, Laguna, Cavite, Bulacan and Iloilo.
On Jan. 18, police arrested six farmers in Sitio Compra, San Mateo, Norzagaray, Bulacan following the filing of theft and grave threat by Royal Mollucan Realty Holdings Inc. (RMRHI) against 16 farmers who were evicted from their farm lots.
Arrested were Salvacion Abonilla, John Jason Abonilla, Jenny Capa, Marilyn Olpos, Catherine Magdato, and Eden Gualberto. All are active members of local peasant group SAMA-SAMA, an affiliate of Alyansa ng Magbubukid sa Bulacan-KMP.
Since 2005, the RMRHI has been claiming ownership to the 75.5-hectare land in Sitio Compra in San Mateo village, which farmers have been tilling for decades.
Evicted and harassed
Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas and Amihan documented other cases of land grabbing and rights violations in the past few months.
Two houses were demolished by the private armed group of Ayala land in Hacienda Yulo, Calamba, Laguna on Jan. 6 and 9. Four farmers were reportedly injured.
On Jan. 13 in Hacienda Ambulong, Talisay, Negros Occidental, peasant couple Marilyn and Edwin Madin were held for questioning by the local police station after an early morning raid conducted by the 79th Infantry Battalion Philippine Army. A two-month old baby under their care was also taken by the soldiers.
On Jan. 14, in barangay General Lim, Orion, Bataan, the houses of about 70 peasant families were destroyed by at least 200 police upon orders from former GSIS President Federico Pascual. Policemen also reportedly threatened to destroy all the crops in the 33-hectare land.
In a press conference on Monday, Jan. 18, Shirley Valentin, a farmer and coordinator of Samahan ng Magsasaka sa Sitio Bangad, narrated how they are being harassed every day by the private goons and the police.
“We do not have anything because they destroyed our house. We just stay outside. Last night it was raining and our things are just out there getting wet,” she said in Filipino.
She added that even the blanket they used to shield themselves was confiscated by blue guards and the police.
“We have nowhere to go. We cannot harvest our crops,” Valentin said. She added that the relocation site offered to them has no power, water supply, and is located in the mountainous area.
Meanwhile, farmers in San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan have long been fighting against land grabbing as there are several real estate development projects in the city. The KMP said the projects of Villar, Ayala Land Inc., SMDC and others in San Jose Del Monte City are intertwined.
There are also about 400 peasant families of Lupang Ramos in Dasmarinas, Cavite who were threatened to be evicted from their farms and houses due to National Grid Corporations of the Philippines (NGCP) project in December last year.
In a statement, Amihan National Chairperson Zenaida Soriano strongly condemned the continuous abuses against “food security frontliners.”
Soriano said it is immoral that in the middle of a pandemic and poverty brought about by lockdown, farmers are being evicted and their houses are being demolished.
Then and now, peasants’ calls are still the same
In time for the commemoration of Mendiola massacre, peasants groups will hold a nationally- coordinated mobilization on Jan. 22 to “denounce and protest the intensifying land grabbing and land-use conversion of productive agricultural land, coupled with state-sponsored human rights violations against farmers.”
KMP Chairperson Danilo Ramos said that then and now, the farmers’ demands are still the same – land reform and free land distribution.
“The situation of Filipino peasants when they marched from Central Luzon to Mendiola in 1987 remains unchanged, and even worse this 2021, especially with the rising cases of peasant massacres and mass killings under the Duterte administration,” Ramos said.
He added that under President Duterte’s administration there are 21 incidents of peasant massacres and mass killings of farmers with 107 victims, based on the documentation of Tanggol Magsasaka.
Ramos blamed the absence of genuine agrarian reform and government projects such as the ‘Build, Build, Build’, which “authorizes the massive conversion of land for the building of arterial roads and linkages, mega-dams, airport, and railway expansions, among other big-ticket infrastructure projects that are the most common source of bureaucratic corruption.”
- Impact of Event
- 6
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Access to justice, Land rights, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Corporation (others)
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Jan 23, 2021
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Dec 30, 2020
- Event Description
Members of progressive groups on Thursday condemned the Rizal Day killings of nine members of an indigenous community that is opposed to a dam project on Panay Island and demanded justice for the victims of what they called a “massacre.”
The Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives said it would seek a congressional investigation of the predawn raids on Dec. 30 by police and soldiers that led to the deaths of several leaders and members of the Tumandok, the largest ethnic group in the hinterlands of Panay.
“The year-end spate of killings in Panay is a chilling conclusion of a year marred by bloody attacks on rights defenders and ordinary citizens amid the pandemic,” said Rep. Arlene Brosas of Gabriela Women party list.
“These butchers in uniform have long been terrorizing communities since time immemorial. Now, under a bloodthirsty Commander in Chief, they have ramped up their efforts to silence the growing number of Filipinos calling for justice and opposing development aggression,” Brosas said.
She said the Gabriela Women’s Party and her colleagues in the Makabayan bloc would file a resolution to investigate the police and military operation.
The nine people were killed in separate raids in seven hinterland villages in Tapaz town, Capiz province, on Wednesday. One of them was Roy Giganto, chair of Tumanduk nga Mangunguma nga Nagapangapin sang Duta kag Kabuhi (Tumanduk), a former village chief and an incumbent village councilor of Barangay Lahug.
Tumanduk is an alliance of 17 indigenous communities in Tapaz and Jamindan towns in Capiz and Calinog in Iloilo. It is a member of Sandugo, an alliance of indigenous peoples organizations under Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan).
NPA rebels?
The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) of the Philippine National Police said those killed were New People’s Army (NPA) rebels who fought back when the officers served search warrants and found firearms, ammunition and explosives in their houses.
Police said 16 other villagers in Tapaz and neighboring Calinog were arrested.
Lahug village chief Jobelyn Giganto, Roy’s sister-in-law and neighbor, said policemen barged into his house around 4 a.m. and “dragged his wife out [of the house] and shot him.”
“We are not armed and how can they say he fought back when all of us were asleep when they came,” Jobelyn told the Inquirer by phone on Thursday.
Another villager who was killed, Eliseo Gayas Jr. of Barangay Aglinab, was reportedly “tortured to the point of vomiting blood prior to his death,” according to Angelo Suarez, coconvener and spokesperson for Sama-samang Artista para sa Kilusang Agraryo.
Also killed in Lahug were Mario Aguirre and Reynaldo Katipunan. The other fatalities were Garson Catamin and Rolando Diaz of Nayawan village, Maurito Diaz of Tacayan, Artilito Katipunan of Acuña and Jomar Vidal of Daan-Sur. Fear on New Year’s Eve
Jobelyn said villagers were afraid to sleep in their own homes and planned to spend New Year’s Eve at the barangay day care center after most of their community and tribe leaders were killed.
“We fear that something will happen again while we are sleeping,” Jobelyn said.
“I have been telling the people here that despite what happened, we should continue to unite and face our situation together,” she said.
According to Danilo Ramos, chair of Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas, the Tumanduk leaders were fighting against the construction of the multibillion-peso Jalaur megadam in Calinog, Iloilo province, which would submerge their homes and farmlands in their ancestral land.
Some of them were also previously harassed and put under surveillance by the military, and most were accused of being rebels, Ramos said.
A month before the raids, the Tumanduk leaders were told by the military to sign up as NPA surrenderers, said Defend Negros spokesperson Ariel Casilao. When they refused, he said, they were warned that they could be charged under the new antiterrorism law. ‘Killed Negros-style’
“True enough, they were killed Negros-style,” he added, referring to the brutal massacre of farmers in Negros Oriental in 2018 and 2019.
ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro condemned the killing of indigenous peoples who were just protecting their ancestral lands “from destructive projects that do more harm than good for the Filipino people.”
“The Tumandok indigenous community has been vocal in resisting the construction of the Jalaur Mega Dam in Calinog, Iloilo. Because of their resistance and voices of dissent, they have been victims of Red-tagging and now EJKs (extrajudicial killings) and arrests on trumped-up charges,” Castro said.
“The Tumandok massacre proves further how Red-tagging kills and how the Duterte administration is determined to silence all voices of dissent,” she said.
The National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP) said the Rizal Day killings showed that the Duterte administration “does not choose any time to sow terror” in rural communities.
“Innocent civilians and indigenous peoples continue to suffer due to the culture of impunity that remains even as the year is about to end,” the group said. Dam opponents
The activist science group Agham, which helped conduct an environmental investigation of the dam project, demanded justice for the Tumandok and the punishment of state forces for their “heinous crimes.”
The Jalaur River Multipurpose Project Phase II (JRMPP), locally called the Jalaur Dam, was designed to produce hydropower and supply water for irrigation in the province of Iloilo.
Agham said that in partnership with the Jalaur River for the People Movement, it found that the project proponent “failed to establish a detailed geological mapping and subsurface investigations that are crucial in determining the potential natural hazards that will affect the dam, particularly with regards to the stability of the structure and its foundation.”
It said that geologic hazards, such as earthquakes posed dangers to the dam, which may lead to massive flooding.
Agham said there also was no “free and prior informed consent” from the tribe, which is required by law for such projects in ancestral lands.
“Also, risks and possible negative impacts were still not addressed and were not communicated to the stakeholders. These key findings have validated the fears and concerns of the Tumandok people who are valiantly fighting for the protection of the people and the environment,” Agham said.
- Impact of Event
- 26
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Death, Judicial Harassment, Killing, Raid, Torture, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security, Right to life
- HRD
- Indigenous peoples' rights defender, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military, Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Jan 17, 2021
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Dec 30, 2020
- Event Description
A peasant activist was shot to death by still unidentified motorcycle-riding assailants in Antequera town, Bohol around 9 a.m. on Wednesday.
Lorenzo “Dodoy” Paña, 55, a resident of Barangay Bantolinao in Antequera town, was driving his motorcycle around 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday when two men on board another motorcycle drove alongside him.
The backrider then pulled out a gun and shot Paña, who succumbed to gunshot wounds on his body.
Lt. Victor Tagsa Jr, acting chief of Antequera Municipal Police Station, said Paña was supposed to deliver lunch to his son who worked at a construction site in Barangay Dorol, Balilihan town when the incident happened.
Scene-of-the-Crime Operatives recovered two spent shells of an M16 rifle and four empty shells of a .45-caliber gun.
Investigators have yet to identify the suspects as well as the motive behind the killing.
The Hugpong sa Mag-uumang Bol-anon-Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (Humabol-KMP) said in a statement that Paña was a former officer of Hugpong sa Mag-uuma Dapit sa Kasadpan (Humanda Ka), a district formation of Humabol chapters in the first district of Bohol.
Paña, along with his wife and children, voluntarily worked in the construction of a coconut processing plant managed by farmers’ organizations in Barangay Tinibgan in Maribojoc town, which now produces virgin coconut oil.
Paña and his family have been repeatedly red-tagged and harassed by the police and the military even if he was no longer a full-time organizer of Humanda Ka.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Death, Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to life
- HRD
- Community-based HRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Jan 15, 2021
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jan 11, 2021
- Event Description
Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 24 ordered the arrest of Rappler CEO Maria Ressa and reporter Rambo Talabong for cyber libel over the latter's investigative story about an alleged corruption scheme at the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (CSB).
In that scheme, students allegedly paid P20,000 to pass their thesis subject.
Judge Maria Victoria Soriano-Villadolid issued arrest warrants against Ressa and Talabong on Monday, January 11, and recommended bail amounting to P30,000 each. It was Talabong's first arrest warrant and his first libel case, while it was Ressa's 10th arrest warrant and her 3rd cyber libel case in less than two years.
Talabong, who wrote the allegedly libelous story, posted bail on Thursday, January 14, while Ressa posted bail the day before, on Wednesday, January 13 – both ahead of the service of the warrants against them. Arraignment and pre-trial of the case has been set for February 4 at 8:30 am.
Reacting to the cyber libel case against him, Talabong said, "I stand by our story. I spent weeks reporting, and weeks more doing everything, to ensure that the story is fair. This case further proves that decriminalizing libel is imperative. No journalist should be intimidated for doing his job."
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To date, there have been 28 libel/cyber libel cases filed against journalists under President Rodrigo Duterte, as of November 28, 2020, according to the National Union of Journalists in the Philippines. The story
The cyber libel complaint was filed in October 2020 by Benilde faculty member Ariel Pineda, whom a student accused of accepting payments in exchange for passing students in their thesis subjects under him.
Talabong wrote the story, "Thesis for sale: Benilde students say they paid P20,000 to pass," published on January 23, 2020, based on a documented complaint filed with the school against Pineda by a student – AK Paras – who spoke on the record. Ressa was not at all involved in the writing and editing of Talabong's story.
CSB confirmed to Rappler, as indicated in the story, that the school was already investigating Paras' complaint.
In his complaint, Pineda said that Talabong's story contained "libelous, malicious and defamatory statements using their own website and linking it to the other social media platform to ensure that they accomplished their purpose of attacking the complainant's credibility, to discredit, demean and to shame him."
As mentioned in his story, Talabong sought Pineda's side but the faculty member said through email that he would consult his superior first. Though the draft story was written in December 2019, it was not published until January 2020 to give Pineda enough time to respond to repeated requests to air his side.
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"Will have to consult your request with my superior and keep you posted," Pineda wrote Talabong in an email on January 2, 2020.
Talabong followed up with Pineda 3 more times, and tried to reach Pineda through Benilde's Export Management Program Department phone line, but he no longer received any response.
After the story was published, CSB Chancellor Robert Tang released a statement, saying that the school's Human Resources Services was "in the process of completing the investigation." No malice
In his affidavit submitted to Manila Senior Assistant City Prosecutor John Allen Farinas, Talabong said: "The care and prudence taken in verifying the information and the extent to which the side of Mr Pineda had been sought show the due diligence on my, and Rappler's, part before the story was even written and posted. This belies Mr Pineda's unfounded claim of malice."
Talabong, through Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG) lawyer Ted Te, former spokesperson of the Supreme Court, argued that "there was no malice in the writing and posting of the story, which is impressed with public interest and also falls under privilege." In his story, Talabong specified that Rappler would update the article once he gets a reply from Pineda, which he never did.
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But in a resolution dated December 7, 2020, Farinas said he found "probable cause" to charge Talabong and Ressa with libel.
In a statement, Te said, "We are studying the resolution, which we disagree with, and will exhaust all possible legal remedies to have the same dismissed." Decriminalize libel
Te also said this new cyber libel case is "disturbing because it seems like cyber libel is now the first option in case of disagreement on reporting. That is the problem with libel and cyber libel laws, which make these acts criminal – a private dispute becomes a public offense where the government gets involved; as a result, the implications on freedom of expression and of the press are significant. Perhaps Congress should consider whether it is high time to decriminalize libel and cyber libel."
For its part, Rappler said in a statement that it stands by the story and the "rigorous process that we went through before publishing it. While libel suits are part of the risks that come with the profession, we also know that they are a tool that is used to intimidate journalists who expose wrongdoing."
"We reiterate the multi-sectoral call to decriminalize libel and to stop these relentless attacks against journalists who, despite obstacles thrown their way, continue to shine the light on the pandemic and other forms of everyday terror."
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Media freedom, Online, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Media Worker, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Related Events
- Philippines: Justice department indicts Maria Ressa and former Rappler reporter for cyberlibel
- Date added
- Jan 15, 2021
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Aug 6, 2020
- Event Description
Windel Bolinget is an indigenous rights defender and the Chairperson of the Cordillera PeoplesAlliance (CPA), an alliance of over 300 indigenous people’s organisations in the Cordillera region ofthe Philippines. The human rights defender has been leading many of CPA’s campaigns againsthuman rights violations such as extrajudicial killings, trumped-up cases, enforced disappearance,harassment, and intimidation of Cordillera indigenous peoples. He has also been at the forefront oflocal movements against large-scale mining projects, mega-dams and other projects that pose athreat to the environment.
On 6 August 2020, a criminal case was filed at Davao del Norte, against ten individuals, includingindigenous rights defender Windel Bolinget, for their alleged involvement in the murder of GaritoMalibato, a member of a local indigenous peoples organisation called Karadyawan, on 21 March2018.
On 25 September 2020, the Regional Trial Court in Tagum City issued a warrant of arrest formurder against the individuals. However, the CAP and Windel Bolinget were only made aware ofthe arrest warrant in the last week of December 2020.The murder charges brought against the defender appear to be completely fabricated. WindelBolinget has never been to Barangay Gupitan, Kapalong, where Garito Malibato was murdered.Following the murder, local indigenous organisations pointed to a paramilitary group as theperpetrators. Further, a relative of the victim also expressed that Malibato had received severaldeath threats from the same paramilitary group before he was killed. With the defender yet to be arrested, police intelligence agents have regularly been approachingrelatives, friends and colleagues of the human rights defender, interrogating them for informationon his whereabouts. There has also been heavy physical surveillance, with men, believed to bemembers and assets of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Philippine National Police,walking around Windel Bolinget’s house and also the regional secretariat of the CPA, in search forthe defender.Windel Bolinget’s family and colleagues fear that, if the defender is arrested, he maybe subjected to the “tokhang”-style execution (extrajudicial killing under the pretext of “resistingarrest” or “nanlaban/fought back”), which is a common occurrence in the country.This is not the first time that the defender has been targeted for his peaceful human rights work. In2006, Windel Bolinget was included in a military hit list, along with other leaders of the CPA. InFebruary 2018, the Department of Justice’s terrorist proscription list included the defender’s nameand that of former CPA leaders. Their names were eventually dropped from the list due to lack ofproof. Since mid 2020, the targeting of the defender has intensified, with many pages on socialmedia branding him, his family and his colleagues as terrorists. On 10 December 2020, flyers witha photo of the defender and text calling him immoral and recruiter of the armed revolutionarygroup, New Peoples Army, were scattered along the road 80 from his house in La Trinidad,Benguet to Baguio City.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Family of HRD, Indigenous peoples' rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Related Events
- Philippines: indigenous coalition, its leaders and their family members targeted by online red-tagging campaign
- Date added
- Jan 15, 2021
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Dec 10, 2020
- Event Description
On the celebration of Human Rights Day on Thursday, December 10, the Philippine National Police (PNP) launched a string of operations which led to the arrest of a journalist and 6 trade unionists over firearms and explosives possession charges that are believed by rights groups to be fabricated.
The operations were led by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) – the police unit tasked to handle high-profile and special cases – which acquired 5 search warrants for 4 different homes in Metro Manila. The search warrants were all signed by Judge Cecilyn Burgos-Villavert, Executive Judge of the Regional Trial Court Branch 89 in Quezon City.
By Thursday afternoon, the following were arrested by the CIDG:
Journalist Lady Ann Salem Unionist Dennise Velasco Unionist Mark Ryan Cruz Unionist Romina Raiselle Astudillo Unionist Jaymie Gregorio Unionist Joel Demate Unionist Rodrigo Esparago
They were all arrested over illegal possession of firearms and explosives – the usual charges against activists.
Salem is a recognized progressive journalist working as an editor of the online news site Manila Today. Her publication was earlier red-tagged by the controversial National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).
In a statement, rights group Karapatan condemned the arrests as a "mockery" of the celebration of Human Rights Day. "The fact they were staged today, on the very occasion of International Human Rights Day, sends a loud message: this fascist regime will stop at nothing to bare its fangs against activists, human rights defenders, trade unionists, journalists, and critics as it ramps up its crackdown on dissent in the most brazen of ways," rights group Karapatan said in a statement, condemning the arrests.
- Impact of Event
- 7
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Labour rights defender, Media Worker, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary, Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Jan 8, 2021
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Nov 23, 2020
- Event Description
Prosecutors claimed Ressa's tweeting of a Philstar.com story published in 2002 was malicious. The news group, saying it was threatened with legal action, took down the article the same day Ressa tweeted the screenshot.
This is uncharted territory for the new Philippine cybercrime law. Ressa filed a motion to quash on Wednesday, December 2, citing a Supreme Court decision that says aiding and abetting a cyber crime is not a crime in itself. In this context, it refers to tweeting screenshots of a supposedly libelous article.
The complaint was filed in February 2020 in Makati by businessman Wilfredo Keng, whose earlier suit in Manila got Ressa and former researcher Reynaldo Santos Jr convicted of cyber libel in June this year. The conviction is on appeal at the Court of Appeals (CA).
In charging Ressa before a Makati court on November 23, Makati prosecutors said that the journalist's tweeting of screenshots was not a mere act of sharing – an act, which the Supreme Court ruled, could not be described as criminal because it constitutes knee-jerk internet reaction.
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"Obviously, the foregoing cannot be considered a knee-jerk reaction on the part of respondent, hence, she should be liable for the consequences of her Twitter post," said the resolution signed by Senior Assistant City Prosecutor Mark Anthony Nuguit, and approved by Senior Assistant City Prosecutors Aris Saldua-Manguera and Roberto Lao.
The motion to quash prepared by Ressa's lawyer Ted Te of the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG), said: "(Ressa) is not the author of the defamatory PhilStar.com article, she cannot be made liable for sharing or RT’ing the content under Section 4(c)(4) (online libel)."
Ressa posted bail on Friday, November 27, before Makati City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 147 Judge Maria Amifaith S. Fider-Reyes, who issued the arrest warrant that same day and set bail at P24,000. This is Ressa's 9th arrest warrant for what she claims are "politically motivated charges" meant to intimidate her. PhilStar takes down its story
The case stemmed from a tweet that Ressa posted on February 16, 2019, three days after the journalist was arrested for the Manila case.
Ressa tweeted screenshots of an August 12, 2002 Philstar.com article linking Keng to an alleged murder. On the same day in February 2019, Philstar.com issued a statement that said it had removed the 2002 news story from its site because, according to the news organization, Keng had raised "the possibility of legal action" against the company.
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Ressa had argued to prosecutors that when the Supreme Court upheld the Cybercrime Law, it declared unconstitutional the provision that punishes the aiding and abetting of a cybercrime which, in this context, means sharing a supposedly libelous post.
"Except for the original author of the assailed statement, the rest (those who pressed Like, Comment and Share) are essentially knee-jerk sentiments of readers who may think little or haphazardly of their response to the original posting," the Supreme Court had said.
"Its vagueness raises apprehension on the part of internet users because of its obvious chilling effect on the freedom of expression, especially since the crime of aiding or abetting ensnares all the actors in the cyberspace front in a fuzzy way," the Supreme Court added.
Posting of screenshots of deleted articles and posts have been a habit of gutsy Filipino social media users as a way of protesting revisionism, for example. Not a mere share
In Ressa's case, Makati prosecutors said the journalist's posting of the screenshot "involved a series of physical acts and mental or decision-making processes," citing as example the effort to search for the deleted article, screenshot it, post it on Twitter and make a caption.
"(The Supreme Court) opined that online libel (is not applicable) to others who merely pressed like, comment and share because these are essentially knee-jerk sentiments of readers who may think little or haphazardly of their response to the original posting. In this instant complaint, respondent did not merely press the share button," said the prosecutors.
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Ressa's motion to quash argued that the only content that the journalist should be accountable for is the accompanying caption of the screenshots, which was: “Here’s the 2002 article on the ‘private businessman’ who filed the cyberlibel case, which was thrown out by the NBI then revived by the DOJ. #HoldTheLine”
"By any reasonable and unbiased reading, the sentence is not defamatory—read singly, none of the words are; read together, the sentence is not. The sentence is correct, true, and factual," said the motion.
Before filing the complaint, Keng demanded in November 2019 that Ressa delete the tweet and make a public apology "otherwise we shall be constrained to file a complaint for cyber libel against you."
Ressa had said she will never delete the tweet, reasoning, "Imagine if I said, 'Well, this a really, really small thing and maybe I'll just step back just a little bit,' and then I step back a thousand times and a million times, then I've just lost all my rights."
Ressa faces 7 other charges before the Court of Tax Appeals and the Pasig City Regional Trial Court, stemming from the mother case over the company's Philippine Depositary Receipts (PDRs), which the Court of Appeals (CA) has ruled to be already cured.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- Enactment of repressive legislation and policies, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Online, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Media Worker, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Active
- Related Events
- Philippines: Justice department indicts Maria Ressa and former Rappler reporter for cyberlibel, Philippines: Maria Ressa and former Rappler reporter found guilty of cyberlibel (Update)
- Date added
- Dec 7, 2020
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Dec 2, 2020
- Event Description
Peasant organizations and Anakpawis Partylist denounced the arrest of Amanda Echanis and her one-month old son.
Amanda is the daughter of extrajudicially killed Randall “Ka Randy’ Echanis. She was arrested early morning of December 2, Tuesday, in Baggao, Cagayan.
It was 3:30 a.m. of December 2 when combined forces of police and military raided the house of Isabelo Adviento of Danggayan Dagiti Mannalo ti Cagayan Valley, regional chapter of peasant organization Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas, without search warrant. The raiding team showed a search warrant one hour later.
Amanda’s house is just three houses away from Adviento’s and was also raided. She was then arrested together with her one-month old newborn, Randall Emmanuel. She was charged with illegal possession of firearms and explosives.
Former Anakpawis Partylist Representative Ariel Casilao condemned what he called as planting of evidence against activist, adding that this not at all new and has been a practice by state forces in an attempt to silence dissent.
Adviento was not at home at the time of the raid. His family members were reportedly ordered to go out of the house during the duration of the search.
The police reportedly found an M16 assault rifle, 1 long plastic magazine for M16 rifle, 1 long steel magazine for M16 Rifle, 6 pieces live ammunition for M16 Rifle, 13 pieces live ammunition for M16 rifle, 1 live ammo for M16 rifle.
“She is with her one-month old newborn. Why would she keep high-powered arms and ammunition that everyone would know would be dangerous to herself and her baby,” Casilao said.
Casilao likened Amanda’s case to those of Reina Mae Nasino and Cora Agovida from Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) – Metro Manila and Gabriela respectively.
Casilao said that Echanis, who is a member of Amihan – Cagayan, “is active in campaign for the welfare of small farmers, especially peasant women.”
Adviento, meanwhile, has been active in promoting human rights in the region and handles farmers’ concerns regarding land rights in their community. Of late, he has been busy helping fellow farmers who have been affected by the massive flooding caused by typhoon Ulysses.
“Before the raid, we have been working extra hours to give victims of typhoon here in our province necessary aid,” Adviento said.
It was only late morning that day of the raid when he knew his house was raided, and his family members including his small children kicked out of the house.
His wife said that when she tried to go inside their house to get hot water, she saw unfamiliar plastic bags in their living room. Adviento believes it contains the evidence used against at him.
“It is the very place where my children would play,” he lamented.
Despite the trumped-up charges, Adviento said that he and his colleagues will continue to “serve the people.”
- Impact of Event
- 3
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Raid
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Family of HRD, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military, Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Dec 7, 2020
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Nov 10, 2020
- Event Description
Camarines Norte journalists Virgilio “Bagwis” Avila Jr., Deo Trininad, and Mia Concordia were arrested and detained Tuesday, November 10, for several counts of cyber libel filed against them by Camarines Norte governor Edgar Tallado.
As of this writing, all three have been released after six hours in detention after posting bail.
First to be arrested was Avila, who was served a warrant by local police headed by SSgt. Jesus Tugorez. Concordia was arrested when she visited Avila in jail.
Hearing of his colleagues’ arrest, Trinidad turned himself in a few hours later.
The warrant of arrest, issued by Judge Ivan Dizon of the Regional Trial Court Branch 40, said each of the three face four counts of cyber libel, with bail set at 80,000 pesos for each count.
However, the charges against Trinidad and Concordia were reduced to one count. Avila remains accused of four counts.
The cyber libel cases stemmed from posts the journalists made separately on their personal Facebook accounts criticizing the local government’s alleged negligence in its COVID-19 response as well as corruption.
Avila also faces a separate libel case filed against him and four other journalists, including Rommel Ibasco Fenix, who was arrested last September 15 while hosting his local radio program. Their charges were filed by provincial board members Romeo Marmol and Rodolfo Gache. Avila claims that, like Fenix, libel cases filed against him earlier over his radio program have been resurfacing lately.
- Impact of Event
- 3
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Enactment of repressive legislation and policies, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- #COVID-19, Online, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Media Worker, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Government, Judiciary, Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Nov 19, 2020
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Nov 14, 2020
- Event Description
A leader of coconut farmers in Quezon was shot dead, November 14, by unknown assailants.
Armando Buisan, chairperson of the General Luna chapter of Coco Levy Fund Ibalik sa Amin (CLAIM), was found dead in barangay Santa Maria, Catanauan, some 24 kilometers from where he lived, according to initial reports by Karapatan Quezon.
Buisan was a copra farmer and a resident of sitio Luyahan, barangay Magsaysay, General Luna, Quezon. He fought for the rights of coconut farmers in the community for almost three decades and was a well-known leader.
Buisan, who was 60 when he was gunned down, was subjected to harassment over the years. In 2019, the military presented him alongside 39 others as a “rebel surrenderee” in a staged ceremony in General Luna.
“The farmers’ call for higher prices of copra and lukad (coconut meat) and for aid, in this time of successive storms and a pandemic, were met with summary killings from the state and the military,” said Orly Marcellana, secretary-general of the regional farmers’ organization Katipunan ng Samahan ng Magbubukid sa Timog Katagalugan (KASAMA-TK).
In a statement, Karapatan Timog Katagalugan decried the “latest cases of extra-judicial killing during the time of pandemic.”
“Although a storm had just passed over the province, human rights violations are still rampant and the desperate moves of these butchers in government still prevail. They still prioritize their bloody counter-insurgency operation, affecting civilians, instead of assisting those affected by the storm,” the group said.
General Luna is part of the Bondoc Peninsula in Quezon. Three successive storms (Typhoon Quinta, Supertyphoon Rolly, and Typhoon Ulysses, international names Molave, Goni, and Vamco, respectively) hit the area in the span of one month and caused widespread devastation and flooding in the area.
A large number of evacuees have yet to return, while houses and crops were ruined. The Department of Agriculture, meanwhile, estimates that the three storms caused over P10 billion worth of damage nationwide.
Adding to this, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are still felt in General Luna as limited transportation and months of economic shutdown have severely affected the coconut farmers in the area. Groups like KASAMA-TK and CLAIM have long clamored for additional aid and subsidies to farmers, as well as price controls to protect against losses in profit.
Despite all of this, however, reports from progressive organizations Anakbayan Quezon and Karapatan Quezon state that police and military units, particularly the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ 85th Infantry Battalion, remain active in “harassing farmers and accusing them of being members of the New People’s Army.”
KASAMA-TK is calling for justice for the slain peasant leader. A fact-finding mission is currently underway to investigate the details of Buisan’s murder.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Death, Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to life
- HRD
- Community-based HRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Nov 19, 2020
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Nov 14, 2020
- Event Description
A journalist was shot and killed by government soldiers in Milagros, Masbate, last Saturday, November 14.
Ronnie Villamor, 50, a stringer for local tabloid Dos Kantos Balita was killed by troops led by a certain 2nd Lieutenant Maydim Jomadil after covering an aborted survey of a disputed property.
Villamor was also a pastor of the Life in Christ Church.
A spot report on the incident by Milagros police chief Major Aldrin Rosales quoted army troops as saying they were investigating the presence of five armed men in Barangat Matanglad who fled at their approach.
The army and the police said Villamor was a New People’s Army (NPA) member who allegedly drew a firearm when ordered to stop his motorcycle at a Scout Platoon-2nd Infantry Battalion Philippine Army checkpoint.
The victim’s colleagues however disputed the soldiers’ version of the incident, saying there was no encounter between the government soldiers and the NPA.
Masbate Tri-Media President Dadong Briones Sr. told Dos Kantos Balita the victim just came from a coverage of an aborted survey of a piece of land being disputed by certain Dimen family and businessman Randy Favis.
Favis’s goons reportedly prevented the survey from proceeding, prompting the surveyors to return to mainland Bicol and the victim to proceed to his brother Arthur’s house at Barangay Bonbon.
Dos Kantos Balita reported that witnesses saw army troopers flagging down the victim and, after being identified by Favis’s men Johnrey Floresta and Eric Desilva, shot Villamor dead.
In a statement, the Masbate chapter of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) condemned the killing of their colleague and demands a thorough investigation of the incident.
“The killing of our colleague…at the hands of government soldiers sends a chilling message to us journalists not only here in Masbate but all throughout the country,” the victims’ colleagues said.
Villamor is the fourth journalist murdered in Masbate after Joaquin Briones (March 13, 2017), Antonio Castillo (June 12, 2009), and Nelson Nedura (December 2, 2003), the NUJP said.
“He (Villamor) is the 19th slain during the Duterte administration and the 191st since 1986. He was also the second killed this month, only four days after NUJP member Virgilio Maganes, who had survived an attempt on his life in 2016, was shot dead outside his home in Villasis town, Pangasinan,” the group added.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Death, Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to liberty and security, Right to life
- HRD
- Media Worker
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Nov 19, 2020
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Oct 25, 2020
- Event Description
Authorities arrested on Sunday, Oct. 25, an Igorot woman leader who has been consistent in defending their ancestral land in Lubuagan, Kalinga.
According to the Cordillera Human Rights Alliance (CHRA) and the Cordillera People’s Alliance (CPA), a composite team from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), Philippine National Police and Philippine Army came to the Western Uma and Lower Uma villages at 4:00 a.m. to search several houses, including that of Beatrice Belen, a leader of Innabuyog-Kalinga, the local chapter of Gabriela.
Belen, her husband and her two children were led outside of their home before the search was conducted. The police later claimed they found firearms and explosives, and proceeded to arrest and detain Belen at the Tabuk City Jail. The CHRA said Belen has been placed in a cell with male detainees.
In a statement, Cristina Palabay, secretary general of Karapatan, condemned the arrest of Belen. “Like other activists who were arrested on questionable legal bases, Belen has asserted that those allegedly seized in her home were not hers nor of any member of her family,” she said.
Palabay noted that before the incident, Belen was tagged as a communist by soldiers belonging to the Philippine Army’s 503rd Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army.
The arrest of Belen, Palabay said, is a “very clear example of the dangers of red-tagging, resulting in violations to the right to life, liberty and security of human rights defenders, including indigenous women human rights defenders who are fighting for their communities’ land, resources and rights.”
Staunch defender of ancestral land
In a statement, the CPA said that for decades, Belen has shown strong leadership in her community against destructive projects.
In 2012, the CPA said that Belen led the campaign against Chevron Energy company’s geothermal power project in Kalinga, “citing detrimental effects of the said project to lives and health of the community members, especially women and children.”
In 2018, Belen was awarded Gawad Bayani ng Kalikasan (Environmental Hero) for her sustained defense of their ancestral land from destruction by private companies.
The CPA further said that as Belen has continued to oppose the geothermal project and human rights violations in their village, harassment and threats against her also persisted.
Palabay called for the immediate release of Belen. She added that placing Belen in a cell with other male detainees is in direct violation of the Nelson Mandela Rules or the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners.
Palabay said that the overcrowded and unsanitary prisons in the country are among the “most vulnerable places for women, where numerous forms of sexual violence are most likely to happen.”
Karapatan said Belen is the most most recent among Gabriela’s regional leaders who have been arrested on “fabricated charges.” Last July 7, Gabriela’s national vice chairperson, Jenelyn Nagrampa was also arrested in Camarines Sur.
Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Arlene Brosas also expressed strong condemnation of Belen’s arrest.
“Facing a stinging rebuke of their red-tagging spree, the military has resorted to the use of state terror and naked force in silencing women’s rights defenders with the arrest of Manang Betty [Belen],” Brosas said.
Brosas appealed to the public to “strongly denounce Belen’s arrest in the same way that we stand for celebrities who are red-tagged by the military.”
Brosas lambasted the police and military “for once again planting evidence to detain another woman leader,” citing the cases of Reina Mae Nasino and Cora Agovida.
Based on Karapatan’s documentation, there are 102 women political prisoners, most if not all are women human rights defenders, who are languishing in various jails and detention centers in the country.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Intimidation and Threats, Judicial Harassment, Raid, Vilification
- Rights Concerned
- Right to fair trial, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Indigenous peoples' rights defender, NGO staff, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Oct 27, 2020
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Sep 28, 2020
- Event Description
Baguio-based online media outfit Northern Dispatch decries harassment as another cyber libel case is filed against its editor-in-chief, Kimberlie Ngabit-Quitasol.
Two courts initially dismissed the libel charge filed against Quitasol early this year but it was elevated to cyber libel and refiled in another court. La Trinidad, Benguet Provincial Prosecutor Andres Gondayao first filed the libel case against Quitasol at the Regional Trial Court Branch 59 in Baguio City, but it was dismissed for lack of jurisdiction.
Gondayao then refiled the case at the La Trinidad Municipal Trial Court, and was also dismissed for the same reason.
The prosecutor then filed another case against Quitasol at the RTC 59 in Baguio City on Sept. 28, and amended the charge to cyber libel, which has stiffer penalties than regular libel.
The charges were all based on the complaint of Police Regional Office Cordillera Regional Director Brigadier General R’Win Pagkalinawan, who also filed a similar case against NorDis volunteer, Khim Abalos, last Sept. 22.
The cyber libel case stemmed from Quitasol’s article published in the Northern Dispatch website last April 7, about human rights alliance Karapatan’s reaction to Pagkalinawan’s order “to shoot communist organizers who unnecessarily organize people during the COVID-19 lockdown.”
The police general claimed that both Quitasol and Abalos deliberately removed a part of his statement, “kapag nanlaban.” (if they fought back) The omission, according to the complaint, was done in order to portray the Pagkalinawan in a negative light.
Quitasol said they never received a subpoena summoning them to the courts despite being charged three times.
“The filing of cases against two Nordis staff, me included, is an escalation of attacks against our media group,” said Quitasol.
Quitasol also claimed that attacks and harassment against their team steadily worsened under the current government but she vowed to “remain steadfast and continue to defend the people’s right to truth and information.”
NorDis has been consistent in its reporting of indigenous peoples’ issues and human rights violations in Cordillera and Ilocos regions.
“We have been holding the line too long enough, it is time to push back,” Quitasol said.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- Enactment of repressive legislation and policies, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Online, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Media Worker, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Oct 7, 2020
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Sep 14, 2020
- Event Description
Journalist Jobert “Polpog” Bercasio was shot dead as he was riding a scooter in Sorgoson City, Sorgoson, Luzon on the evening of September 14. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) in condemning the killing and calls on the authorities to conduct a swift investigation and bring the perpetrators to justice.
Bercasio, a former radio reporter who ran his own Balangibog TV channel on social media, was killed by two gunmen riding in tandem on a motorcycle. The police found empty casings of an M16 rifle at the crime scene. According to Sorsogon City Police Chief Supt. Benito Dipad, Bercasio died on the spot.
Bercasio hosted a program broadcast via Facebook live and commented on social issues, including illegal logging. He has been described as a “hard-hitting” commentator. An hour before the killing, Bercasio wrote on his personal Facebook page about the irregular movement of trucks from a “quarry area” in Bulan town.
According to NUJP, Bercasio is the 17th journalist killed under President Rodrigo Duterte's rule and the 189th since 1986. This year, he is the second journalist killed, after radio host Cornelio “Rex Cornelio” Pepino was gunned down by two men on separate motorcycles in Dumaguete City on May 5, just days after World Press Freedom Day.
NUJP said: “NUJP stresses again that we see no official government policy at work in the continuing murder of journalists and other attacks on the press. But the general disinterest, apathy even, in solving and, just as important, bringing an end to media killings and the harassment of journalists have served to embolden those who seek to silence those in the profession of truth.”
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Death, Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to life
- HRD
- Media Worker
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 16, 2020
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Aug 10, 2020
- Event Description
Just a few days after the fatal shooting of activist Randall Echanis, another activist—a human rights advocate—was gunned down in a private village in Bacolod City on Monday.
Zara Alvarez, 39, who has been a leader of campaigns against human rights violations and an advocacy officer of a community health program, was shot dead at around 6:45 p.m.
Alvarez was a political prisoner before she worked as a paralegal for rights organization Karapatan, which has been critical of government's bloody anti-drugs campaign.
Just hours after Alvarez was found dead, Clarizza Singson, Karapatan's secretary-general for Negros received a death threat, AlterMidya reported.
Rep. Sarah Elago (Kabataan party-list) condemned the killing of Alvarez and condoled with her family and fellow human rights workers.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- Death threat, Online Attack and Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- NGO staff, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Suspected state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Aug 31, 2020
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Aug 17, 2020
- Event Description
The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict has accused reporter Atom Araullo from GMA broadcast network of spreading inaccurate news following a documentary on the education of the Lumad indigenous group. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) to denounce the accusation and urge the authorities to respect the independence of media institutions and journalists.
Araullo highlighted the Lumad schools in Metro Manila in a 20-minutes documentary entitled Ang Iskul kong Bakwit or My refugee School in the I-Witness program which was premiered on GMA on August 14.
The documentary focuses on the efforts of the Lumad young generation, from Mindanao, to seek an education. They left their hometown to pursue an education in Metro Manila. However, the government closed the schools, arguing that the curriculum was unsuitable to their cultural heritage. Volunteer Lumad teachers joined forces to keep one school running with the financial help from international NGOs. The school’s location was kept confidential so as not to jeopardise the student’s access to education. Indigenous people have long faced challenges in securing their basic rights, including access to education, and are often displaced from their traditional lands.
Following the airing of documentary, Datu Rico Maca, the Indigenous People Mandatory Representative (IPMR) of San Miguel, Surigao del Sur, published a statement decrying the documentary. He said it presented a one-sided story, calling the documentary a “blatant propagandistic documentary”.
This statement then was reiterated by the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict through its Facebook post published on August 17. The agency said that documentary failed to describe the reasons behind the closure of the Lumad schools, accusing the schools of being “terrorist training camps set up by the CPP NPA NDF”. The task force also added that students were trained to be child warriors and radicalised with the violent and communist ideology.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Online Attack and Harassment, Vilification
- Rights Concerned
- Online, Right to protect reputation
- HRD
- Media Worker
- Perpetrator-State
- Government
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Aug 26, 2020
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Aug 17, 2020
- Event Description
A human rights leader has been killed in the central Philippines in what observers and rights defenders have said is a continuing escalation of the "war against dissent" under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte.
Zara Alvarez, former education director of the human rights alliance Karapatan, died on the spot after being shot six times on Monday evening as she was heading home after buying food for dinner. She was the 13th member of the organisation killed since mid-2016, when Duterte came to power, the group said.
Police said Alvarez was killed by an unidentified assailant in the central city of Bacolod. Witnesses reportedly chased the attacker, who got away with the help of an accomplice on a motorcycle.
On Wednesday, government investigators promised to investigate the case, adding that they are looking into the victim's affiliation with alleged "leftist groups" as a possible lead for the attack.
Alvarez's death comes just weeks after Duterte signed into law controversial anti-terror legislation, which allows for warrantless arrests and longer detentions without charge - provisions that legal experts warned could be directed at anyone criticising the president.
Karapatan's national leader, Cristina Palabay, told Al Jazeera on Tuesday that given the circumstances of Alvarez's murder, she is blaming the government.
"Considering the prior threats that they received from state forces, it is not really far from our mind that those who killed them are from the state forces," she said, adding that Alvarez was among those listed by Duterte's justice department as suspected "terrorists".
Palabay pointed out that with the coronavirus pandemic, cities have imposed curfews and set up checkpoints in their respective areas.
"Everything is on lockdown, isn't it? The streets are very much guarded by state forces with all the checkpoints. And yet, the killers were able to get through these cordons of state forces." Failed peace talks
Communist rebels have been fighting a rebellion for more than 50 years in a conflict that has so far killed more than 30,000 people. In recent years, the number of rebel fighters has dropped significantly, and there have been several attempts by both the government and communist leaders to reach a peace agreement.
During his 2016 campaign for the presidency, Duterte promised to negotiate with the rebels and found some allies among activist groups, proclaiming himself as the country's "first leftist president". As mayor of the city of Davao, Duterte had also established cordial ties with the communists.
But while he quickly initiated talks with the rebels once taking office, negotiations collapsed in mid-2017.
Since then, the president has stepped up his rhetoric against the rebels, declaring them "terrorists" and pledging to wipe them out after a series of recent ambushes against government troops.
As the prospects of a peace deal with communists dimmed, Duterte even goaded the military in early 2018 to shoot female rebels in their genitals to render them "useless".
Later that year, Duterte ordered more military troops and police to Negros Occidental - where Bacolod is the capital - and two other central Philippine regions, "to suppress lawless violence and acts of terror".
He also created a national task force "to end local communist armed conflict".
Duterte also directed his ire against other activists, farmers organisations, land rights campaigners, as well as those who have openly criticised his deadly war on drugs and other alleged rights abuses.
Around the same time, the military and other officials in the Duterte administration started accusing several activist groups of acting as "fronts" of the rebels, raising fears that they could be killed after the president tagged the communists as "terrorist".
The government has denied carrying out targeted killings, and said that those who have been killed had resisted arrest. Advocate for farmers
Alvarez, the 39-year-old rights leader killed on Monday, had been advocating for years for farmers' rights in Negros, a resource-rich island, where a few politically connected families own vast tracts of sugarcane plantations.
In 2019, she led a group of farmers in documenting and denouncing alleged rights abuses by government troops following the killing of farmworkers, accused of being members of the communist rebels. Alvarez herself was accused of being a rebel sympathiser, or an outright rebel member.
In an interview with Al Jazeera's 101 East in 2019, Alvarez said that with regards to the recent killings in Negros, "it is very clear that it is the police who killed those victims."
Authorities denied those allegations and have pledged to investigate the dozens of killings, although no suspects have been apprehended or prosecuted.
Now, Alvarez herself has been killed.
Palabay said her group, Karapatan, and other activist groups are in anguish with the series of killings of their colleagues, including Alvarez.
In a statement obtained by Al Jazeera, San Carlos Catholic Bishop Gerardo Alminaza decried the death of Alvarez saying that her work on behalf of the poor residents of Negros "is worthy of emulation".
The Philippines' National Union of Peoples' Lawyers (NUPL) also condemned the killing, saying Alvarez was "a constant force in the struggle for justice" for farmers in her hometown.
In a separate social media post, NUPL President Edre Olalia said that "the obvious intent" of the Alvarez's killing was "to sow terror".
Earlier on Monday, activists buried Randall Echanis, one of the land rights activists who negotiated for a peace deal with the Duterte administration.
Echanis, head of the urban poor organisation, Anakpawis, was killed on August 10 following an alleged encounter with police in Metro Manila. His relatives, however, said the 72-year old activist was undergoing medical treatment and unarmed when he was killed.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- Death, Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to life
- HRD
- NGO staff, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Suspected state
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Active
- Date added
- Aug 21, 2020
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Aug 10, 2020
- Event Description
Randall Echanis, peace consultant and known peasant leader, was killed in a house raid early this morning, August 10 in Novaliches, Quezon City.
Echanis, 72, was seeking medical treatment.
�Our anger is beyond words. This is a culture of extrajudicial killings with impunity under the Duterte regime. This is a declaratory act that national leaders of legal-democratic movement are now targeted to be killed by the Duterte regime. The entire civil society, human rights advocates and freedom fighters must totally denounce this criminal act,� said former Anakpawis Rep. Ariel Casilao.
Echanis was first arrested under the Marcos dictatorship, where he was detained incommunicado. He was released in 1986. He and wife Linda, along with their then two-year-old daughter were arrested four years later. Charges against them were later dropped.
In 2008, Echanis was arrested in Bago, Negros Oriental while holding a consultation with sugarcane workers. He was charged with multiple murder over the Hilongos mass grave.
Under the Duterte administration, Echanis was a member of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines� Reciprocal Working Committee on Social and Economic Reforms, where he pushed for free land distribution, better living conditions for farmers and fisherfolk, rural development, to name a few.
He faced threats of re-arrest after the termination of peace talks between the Philippine government and the NDFP Peace Panel.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Death, Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to life
- HRD
- Community-based HRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Aug 21, 2020
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jul 27, 2020
- Event Description
Bulacan police arrested four women activists July 27 in barangay Cacarong Matanda, Pandi, Bulacan after staging an online protest coinciding with President Duterte�s fifth State of the Nation Address.
According to urban rights group Kadamay, Janet Villamar, April Tricia Musa, Marilou Amaro, and Edmylyn Gruta staged an online protest 11 a.m. to call for mass testing, aid, and the release of fellow Kadamay Pandi member Rose Fortaleza, who was arrested July 26 after police raided a Kadamay office and confiscated copies of alternative publication Pinoy Weekly.
Hours later, police arrived at their homes and began arresting the four individuals. When asked why, they were unable to cite any violation. According to Mimi Doringo, Kadamay spokesperson, the four were already resting or tending to other duties when the police arrived.
This is contrary to the official police report which claimed that officers on patrol saw members of Kadamay conducting a rally. The officers �asked for a permit�, which they protesters were unable to provide, and were asked to go home. When they could not comply, the protesters �persisted and pushed the officers, resulting in their arrest.�
As of July 28, or 24 hours after the arrest, no charges were filed against them. Kadamay also stated that the four were forced to sign a form �voluntarily waiving their rights under Article 125 of the Revised Penal Code,� as well as having a �gag order� placed on them, preventing them from talking to anyone, including their families.
Article 125 sets restrictions on how long a person can be detained without charges filed, depending on the severity of the case. Article 125 also guarantees the right of the accused to legal counsel at any time.
On July 28, the four activists in Pandi were charged with violations of Republic Act 11332 and Batas Pambansa Blg. 880, or the Mandatory Reporting of Notifying Disease Law and the Public Assembly Act of 1985. The paralegal team only learned of this 24 hours after their arrest. Section 9 of RA 11332 requires any person or entity to report �notifiable disease� to authorities. The Department of Justice has used this provision to justify warrantless arrests of people �violating quarantine protocol.�
BP 880, meanwhile, argues that permits are needed to hold rallies or other mass gatherings. However, lawyers� group National Union of People�s Lawyers (NUPL), stressed that no provisions exist that prohibit rallies during the pandemic. The group stressed that the Constitution states that �no law shall be passed abridging the freedom of speech, of expression, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and petition the government for redress of grievances.�
Inquest proceedings took place via online on July 28 in the afternoon. Under Article 125, only �crimes or offenses punishable by afflictive or capital penalties, or their equivalent� are given 36 hours for law enforcement to deliver a person to proper judicial authorities before it can be considered a violation of rights.
- Impact of Event
- 4
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Online, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Aug 21, 2020
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jul 27, 2020
- Event Description
Two protesters in Tuguegarao City were arrested by the police Monday afternoon, July 27, as they were preparing to hold a demonstration coinciding with President Rodrigo Duterte's 2020 State of the Nation Address (SONA).
In a phone interview with Rappler, Cagayan provincial police chief Colonel Ariel Quilang said two teenagers were arrested and were facing criminal complaints for violating the following laws:
Republic Act No. 11332 or the Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Concern Act; Revised Penal Code Article 151 or disobedience to a person in authority.
The two were identified as members of the League of Filipino Students and Kabataan Partylist - Cagayan Valley.
According to Quilang, the two demonstrators violated the general community quarantine rule that anyone aged 21 and below must stay at home unless they are out for essential travel.
With this rule applied, Quilang said it does not matter if the two were not part of a group of 10 �the general number of people that police consider as a mass gathering�as long as they are minors who went outside.
"We were just implementing the COVID violations. Here in Cagayan, we are strictly implementing COVID violations," Quilang said.
As of Sunday, July 5, the PNP has arrested a total of 76,340 alleged quarantine violators. Of them, 3,148 continued to be detained as they undergo preliminary investigation.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- #COVID-19, Freedom of assembly, Offline, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Student, Youth
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Aug 21, 2020
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jul 23, 2020
- Event Description
Labor federation Pagkakaisa ng Manggagawa sa Timog Katagalugan (Pamantik-KMU) denounced assertions by the police and military that they were �front organizations of the CPP-NPA� after a July 23 surrender ceremony where they claimed that most of the participants came from �the labor sector in various parts of Laguna.�
Last July 23, Police Chief PGen. Archie Gamboa presented 131 alleged former members of the revolutionary New People�s Army in Camp Vicente Lim, Calamba, Laguna, along with what they claimed were surrendered arms and propaganda materials used by the so-called surrenderees. The �surrendered� materials included books, pamphlets, Mao caps, and election materials for progressive party-list Bayan Muna.
Pamantik-KMU questioned the legitimacy of the surrender ceremonies and disputed the claim by the PNP Police Region 4A that 94 of the 131 �surrenderees� were members of the group, asserting that this was another case of �forced surrender and harassment against Coca-Cola workers.�
�If you would look at the video posted on July 23,� the group pointed out, �you could clearly see that Raffy Baylosis �surrendered� again while pretending to be [an] NPA [member].�
Baylosis was a former leader inside the Coca-Cola Sta. Rosa plant as president of Liga na Pinalakas ng Manggagawa sa Coca-Cola FEMSA Philippines Sta. Rosa Plant (LIGA). In 2018, LIGA staged a picket protest and won regularization for 675 contractual employees inside Coca-Cola.
On May 1, Baylosis appeared as a spokesperson for 16 �NPA surrenderees� in a ceremony in Camp Vicente Lim. The 16 �surrenderees� were actually Coca-Cola employees who were forcibly brought to the camp the day before after their shift. Ten of the 16 employees were recently hired and had no connections with the labor union inside Coca-Cola.
According to Pamantik-KMU, Baylosis and another turncoat, Rey Medellin, have been responsible for the spate of harassments against Coca-Cola workers, including house-to-house visits by police officers to force them to �surrender�, and so-called �union seminars� which actually �recruit AFP [Armed Forces of the Philippines] reservists within the workforce to serve as toadies for Coca-Cola and the AFP.�
Pamantik-KMU also disputed claims by PNP PRO4A and the AFP Southern Luzon Command (SOLCOM) that they have been advocating �peaceful means to end� the armed conflict between the GRP and the CPP-NPA. According to the group, the police and military are using the fake surrenderee program to profit off the government�s Enhanced Comprehensive Livelihood Integration Program (E-CLIP).
�P/Brig. Gen. Vicente D. Danao, Jr. and Lt. Gen. Antonio G. Parlade, Jr. are profiting off fake surrender ceremonies while also discrediting legitimate organizations like Pamantik-KMU,� the group said.�They are even rewarding turncoats like Raffy Baylosis, who find �surrenderees� from wherever they could so they could profit off them, by giving them a share in stealing taxpayers� money.�
The labor organization reiterated that acts like this are meant to impinge on workers� rights. �It is clear that Duterte, the PNP, and AFP, are still pushing their dark designs to silence unionists and workers who only wish for decent living, wages, and benefits; things which they claim they are willing to give, but in actuality do not,� they said in a statement.
�Their promises are nothing more than mere words by wolves in sheep�s clothing.�
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Vilification
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to protect reputation
- HRD
- Labour rights defender, NGO
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Aug 21, 2020
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jul 9, 2020
- Event Description
The chairman of the Alyansa ng Mamamayan para sa Pagsusulong ng Karapatan-Bicol has been arrested at his house, human rights group Karapatan said on Thursday. Pastor Dan San Andres of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) was apprehended in his house in Sipocot, Camarines Sur on Thursday, according to Cristina Palabay, secretary general of Karapatan. The arrest of San Andres, 61, came on the heels of the arrest of Gabriela Bicolana chairman Jenelyn Nagrampa on July 7. Palabay said the two were accused of double murder in relation to an alleged New People�s Army ambush that resulted in the deaths of two soldiers in Ragay, Camarines Sur, on May 13, 2018. Nagrampa is currently a village councilor of San Isidro, Nabua, Camarines Sur, and the national vice chairman of Gabriela. �In a matter of days after the Anti-Terrorism Act was signed, the harassment of human rights defenders in the country has already visibly worsened, from policemen attempting to serve a moot arrest warrant to the arrests of activists on clearly falsified murder charges,� Palabay said in a statement. Nagrampa and San Andres have already filed their respective counter-affidavits last December 2019 where they vehemently denied participation in the alleged ambush. During the incident, San Andres was conducting a Mass in his parish in the UCCP Church South Centro in Sipocot, Camarines Sur, while Nagrampa was campaigning for the barangay (village) elections, Palabay said.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- NGO staff, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Aug 21, 2020
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jul 7, 2020
- Event Description
An official of human rights group Karapatan said a policeman wearing the uniform of a local courier company tried to serve her a warrant of arrest on Tuesday.
�Is this the usual procedure now?� Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay said in a Facebook post.
In an interview with CNN Philippines, Palabay recalled that she even found it �funny� at first that an LBC courier would serve her the warrant. The man was wearing a shirt and ID bearing the company's name, which later turned out to be a clear case of misrepresentation, she said.
She asked the man to wait for her to get the court order recalling her arrest warrant. When she returned, another man, wearing civilian clothes, introduced himself as a policeman from Camp Karingal, headquarters of the Quezon City Police District.
They later admitted that one of them masqueraded as an LBC courier to make sure she gets the warrant.
Palabay told them that the court had the warrant recalled on April 29 after she posted an ?18,000 bail. This is in connection with the perjury complaint filed against her and other activists by National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon, Jr.
Palabay said her legal counsel has already informed the court about the incident.
Palabay said the policemen were �apologetic,� saying they did not know about the recall. She also told them that they should read the Miranda rights before arresting someone, but the policemen said the suspects would escape if they do that.
Philippine National Police Spokesperson Bernard Banac told CNN Philippines he will refer Palabay�s report to Camp Karingal �for their action and appropriate response.�
Palabay called on the public to know and assert their rights, noting that these are "dangerous times" following signing of the Anti-Terrorism Act. The controversial measure allows the warrantless detention of suspected terrorists for up to 24 days.
Critics fear that the law can be used to go after red-tagged individuals and human rights defenders, while government officials say the measure has enough safeguards.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Intimidation and Threats
- Rights Concerned
- Right to fair trial, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- NGO staff, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Aug 21, 2020
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jul 3, 2020
- Event Description
A day after President Duterte signed the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 into law, 11 activists holding a protest in barangay Pulo, Cabuyao, Laguna, were arrested, July 3 by combined elements of Cabuyao police and the Army�s 2nd Infantry Division.
The eleven activists were part of a larger delegation conducting a peaceful protest to condemn the passage of the Anti-Terrorism Bill, which they said �would lead to abuse and widespread arrest of activists.�
Three minors were among those arrrested. Others arrested are:
Kyle Salgado � Karapatan ST spokesperson Casey Cruz � Bayan ST spokesperson Shirley Songalia Gabriela ST spokersperson Jemme Mia Antonio � Liga ng Manggagawa Para sa Regular na Hanapbuhay (LIGA-ST) spokesperson Miguel Portea � STARTER-PISTON spokersperson Helen Catahay � Gabriela ST Sweden John Aberde � Pagkakaisa ng Manggagawa sa Timog Katagalugan (PAMANTIK KMU) Renero Maarat � PAMANTIK KMU
Human rights alliance Defend Southern Tagalog condemned both the violent dispersal and the detention, calling it the �height of irony.�
�Exactly 24 hours since Rodrigo Duterte affixed his signature on the draconian Terror Law, the first arrests were made on activists who held a peaceful protest against the dangerous law,� said Charmaine Maranan, spokesperson for DEFEND ST. �We now see where the fascist footprints of Duterte�s police and military are headed to in case the law finally takes effect.�
Maranan pointed out the incident was the exact opposite of what National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperson promised when he stated that the Ani-Terror Bill would not be used to impinge on the rights to peaceful assembly and expression.
�Esperon is lying through his teeth when he said that peaceful protests will be protected under this law,� said Maranan. �In light of the arrests today in Cabuyao, that claim is now exposed as a brazen lie, and we all know that state forces are hell-bent in weaponizing the Terror Law to suppress the people�s growing dissent against State abuses.�
Other progressive groups also voiced their concerns. A statement released by Kabataan Partylist Laguna called the dispersal and detention �proof that [the Duterte] regime could not be trusted on issues of protecting people�s rights.�
Bagong Alyansang Makabayan Laguna (BAYAN Laguna) meanwhile contended that the arrests had no legal basis. �There is nothing illegal with being an activist,� said Jevi Quitain, spokesperson for BAYAN Laguna.� and there is nothing wrong with expressing one�s right to dissent. What there is, however, is police brutality and impunity; the hallmarks of the fascist Duterte regime.�
According to firsthand accounts, the program began 5 p.m. After the program, state agents approached the protesters who were packing up and began to restrain them, leading to the 11 arrests.
The arrests were described as a �violent dispersal�; Miguel Portea, a former jeepney driver and a member of STARTER PISTON, suffered bruises and cuts on his arms and legs.
According to DEFEND ST, at around 4:30 p.m., a military truck belonging to the 2nd CMO Batallion of the 2nd Infantry Division, Philippine Army was parked near the barangay hall blaring out disinformation about progressive organizations, calling them �front organizations of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People�s Army-National Democratic Front.�
This would not be the first time the military was engaged in black propaganda, attested KPL Laguna. According to the youth organization, police and military agents have been �hard at work attacking KPL and other progressive organizations� through its �Kabataan Kontra Droga at Terorismo� initiative, a series of forums aimed at schools and communities.
According to the group, evidence showed that the content of KKDT forums had speakers �blatantly terror-tag progressive organizations.�
Labor group Pagkakaisa ng Manggagawa sa Timog Katagalugan (PAMANTIK KMU) also attested to the fact. Last May 2020, the group received information that a letter coming from the 2ID�s Task Force Ugnay was sent to Cabuyao mayor Rommel Gecolea, calling barangay Pulo the �nerve center of militant, ergo, violent trade union movement in the region� as well as a �provincial youth recruitment center� in Calabarzon.
PAMANTIK KMU also reported that elements of the 202nd Infantry Brigade were terrorizing barangay officials in Pulo since at least June when they set up camp within the barangay hall. According to the labor group, the 202IB were looking for OLALIA national president Hermenegildo Marasigan as well as forcing barangay officials to renounce the usage of an office space adjacent to the barangay hall that was being used by Anakpawis Partylist.
As of press time, the 11 Cabuyao activists are still detained in the Cabuyao Municipal Police Station and are awaiting inquest. The police have not informed them of the charges against them.
- Impact of Event
- 11
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Restrictions on Movement, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Pro-democracy activist, WHRD, Youth
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Aug 21, 2020
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jun 26, 2020
- Event Description
Police arrested at least 20 people at the Pride March in Mendiola, Manila, on Friday, June 26.
Ten members of LGBTQ+ rights group Bahaghari, 8 from other progressive groups, and two drivers have been detained at the Manila Police District.
They were being charged with disobedience of person in authority in relation to Republic Act 11332, otherwise known as the Law on Reporting of Communicable Diseases, and Batas Pambansa 880, otherwise known as Public Assembly Act.
The protesters were observing physical distancing and other health protocols when the police arrived to disperse them.
The police did not cite any violations while arresting the protesters and only told them, "Nasa batas iyan na bawal iyan (It's in the law that it's prohibited)," without citing any specific law.
Prior to the the "grand mananita� themed indignation rally on Philippine Independence Day, June 12, human right lawyers had stressed that the Bayanihan To Heal As One Act as well as the public health law, Republic Act No. 11332 or the Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases Act, do not prohibit rallies.
At 10 am on Friday, the group marched from Morayta and held a program near the Mendiola Peace Arch to �resist [President Rodrigo] Duterte�s tyranny.�
The Bahaghari-led protest was held to celebrate Pride month and to oppose the anti-terrorism bill.
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Bahaghari spokesperson Rey Valmores-Salinas argued, while being taken away, that they were just excercising their rights.
Salinas, who was among those arrested, said the program was peaceful.
�Hinuli man kami ngayon, walang pandemiya, walang lockdown, at mas lalong walang mga pasistang baboy ang makapipigil ng pagsinag ng Bahaghari (We may have been arrested now but no pandemic, lockdown, or facsist pigs could stop us from making Bahaghari shine)," Salinas, who was already onboard the police vehicle, added.
According to human rights group Karapatan, �queers have the right to protest, speak out, and to take action against a draconian terror law that will impact on citizens� rights.�
�We call on PNP to #FreePride20! To all members of the LGBTQ community and our allies, your support is very important. Let us show them that Pride is not just about the colors that we wear, it is about our love, our solidarity for those who fight for our humanity,� said Karapatan secretary-general Cristina Palabay.
A video posted by Karapatan paralegel officer Jon Callueng showed that the police also attempted to arrest an intern at independent news group Manila Today, who was mistaken as a protester.
This is not the first time for police to arrest protesters during the pandemic, even if they did not violate quarantine rules.
- Impact of Event
- 18
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment, Restrictions on Movement
- Rights Concerned
- #COVID-19, Freedom of association, Freedom of movement, Offline, Right to liberty and security, SOGI rights
- HRD
- NGO staff, SOGI rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Aug 21, 2020
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jun 23, 2020
- Event Description
The local court denied the motion filed by lawyers of Tacloban community journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio and two human rights defenders during the first hearing, June 23.
Judge Georgina Perez of Tacloban Regional Trial Court Branch 45 junked the omnibus motion to quash information, to quash issued search warrant, suppress evidence and return seized items not included in the search warrant.
Cumpio, executive director of online media outfit Eastern Vista; Marielle Domequil, staffer of the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines (RMP) � Eastern Visayas; and, Alexander Abinguna of Katungod Sinirangang Bisaya, the local chapter of Karapatan in the region, are charged with illegal possession of firearms and explosives. They were arrested along with two others following the February 7 simultaneous raids of Eastern Vista office and joint offices of Bayan-Eastern Visayas and Alliance of Peasants in Eastern Visayas in Tacloban City.
The two others � Marissa Cabaljao of People�s Surge and Mira Legion of Bayan-EV � were charged with illegal possession of firearms and allowed to post bail in February. Cumpio,Domequil and Abigunia remain detained in Tacloban City Jail.
Altermidya, of which Eastern Vista is a member, lamented the court�s decision. �We fear that with this development, the motion to dismiss Frenchie Mae�s case and the other motions filed by her lawyers will also yield an unfavorable ruling,� Altermidya National Coordinator Rhea Padilla told Bulatlat.
�Our call to drop all charges against Frenchie Mae and to immediately release her is now more urgent than ever,� Padilla added.
�To detain our colleague Frenchie Mae for over four months is already a grave travesty and mockery of Philippine democracy. At a time when volunteer human rights defenders and community journalists are needed as frontliners to observe, report, and extend support to their communities in the arduous battle against COVID-19, the spurious charges that locked them up resulted in great disservice to the people. How many stories of the marginalized and underrepresented remain unreported because Frenchie Mae�was not able to perform her duties due to her incarceration?� Padilla said further.
A fact-finding mission in February revealed that the evidence were planted, with guns and ammunition allegedly recovered under the beds and under the tables. A witness said the raiding teams forced all people in both offices to head outside and made them lie on the ground at gunpoint. Members of the raiding team then went inside both offices unaccompanied by any witness, as required by the law, and stayed inside for about 10 minutes.
It was only about 45 or so minutes into the raid were members of the barangay council appeared in the scene to serve as witnesses. It was only when the search party and the barangay officials entered the offices this time around were the guns, ammunition, and explosives were found on top of beds and tables.
Padilla called on fellow journalists and the public to continue demanding Frenchie Mae�s freedom and �resist all attempts to silence critical media and truth-tellers.�
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), College Editors Guild of the Philippines as well as international groups Committee to Protect Journalists, International Association of Women in Radio and Television and AMARC (World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters) have issued statements calling for the immediate release of Cumpio.
- Impact of Event
- 3
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- Denial Fair Trial, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Right to fair trial
- HRD
- Media Worker, NGO staff
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Aug 21, 2020
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jun 21, 2020
- Event Description
In Defense of Human Rights and Dignity Movement (iDEFEND) and the Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA) condemn the latest attempt by government agents to disseminate false information and libelous claims against human rights defenders. Similar to the red tagging of PAHRA by the 303rd Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army last April, anonymous groups disseminated on social media, a poorly constructed �matrix� identifying Ritz Lee Santos III as part of the Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas.
On Sunday Santos posted on his facebook timeline an �illustration board� identifying him as a member of the PKP because he organized a rally protesting the Anti-Terrorism Law. The material held no further proof nor details of these accusations. Other human rights lawyers and media personalities in Mindanao were also wrongfully accused as supporters of terrorists.
Contrary to these allegations, in fact, Santos is a board member of Amnesty International, iDEFEND�s Steering Committee member and Executive Director of Balaod Mindanaw, a member organization of PAHRA and the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA).
Last week, hundreds of cloned accounts of protesting students also appeared on social media, some of which have appropriated their photos and their online data.
Religious leader Sr. Mary John Mananzan has been repeatedly accused by PCOO Undersecretary Lorraine Badoy of being a high-ranking member of a terrorist organization.
In 2018 President Duterte tagged more than 600 personalities of being members of the communist party including former UN Special Rapporteur Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, in an attempt to activate a witch hunt using the Human Security Act, which has since been replaced by the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020. The accusations drew national and international criticism for putting human rights defenders� lives at risk and has prompted the UN Secretary General to suggest a psychiatric examination for Duterte.
Likewise, the Foreign Affairs Department has led missions overseas to vilify legitimate civil society organizations as terrorists to try and stem financial and material support for their activities. In local areas posters have been put up in public places pointing to community organizers and activists as terrorists including church workers, students and lawyers.
The government�s fake news and terrorist tagging machinery, including vigilante groups, are �locked and loaded� for the enactment of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, following which we believe, will be head on assaults on public dissent and political opposition.
In the midst of a global pandemic which has exposed the serious incompetence of government�s crisis management � failed lockdowns, unaccounted billions for COVID19 response, plummeting economic conditions, corruption at the highest levels in agencies dealing with the pandemic, erratic and uncoordinated decision making- government prioritized the doubling down on political repression and �lawfare� against its own citizens.
Government does this to escape accountability for its failures. It mobilizes the national security apparatus to tag people into silence, while it continues to blame the people for the increase in COVID cases, for the economic collapse, for terrorism.
However, the people will not be denied of their rights, and the people will not give up their voices. We will join them, we will raise them, and we will be louder- against injustice, violence, tyranny. Until finally the new despot and his new cronies, meet the fate of his predecessor.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Online Attack and Harassment, Vilification
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to protect reputation
- HRD
- NGO staff
- Perpetrator-State
- Suspected state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Aug 21, 2020
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jun 15, 2020
- Event Description
A court in the Philippines has found journalist Maria Ressa and former Rappler reporter Reynaldo Santos Jr guilty of "cyber libel", in a controversial case seen as a major test of press freedom under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte.
In a decision issued on Monday, the court sentenced Ressa, the executive editor of the news website Rappler, and Santos Jr to a minimum of six months and one day to a maximum of six years in jail. It allowed them to post bail, pending an appeal. They are the first two journalists in the Philippines to be convicted for cyber libel.
Judge Rainelda Estacio-Montesa also ordered the payment equivalent to $8,000 for moral and exemplary damages to the businessman who lodged the complaint. The complainant originally sought an estimated $1m in damages.
In a press conference following the verdict, Ressa vowed to fight the case, saying the case of Rappler was "a cautionary tale" for the Philippine media.
"It is a blow to us. But it is also not unexpected," Ressa said. "I appeal to you, the journalists in this room, the Filipinos who are listening, to protect your rights. We are meant to be a cautionary tale. We are meant to make you afraid. But don't be afraid. Because if you don't use your rights, you will lose them.
"Freedom of the press is the foundation of every single right you have as a Filipino citizen. If we can't hold power to account, we can't do anything," she added, as she fought back tears.
Santos said he was "disappointed" of the verdict and felt "very sad" at the outcome.
The case is the first of at least eight active cases filed against Ressa and her media organisation since Duterte came to office in 2016.
Following the verdict, presidential spokesman Harry Roque said "the court decision should be respected", adding that Duterte "has never been behind any effort to curtail press freedom in the country".
In a statement, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) called the decision "a dark day" for independent Philippine media and all Filipinos.
"The verdict basically kills freedom of speech and of the press," the organisation said. "But we will not be cowed. We will continue to stand our ground against all attempts to suppress our freedoms."
The Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP) described the latest development as "a menacing blow to press freedom".
Amnesty International's Regional Director Nicholas Bequelin described the verdict as a "sham" that should be quashed.
"The accusations against them are political, the prosecution was politically motivated and the sentence is nothing but political," Bequelin said in a statement.
"This guilty verdict follows the shutdown of ABS-CBN, which remains off the air - also after coming under the President's attacks. The international community cannot remain silent in the face of this brazen vendetta against the press."
The cyber-libel case against Ressa and her publication stemmed from a 2017 complaint filed by a businessman over a Rappler story that was published in 2012, before the cybercrime law was passed.
The businessman, Wilfredo Keng, said he was "defamed" when he was linked to the then-Supreme Court chief justice, who was later removed from office through impeachment.
The libel complaint was dismissed in 2018, but the National Bureau of Investigation reversed the decision and recommended to the justice ministry that Ressa and the reporter, Reynaldo Santos Jr, be prosecuted. Prosecutors said they were only following the law. 'Absurd' case
Around the same time, Duterte had sought to close Rappler for alleged foreign ownership and tax evasion, allegations Rappler denied.
The news site had attracted Duterte's ire for its relentless coverage of the so-called "war on drugs" during which thousands of people have died. It also exposed a pro-Duterte network circulating alleged fake news on social media.
In addition to Rappler, Duterte has seemingly also targeted and forced the closure of ABS-CBN, the largest media company in the Philippines, while the owners of the country's largest newspaper, Philippine Daily Inquirer, were forced to sell the publication to a Duterte ally after publishing news reports and editorials critical of the mounting deaths in the "war on drugs".
In a statement, the International Center for Journalists condemned the "state-sponsored legal harassment" in the Philippines.
"ICFJ will continue to support her and her team as they report the news - despite official attempts to silence them."
Ahead of the verdict, Carlos Conde, of Human Rights Watch in the Philippines, said the case against Rappler "should never have been filed to begin with."
"The absurdity of this particular case against Maria Ressa - prosecutors deemed the story in question 'republished' after Rappler corrected one word that was misspelled - suggests the desperation of those behind it to silence her and Rappler," Conde said in a statement to Al Jazeera.
While the article in question had been published in 2012, a spelling correction had been made to one word in 2014, something the prosecutors dubbed a "republication" of the article that put it within reach of the cybercrime law.
During an online forum on Monday, Jose Manuel Diokno, a leading human rights lawyer, predicted a "long battle ahead" as the defendants moved to file an appeal.
"This is not the end of it," said Diokno, a critic of the Duterte administration and opposition candidate for senator in 2019. "There's a strong need for us to generate a lot of public opinion, a lot of press on the government, on the courts, to look very deeply into this case. The ramifications of this case go deep into whether we can still call the country a real democracy."
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- Enactment of repressive legislation and policies, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Media Worker, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Active
- Related Events
- Philippines: Justice department indicts Maria Ressa and former Rappler reporter for cyberlibel
- Date added
- Aug 21, 2020
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jun 13, 2020
- Event Description
ON JUNE 13 around 8 p.m., four unidentified armed men barged into the home of community worker Elena Tijamo in Brgy. Kampingganon, Bantayan, Cebu. The abductors, masked and clad in black, reportedly put a tape on Elena�s mouth and tied her hands before taking her away.
Days after her abduction, she remains missing.
Tijamo works as a coordinator for non-government group Farmers Development Center (FARDEC), a regional peasant support organization based in Central Visayas.
Elena, called �Ate Lina,� by her colleagues, oversees the promotion of traditional crop varieties and natural farming methods to FARDEC�s partner-communities across the region. She also coordinated their group�s relief and rehabilitation drive in Yolanda-affected communities in Northern Cebu including Bantayan island.
Tijamo lives with her elderly parents, sister, and her daughter in Bantayan. They witnessed Elena�s abduction last Saturday, and remain at a loss why she was abducted.
According to Patrick Torres, executive director of FARDEC, the group received reports in 2018 that its partner communities in Bantayan Island were visited by the police and military. They reportedly discouraged community members from attending FARDEC�s meetings because the group allegedly �goes against the government�.
He added, �A few months ago, Ate Lina reported that a man claiming to conduct a survey for elderly Covid-19 beneficiaries visited her home but asked for her personal details instead. She later found out that the barangay had no knowledge of a survey.�
Prior to her abduction, Tijamo had shared to her FARDEC colleagues that her neighbors reported of unidentified men constantly asking for her home address.
After her capture, Tijamo�s family was contacted by her abductors. According to Torres, her relatives received text messages instructing them not to contact authorities, and that Elena �will be returned later�.
�But the following day, the abductors called again and allowed the family to talk to Ate Lina,� Torres said. �She was told that she will be released only if social media posts and news reports of her abduction were taken down.� Red-tagged
Torres believes that recent red-tagging incidents against FARDEC and its community workers are connected to the abduction of Tijamo. In November 2019, the organization was labeled a �local front of a communist group� by the military, particularly by Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence Major General Reuben Basiao, during a hearing in the House of Representatives.
�The abduction confirmed our worst fear that there is a pattern. Community workers are first vilified through red-tagging, and just like what happened to Ate Lina, became under surveillance and then abducted,� Torres said.
He fears that this pattern would only get worse when the controversial Anti-Terror Bill is signed. �The law removes the protection away from civilians, and gives attackers the legality and freedom to arrest people like community workers,� Torres said. Illegal arrests in the Visayas
This is not the first time that a community worker was captured in the Visayas in recent years, Torres shared.
In March 2018, six community organizers in Negros, known as the Mabinay 6, were arrested and accused of being members of the New People�s Army (NPA). Only this month, a local leader of the National Federation of Sugar Workers (NFSW), Gaspar Davao, was arrested in Cadiz City while on his way home.
�With the terror bill, anyone can easily be tagged as �terrorist�, and this makes it alarming,� Torres said, adding that they found it ironic that a recent protest against the bill resulted in the arrests of seven Cebu rallyists and a bystander.
�Ate Lina is being held hostage and threatened so she will stop her work among the farmers,� Torres said. �Whoever these people are, they are the terrorists.�
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- Abduction/Kidnapping
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, NGO staff, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Aug 21, 2020
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jun 12, 2020
- Event Description
Laguna � Progressive groups in Iligan City refuteD claims by Iligan City Police regarding the June 12 arrest of 14 students who were protesting the Anti-Terrorism Bill.
On Friday, 16 students, among them members of Kabataan Partylist Northern Mindanao (KPL-NMR), staged a ma�anita-style protest in barangay Palao, Iligan City which lasted five minutes.
According to the Iligan City Police Office (ICPO), the students were invited to ICPO Station 5 for �violating the health protocols on social distancing.�
KPL-NMR and the Students� Alliance for the Advancement of Democratic Rights of MSU-IIT (STAND-IIT) disputed this, stating that the police�s statement was �misleading and is clearly meant to save face and make their warrantless arrest appear legitimate.�
�As shown in a video recorded by one of the protesters, the students were not invited, the police officers dragged them by the arm, caught them in a chokehold and when the students asked them on what grounds they were being arrested, the arresting officers couldn�t cite any violations,� read a joint statement by KPL-NMR and STAND-IIT.
One the officers even shouted �Shoot them!� while the students were being dragged.
This, despite the fact that the students were able to produce legal documents for their protest while observing strict physical distancing. The students were also given ten minutes to conduct their program but chose to stage a five-minute protest, intending to clear out immediately after.
The 14 arrested students were then detained without probable cause for roughly seven hours before they were released before 6 p.m. KPL-NMR and STAND-IIT state that the students were subjected to abuse and intimidation, with one student choked by an officer in plainclothes while he was trying to explain. One student was also labelled as a �recruiter for the New Peoples� Army.�
The officers also confiscated the students� phones and interrogated seven of them before legal counsel arrived, taking personal information from them. Their legal counsel Kristine Campilan stressed that the police officers were violating Republic Act 7438 by conducting a �custodial investigation without the assistance of counsel.�
KPL-NMR and STAND-IIT contend that the state is �trivializ[ing] the protests as mere violations of the government�s social distancing measures,� instead of �addressing the root issues surrounding them.�
�These draconian measures are but a taste of what the government and its fascist machinery can do should the railroaded Anti-Terrorism Bill be passed. It shows how they can set their very own laws aside if these contradict their interests,� their joint statement read.
Not the only case
Police have also used intimidation tactics against protesters in other parts of the country. In Tuguegarao City, police threatened members of Kabataan Partylist Cagayan Valley with arrests should they continue with their own ma�anita.
In Manila, about 40 police officers were immediately deployed in response to a protest staged inside the De La Salle University � Manila campus. There were approximately 20 protesters conducting a short program, including former Deputy Speaker Atty. Erin Ta�ada.
In Manila�s San Pablo Apostol Church, UP Rises Against Tyranny and Dictatorship reported that police officers led by Station Commander Lt. Navidad and Vic Blanco confiscated placards from protesters despite observing proper social distancing measures.
Even the UP Diliman �grand ma�anita� wasn�t safe. Quezon City Police Department officers blocked the entrances along the Commission of Human Rights and the Asian Center, blocking protesters from entering the campus.
These protests were part of a nationwide series of actions calling for the junking of the Anti-Terrorism Bill, which critics have repeatedly slammed as actually targeting activists.
- Impact of Event
- 14
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Intimidation and Threats, Judicial Harassment, Vilification, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- #COVID-19, Freedom of assembly, Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Student
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Aug 21, 2020
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jun 5, 2020
- Event Description
The 7, including minors, belong to local progressive organizations in Cebu. A local journalist is reportedly also among them.
Police arrested at least 8 activists during a protest rally against the anti-terrorism bill on Friday, June 5.
The activists were arrested at the protest site near the University of the Philippines (UP) Cebu for violating a ban on mass gatherings under the general community quarantine (GCQ), according to Cebu City police.
The rally started peacefully until the protesters were met by Cebu City police in combat gear and members of the SWAT team.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Melbert Esguerra, deputy director for administration of the Cebu City Police Office, told reporters that the protesters would be taken to the CCPO headquarters at Camp Sotero Cabahug pending the filing of complaints.
None of those detained have been charged as of this posting.
Bayan Central Visayas confirmed that the 8 belonged to local progressive organizations in Cebu. They also said there were minors among those arrested.
According to initial reports, among those arrested was Dyan Gumanao, a community organizer and a reporter for ANINAW Productions, a local affiliate of AlterMidya � People's Alternative Media Network.
Media were not allowed to see the detained activists when they went to the police office.
Videos showed cops, some in plain clothes, entering the campus and chasing down students.
The video also showed campus security guards watching as activists were being chased in the open field area of the college.
Under the Soto-Enrile accord of 1982, the Philippine National Police (PNP) and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) are barred from entering any of the UP campuses without prior permission from the administration or unless they are in hot pursuit of a crime suspect.
The anti-terror bill, approved by the House of Representatives on Thursday and by the Senare months earlier, sparked outrage among human rights groups and concerned citizens, who noted that this law would hand too much power to President Rodrigo Duterte, who had been widely criticized for his human rights record. (READ: 'Draconian' anti-terror bill, feared to be used vs gov't critics, hurdles Congress)
As of posting, at least 27 protesters were still stuck inside the campus while police were posted outside, on Gorordo Avenue.
The College Editors Guild of the Philippines condemned the arrest of the activists. "Duterte's police and military are using militaristic approach instead of heeding the people's demands," the CEGP said in a statement.
UP Office of the Student Regent (UPOSR) also released a statement, urging police to release the detained protestors.
"This clearly manifests how the systemic targeting of critical voices is prevalent everywhere," UPOSR said. "When those in power are not even held accountable, students like ours who are only echoing the public�s sentiments are those who are handcuffed and silenced."
- Impact of Event
- 8
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment, Restrictions on Movement
- Rights Concerned
- #COVID-19, Freedom of assembly, Offline, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Media Worker, NGO staff, Youth
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Aug 21, 2020
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- May 28, 2020
- Event Description
Long-time urban poor leader Carlito Badion was killed in Ormoc City, Leyte.
He was found dead along a highway in Ormoc City on May 28, 2020.
Kadamay, where Badion served as its secretary general for a long time, assailed his killing, describing the slain leader as �determined and brave.�
Two days before his killing, Kadamay said Badion was red-tagged and received death threats.
In a statement, Bayan Muna Rep. Ferdinand Gaite said Badion was �another victim of state-sponsored murders as his death comes after numerous incidents of political harassment, vilification, and red-tagging that he experienced.�
�Badion championed the cause of the homeless and the informally settled. He was instrumental in Kadamay�s housing occupation campaigns and community barricades against demolition. Because of this, he and other fellow urban poor activists were repeatedly and ruthlessly maligned and harassed, and were labeled as criminals, or worse as enemies of the state, as terrorists,� Gaite said.
Stop the Killings in the Philippines � Canada Network said Badion was a �leader who valiantly defended the right to housing of marginalized sectors.�
He has helped various communities facing threats of demolition such as Sitio San Roque in Quezon City and Corazon de Jesus in San Juan City � fighting with residents along barricades they built to defend their homes and livelihoods.
Badion also brought to fore the issues confronting substandard relocation sites.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Death, Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to life
- HRD
- Community-based HRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Aug 21, 2020
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- May 13, 2020
- Event Description
Journalists over the weekend condemned the misuse of a photo from a safety training seminar in 2013 to insinuate links between an ABS-CBN journalist and communist rebels.
The photo used was of Rowena "Weng" Carranza-Paraan�former National Union of Journalists of the Philippines chair�and other women journalists in a forested area crouching around what looks to be an injured man. "A MindaNews photograph of a simulation exercise during the first aid module of the country�s first all-women media safety training in Cagayan de Oro City in March 2013 has been maliciously used to red-tag a journalist, an act MindaNews vehemently condemns," Davao City-based MindaNews said on Friday.
In a series of social media posts published on Wednesday, May 13 over Facebook, a certain Aram dela Cruz accused Paraan, along with ten other women, of treating wounded communist rebels in the photograph.
"What is the real connection between Paraan and the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People�s Army-National Democratic Front. Does ABS-CBN know this?" Dela Cruz wrote in Filipino in the posts, which also included a solo photograph of Paraan.
The photo and the false claim have since been spread by other Facebook users.
The picture was taken almost a decade ago, during an all-women safety training seminar organized by the NUJP at the Malasag Eco-Tourism Village in Cagayan de Oro City., MindaNews, which carried the photo in its 2013 article on the workshop, said.
According to an earlier fact check by journalism students at UP Diliman, "the 2013 training was held ... for about 20 journalists from Pagadian, Zamboanga, Lanao del Norte, Kidapawan and Surigao del Norte and development communication students from Mati, Davao Oriental."
Taken by photojournalist Vic Kintanar, the photograph shows a simulation module on administering first aid to an injured person facilitated by Paraan, a media safety trainer certified by the International News Safety Institute.
The ten other women as well as the "wounded man" in the photo were also journalists.
'Malicious twisting to mislead others'Paraan, also a former Philippines Center for Investigative Journalism research head, currently serves as the head of "Bayan Mo, Ipatrol Mo", the citizen journalism arm of ABS-CBN Corp. whose broadcast operations were ordered ceased by the government after its franchise expired.
On her social media accounts, Paraan said: "Unfortunately, those who want to maliciously twist a media safety training photo taken in 2013, conducted in coordination with the 4th ID...are using the MindaNews photo to mislead others."
Though Dela Cruz's photos have been taken down, the same photos have been reposted by pro-administration Facebook page Enlightened Pinoy.
The two posts read in Filipino: "Run NPA run. Pictures of injured NPA rebels being treated in the forest," and "Exposed! Please explain. What is the real connection between Rowena Paraan, (NUJP) head of Bayan Mo, Ipatrol Mo of ABS-CBN, and the CPP-NPA_NDF? What are you doing in the mountains?"
"MindaNews condemns the malicious use of the 2013 photograph as it endangers the lives of Paraan, the 10 Mindanao-based women journalists in the photograph and the lone male reporter who acted as the 'injured' person," the news website said.
It adds that "the historic all-women safety training was organized by NUJP in coordination with the Philippine Army�s 4th Infantry Division, which handled two sessions."
NUJP, in a separate statement, said that it "has been holding media safety trainings all over the country for more than a decade amid the continued killing of media workers, intensified attacks and increased cases of harassment against the media."
It added: "It is utterly shameless but dangerous that a historic media safety training aimed at protecting and ensuring the safety of media workers is being used to malign, threaten and put journalists and the NUJP in danger."
Academics both local and international have said that the Philippines today is the "patient zero" of digital disinformation owing to cyber-troll armies linked to supporters of President Rodrigo Duterte. 'Utterly shameless but dangerous'
In a statement, the NUJP slammed the posts for twisting the photographs' narratives and endangering the lives of the journalists depicted.
The union is one of many progressive groups publicly accused of being a legal front for communist rebels by the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), which earlier erroneously claimed in a series of graphics that the halt order on ABS-CBN's broadcast operations was due to numerous legal issues.
These issues had been addressed at a Senate hearing but not at the House of Representatives, which did not hold hearings on bills to renew the network's franchise. The National Telecommunications Commission's cease and desist order against ABS-CBN was premised on the lapsed franchise, and not on the legal issues that NTF-ELCAC claimed.
After being criticized for being a peddler of false information, NTF-ELCAC said that communist rebels were "taking advantage" of the closure of the broadcast giant. It did not acknowledge or explain why it spread the false claims. In the past weeks, media groups have expressed caution over what they called shrinking space for fundamental freedoms, as the past two months of enhanced community quarantine have seen citizens arrested for posting opinions critical of the administration on social media.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- Online Attack and Harassment, Vilification
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to protect reputation
- HRD
- Media Worker, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Suspected state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Aug 21, 2020
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- May 7, 2020
- Event Description
Human rights watchdog Karapatan Rizal reported that their secretary general, Gloria Rodriguez and three other companions were temporarily detained on �violations� of the enhanced community quarantine in Antipolo, Rizal, May 7.
The group stated that Rodriguez, or Nanay Oya to her colleagues, 65, and her team were investigating reports related to a March 28 encounter between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the New People�s Army. The encounter left two dead, with one missing. Karapatan Rizal responded to requests from family members of the missing individual, whose remains they suspect were taken by the military and eventually found on April 3, in Tanay, almost 80 kilometers away from the site of the encounter in barangay Puray, Rodriguez, Rizal.
Rodriguez and her team worked to recover the bodies for autopsy. They managed to secure a police report and a death certificate from the Rodriguez PNP on April 3, but were denied access to the remains. They have since continued to clamor and arrange documents for the release of the remains.
The group was filing necessary documents and had just come from the Philippine National Police Crime Laboratory in Taytay when they were stopped at a checkpoint in barangay San Jose, Antipolo by soldiers of the 80th Infantry Battalion, Philippine Army.
Although her group had quarantine passes signed by barangay officials, they were arrested on May 7 on alleged ECQ violations and detained at the Antipolo Municipal Police Station around 7:30 p.m.
No charges were filed and the group was released that same evening, 9 p.m.
Karapatan Rizal was quick to point out that the incident was only the latest in a series of �harassment and delaying tactics� performed by the 80th IB designed to �deny the family of their latest victim justice and hide their crimes.�
As of this writing, Rodriguez and her team are still trying to secure the remains of the deceased.
The group noted that the military has been �characteristically uncooperative� to their requests, instead opting to �pass [them] around from agency to agency in hopes of frustrating the fact-finding mission.�
Karapatan Rizal also reported cases of harassment done against the family and relatives of the dead, as well as the imposition of �unnecessary qualifications� to dispute the family�s claim.
�These are the tell-tale signs that the military is trying to cover up their tracks,� Karapatan Rizal said. �It�s almost sickening how the AFP can just play with the tragedies of their victims like it was a game.�
The March 28 encounter occurred well within the period of simultaneous unilateral ceasefire between the AFP and NPA. Both sides claim that the other broke their own ceasefires by launching an attack in barangay Puray.
In a statement, the 80th IB claimed that they were conducting �community work� when they were ambushed by �about 30 NPA fighters�, resulting in a firefight.
The National Democratic Front of the Philippines, however, disputed this. The NDFP said �sources within the military� stated that a team led by a Staff Sargeant Angot was conducting a patrol when they ambushed NPA members conducting a medical mission in the area.
�This is another addition to the 80th IB�s laundry list of human rights violations and crimes against the people of Rizal,� said Karapatan Rizal in a statement. �They are exploiting the pandemic and ECQ to spread fake news and black propaganda against the people�s clamor for mass testing and social amelioration.�
They condemned the 80th IB and called on them to �provide medical services and relief,� instead of �sticking to the fascism and harassment that they know.�
- Impact of Event
- 4
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- #COVID-19, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- NGO staff, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Aug 21, 2020
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- May 5, 2020
- Event Description
A Philippine radio broadcaster from the central island of Negros has been shot dead, becoming the third media worker slain in Dumaguete City since 2018 and the 16th nationwide since President Rodrigo Duterte came to office in June 2016.
Cornelio Pepino was riding home from work on his motorcycle with his wife late on Tuesday when he was shot and killed, capping a turbulent 24 hours in the country's media industry, which also saw the closure of its largest television network.
According to the police report obtained by Al Jazeera, two unidentified male perpetrators on a motorcycle shot and killed Pepino, also known as Rex Cornelio to radio listeners in the community.
Before fleeing, the attackers shot the victim once more in the head, according to a radio report quoting Pepino's wife, Colen.
The 48-year-old Pepino was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
In a video, Colen, who was unharmed, was seen weeping and begging for help on her mobile phone, while cradling her bleeding husband who was slumped next to their overturned motorcycle. Police said an investigation is "still ongoing".
The Philippines is one of the world's most dangerous countries for journalists, with at least 186 media professionals killed since the country's return to democracy in 1986, according to the National Union of Journalists in the Philippines (NUJP).
Media observers say the level of impunity has reached an unprecedented level since Duterte was elected president.
This latest media killing comes as the country is under lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic. Across the country, police have set up several checkpoints, raising questions about how Pepino's killers managed to flee.
Al Jazeera has learned that just days before Pepino's killing, a police checkpoint was set up near the area of the shooting incident, but that had been decommissioned after some of the restrictions were eased in the city. Critic of government corruption
In his afternoon radio programme, Pepino was known as a critic of corruption in local government in Negros. He had also criticised the distribution of allegedly overpriced food packs to communities affected by the coronavirus lockdown.
The management of the radio station where Pepino worked told Al Jazeera it was "saddened and angered by the senseless and brutal killing".
While "hard-hitting" in his commentaries, colleagues were quoted as saying the victim never used profanity and would never flare up with emotion on the radio.
"Authorities should leave no stone unturned in bringing the killers of journalist Rex Cornelio Pepino to justice," said Shawn Crispin, Committee to Protect Journalists senior Southeast Asia representative.
"Until the Philippine government shows it is serious about solving media murders, the vicious cycle of impunity will continue."
The Dumaguete Press Club said the attack could be "politically motivated since politics was his favourite topic, which might have hit the nerve of some political sectors", adding that "divine justice in all its forms will unmistakably come and be served". 'New level of impunity'
Meanwhile, the NUJP urged the Duterte administration to investigate the murder immediately.
"We demand justice for Cornelio Pepino, aka Rex Cornelio, and will continue to hold this government accountable for every death that remains unsolved."
In a statement, Joel Egco of the Presidential Task Force on Media Security vowed that "justice will be served" and that police have been directed "to hunt down the suspects".
"As in the past cases we handled, we will leave no stone unturned," Egco said.
Maria Ela Atienza, professor of political science at the University of the Philippines, said that while the killing of journalists and targeting of media companies are nothing new in the country, "it got worse".
"The level of impunity and the killing of journalists and critics has been pushed to a new level by the Duterte administration," Atienza told Al Jazeera.
Since becoming president, Duterte has been known to denounce the press for critical coverage of his administration, including the deadly war on drugs that left thousands of people dead.
He had previously cursed foreign journalists for their reporting and said corrupt journalists are legitimate targets of assassination.
On Tuesday, the country's largest media company, ABS-CBN, which was a frequent target of the president's tirades, was forced to shut down after his allies in Congress refused to renew on time the station's 25-year licence to operate.
The government had also filed charges against the Rappler website and its editor, Maria Ressa and forced the country's largest newspaper, The Philippine Daily Inquirer, to sell the publication to billionaire Ramon Ang, a Duterte ally.
President Duterte, however, has repeatedly assured reporters that he welcomes questions from the media and that the country still has a free press.
"I have nothing against you. I am not at liberty to [be] angry at anybody," said Duterte.
Atienza said that given Duterte's popularity now as president, it is surprising that "the level of insecurity of his administration is so high it has to threaten and harass critics".
"This is worsened by a group of rabid bloggers and PR (public relations) machine working relentlessly not only through regular media but social media to attack critics and promote intrigues and fake news."
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Death, Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to life
- HRD
- Media Worker
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Aug 21, 2020
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- May 1, 2020
- Event Description
At least 76 were arrested by authorities in separate incidents today, May 1.
Scores of those arrested were providing meals to the poor communities of Metro Manila. Ten volunteers of a feeding program in Marikina and 18 youth volunteers of a community kitchen in barangay Central in Quezon City were apprehended by the police.
In Jaro, Iloilo, 35 members of progressive organizations were arrested while holding a protest caravan on the killing of Bayan Muna officer Jory Porquia. Seven community journalists, including the daughter of Porquia, were also nabbed and charged with violation of BP 880, disobedience to persons in authority and Republic Act 11332.
Four other activists were arrested in Paso de Blas in Valenzuela City and two workers in Rodriguez, Rizal.
Cristina Palabay, Karapatan secretary general, described Labor Day in the Philippines, �Arrests of a grieving daughter and colleagues of a slain relief worker in Iloilo, of relief workers providing aid to hungry residents of Marikina and workers in Quezon City, and of those expressing workers� just demands for rights and welfare, staged/fake surrenders of workers in Laguna � these should make everyone realize that it is but just and it is but right to speak out and act for our people�s rights and wellbeing.�
In Camp Vicente Lim, Laguna, 16 Coca-Cola workers who were picked up by members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) yesterday were presented to the media this afternoon as New People�s Army surrenderees.
�Why is the Duterte regime on mass arrest mode? Is that the only government response they are capable of? Why are Filipinos being prevented from speaking out on their legitimate issues and grievances?� said Renato Reyes Jr., secretary general of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan).
Tulong Kabataan decried the arrest of their volunteers, including the group�s spokesperson Joshua Marcial.
�Many of our workers, the backbone of our society, have lost their jobs during the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ). Millions are still uncertain regarding job security, as well as receiving social amelioration program and other aid from the government,� the group said in a statement.
Meanwhile, urban poor group Kadamay-Metro Manila reported that at about 4 p.m. members of the police went to the house of Fidel Columna, leader of Kilos na Homeless. The police reportedly said that they needed to be brought to the police station because of their social media posts. Also arrested are Marlina Abique and couples Danny and Ann Calunsad.
Harassment
Meanwhile, members of the ACT4PH team on the other hand were able to evade arrest by showing their permit to the police in front of the members of the media and barangay officials in Visayas Ave., Quezon City.
At least 50 state agents wearing civilian clothes on board private SUVs, two police mobile, and motorcycles flagged and cordoned the team�s vehicle at the corner of Visayas Avenue and Forestry Street this morning.
�Agents in plainclothes, without identifying themselves confiscated the driver�s license and, maliciously and falsely accused him of being seen at San Roque last night. For 30 minutes, the operatives held our team at the site, demanded that the teacher-leaders alight the vehicle and to present a permit for the activity,� the group said.
ACT4PH team showed the vehicle�s interior to prove that they only had food and facemasks with them.
�The operatives could not hold the team any longer as no violation can be found,� said Raymond Basilio, secretary general of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT).
�Blocking humanitarian activities of organizations and private groups is a third blow to the suffering people who have been locked down first, then neglected by the government,� Basilio added.
Meanwhile, members of Kilusang Mayo Uno were also harassed on the eve of labor day as they spotted police vehicles outside its headquarters. The group said that local organizations have also reported police and military deployment across urban poor and workers� communities in Metro Manila.
�As the country observes international Labor Day, we urge all Filipinos to condemn the Duterte regime for treating workers like criminals, instead of upholding their rights and improving their welfare,� Elmer Labog, KMU chairperson said in a statement.
- Impact of Event
- 28
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention
- Rights Concerned
- #COVID-19, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Youth
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Aug 21, 2020
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- May 1, 2020
- Event Description
A priest, a lawyer, members of the community media and activists were arrested in Iloilo City this morning, May 1.
Progressive groups led by Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan)-Panay were holding an indignation caravan to demand justice for slain Bayan Muna Party-list Iloilo City coordinator Jose Reynaldo �Jory� Porquia when they were barred by at least 50 policemen.
Elmer Foro, secretary general of Bayan-Panay, said they negotiated with the police to allow them to lay wreath and light candles where Porquia was killed. When the police denied their plea, they decided to voluntarily disperse.
As they were about to leave the premises of Jaro Plaza, the police blocked them and were told that they were under arrest.
�We condemn in strongest possible terms the high-handed manner by which the Philippine National Police tramples the sovereign people�s rights to assembly, our right to protest, and our right to seek redress of grievances,� said Foro in a statement.
He added that these are people�s inalienable rights enshrined in the 1987 Constitution and Bill of Rights.
Among the arrested are Fr. Marco Sulayao of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI), Diocese of Iloilo and National Union of Peoples� Lawyers-Iloilo Atty. Angelo Karlo Guillen.
Seven of the 42 arrested are journalists covering the protest caravan. They are Panaysayon staff Mc Mae Sulayao, Kervin Bingansinco, Krisma Nina Porquia and Gaybel Rei Gullen; Julrod Prino of Panay Today; Crimson Labinghisa and Bryan Bosque of Dampig Katarungan.
Panaysayon, is a video production group established in 2017. Dampig Katarungan on the other hand is a radio program in Aksyon Radyo Iloilo while established in 2010 and Panay Today is a digital print established in 2015.
Krisma is the daughter of Porquia.
They are currently detained at the Jaro Police Station and were charged with violation of Batas Pambansa 880, disobedience to persons in authority, violation of the Republic Act 11332 or the Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act, and a local ordinance.
In a statement, the NUPL condemened the series of arrests today.
�The directive and orientation of the police-military leadership is clear: no mercy, no quarters given and no local civilian official can stand in the way (especially if it involves the Left) because we call the shots. That�s San Roque, Norzaragay, barangay Central, Marikina and other,� said NUPL President Edre Olalia.
- Impact of Event
- 42
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Restrictions on Movement
- Rights Concerned
- #COVID-19, Freedom of assembly, Freedom of movement, Offline, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Lawyer, Media Worker
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Aug 21, 2020
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- May 1, 2020
- Event Description
The police arrest two labor leaders from Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino who staged a protest in a subdivision in Rodriguez, Rizal
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The coronavirus lockdown has pushed millions to stay at home, but Filipino workers staged Labor Day protests on Friday, May 1, while maintaining distance from each other.
Several small protests pushed through without any problems, but two members of the Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP) were arrested by the police Friday for allegedly breaking enhanced quarantine rules.
BMP vice president Lito Rastica and labor leader Renaldo Dulay led a protest with 6 other people in a subdivision in Rodriguez, Rizal. Cops arrested them before noon.
Since it's a holiday, the workers cannot post bail. BMP said that the labor leaders' inquest proceedings will be on Monday, May 3, yet, which means the two will be detained until then.
In other parts of the country, BMP members and communities held noise barrage outside their homes.
Women in Cavite, meanwhile, took to the streets to protest their dire condition. "Kung kulang noon ang ating pagkain, mas kulang pa ang pakain kasulukuyang nangyayari dulot ng COVID19 na ito. (If our food lacked before, now it's even lacking because of this COVID-19)," a woman said in a video. Silent protests, noise barrage
Organized by various labor groups, the workers' main call this year revolves around job security and better social protection.
On early Friday morning, unionists from the Samahan ng Manggagawa sa Philippine Span Asia Carrier Corporation with the Kilusang Mayo Uno-Pier gathered at the Port of Manila.
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Those who joined the protest wore red shirts and face masks, while others donned face shields. All of them brought placards, calling for mass testing, a faster disbursement of cash aid, and hazard pay increase.
Fishermen under the fisheries group PAMALAKAYA Pilipinas, meanwhile, called for immediate government aid to agricultural workers.
KMU, BMP, and the Nagkaisa Labor Coalition and its member organizations organized separate virtual rallies as part of their call for "deep systemic change" post-lockdown.
More than two million Filipinos have lost their jobs or under a "No Work, No Pay" scheme in 87,301 establishments nationwide, according to the Department of Labor and Employment.
But those who have received aid so far is just a small fraction of the reported job displacement. Some 600,000 private and informal sector workers have received the P5,000 cash aid from the government, which is just 26% of the affected workers.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention
- Rights Concerned
- #COVID-19, Freedom of assembly, Offline, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Labour rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Aug 21, 2020
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Apr 30, 2020
- Event Description
A leader of Bayan Muna Party-list was gunned down in Iloilo City this morning, April 30.
Panay Today reported that witnesses heard several gunshots and saw men wearing masks at barangay Sto, Nino, Arevalo District, Iloilo City.
Jory Porquia sustained nine gunshots according to his son, Lean.
�They killed my tatay, mercilessly. Nine gunshots to kill him, nine! He was alone. He was defenseless,� Lean said in his post in social media.
Siegfred D. Deduro, Bayan Muna vice president for Visayas, suspects that perpetrators are state agents. He said Porquia was harassed by members of Iloilo police prior his killing.
Porquia was leading the relief operations and education campaign on the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) to the poor communities in Iloilo City, which is also placed under enhanced community quarantine.
Deduro said that while Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Tre�as welcomed initiatives in educating and feeding the residents who are under the ECQ, these did not sit well with the police.
�They prevent activists in doing volunteer work in fighting the pandemic, even to the extent of spreading blatant lies that food served by activists is contaminated with COVID-19 virus. Apparently, the Philippine National Police gets instructions from their generals ignoring the policies of local chief executives,� Deduro said in a statement.
Colleagues and friends of Porquia strongly condemned the killing and demanded justice.
Porquia was an activist since martial law. After the Edsa People Power in 1986, Porquia served as officer-in-charge of the National Youth Commission under then President Cory Aquino.
Eventually, Porquia became an overseas Filipino worker, organizing and advocating for Filipino migrants� rights. When he returned to the Philippines, he helped form Migrante chapter in Panay. He was also one of the founders of Bayan Muna in the province.
�Jory is a great loss to the progressive movement for social transformation, but will inspire Bayan Muna members and all activists to persist in advancing �new politics� against the tyrannical rule of the current administration,� said Deduro.
Clarizza Singson of Karapatan Negros who knew Porquia since she was a student described him as jolly and artistic person.
�Kaupod Jory, you will be missed by the masses whom you served and loved!� Singson said in her social media post.
Meanwhile, Lean remembered his father as someone who has always been there when needed.
�How can I go home and grieve? How can we cry for justice when justice is elusive for people who fight for justice? I can only place my rage in words that mean nothing to those who killed you,� Lean said.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Death, Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to life
- HRD
- Pro-democracy activist
- Perpetrator-State
- Suspected state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Aug 21, 2020
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Apr 30, 2020
- Event Description
On 30 April 2020, the 303rd Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army, based in Murcia, Province of Negros Occidental published a post on its Facebook profile where it falsely links at least five human rights organisations with communist groups, and thus redtagging them and labelling them as affiliated with terrorists.
- Impact of Event
- 5
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats, Online Attack and Harassment, Vilification
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of association, Right to protect reputation
- HRD
- NGO
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Active
- Date added
- Aug 21, 2020
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Apr 27, 2020
- Event Description
Together with my family and organization, I vehemently condemn the relentless attacks and red-tagging against me, my children and the Cordillera Peoples Alliance through social media at this time of COVID-19 pandemic. These are undoubtedly perpetrated by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine National Police (PNP) and their minions. Many of their smear campaign materials are posted in their Facebook pages and individual accounts, and the fake and troll accounts of their minions.
We condemn in the strongest terms possible the latest malicious attack against me and my children last night on Facebook as attached. The disinformation post shows a photo of my children in their indigenous attire during the annual Begnas in Sagada. The Facebook account of my youngest son, who is a minor, was also locked for 5 days. Prior to these, series of red-tagging, political vilification, cursing me dead, and threats to myself, family and CPA were also posted on Facebook. These are direct threats, harassment, intimidation and political vilification especially against my children with a clear intent to harm not only myself but also my family. This is State terrorism.
To the AFP, PNP and their minions, why do you include attacking my children? They have nothing to do with my work and life as an activist. What you are doing is inhumane treatment and evil act. Is this the kind of AFP and PNP that we have in the Philippines? Wala din ba kayong pamilya at mga anak? Paano kung idadamay rin ang mga anak at pamilya ninyo sa trabaho ninyo bilang militar o pulis o mga alipures nila? Sya et na nan kanan tako en INAYAN wenno PANIYEW!
To the AFP, PNP and their minions, why red-tag and attack me? Am I a threat to you? I am just a civilian and activist serving the people. At this time of Covid-19 and socio-economic crisis, why don�t you focus your efforts and resources in helping the people and stop red-tagging and destroying families? You should engage in humane, professional, reasonable and meaningful discussion on issues I raised in social media. You should avoid personal attacks and threats. You should not curse us and attack my children. Stop red-tagging civilians especially at this time of pandemic when people are experiencing great health and economic hardships.
To those who truly believe in Inayan and God, we enjoin you to condemn these acts, call for accountability of the AFP and the PNP, and call for a stop to impunity that is allowing these to happen.
Let me reiterate: I am a civilian, environmental activist, and human rights defender. I am the current chairperson of the Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA) For the Defense of the Ancestral Domain and Self Determination. When I was in college, I was a student activist fighting for student rights and welfare. Upon graduating from college, I volunteered fulltime with the CPA, working for indigenous peoples rights and human rights, social justice and democracy. I�m also an officer of national and international indigenous peoples organizations.
CPA was established in 1984 and its name speaks for what it has been doing for the past decades as a people�s organization. It is an independent alliance of indigenous peoples organizations and sectoral alliances in the Cordillera. It is a legal organization, not an armed organization, and not connected to the New Peoples Army (NPA) or any armed groups.
In the Philippines, State attacks thru red-tagging and political vilification are meant to demonize activists and their progressive organizations in public towards extrajudicial killings, illegal arrests, and enforced disappearance.
Let us call on the Philippine government, AFP and PNP to seriously adhere to human rights and international humanitarian law. Civilians and non-combatants must be protected by parties in the armed conflict: the AFP/PNP and NPA. The Philippine government, the AFP and PNP who are in power and duty-bearers have the primary responsibility to serve and protect civilians. The relentless attacks against civilians like me, my family and CPA by the AFP and PNP violate and contradict their basis of existence.
I believe there are good men and women in the AFP and PNP who take side with the people and perform what is expected of them for the rights and welfare of civilians. They can do more for the country and people to stop the attacks against the people.
- Impact of Event
- 3
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats, Online Attack and Harassment, Vilification
- Rights Concerned
- Right to liberty and security, Right to protect reputation
- HRD
- Environmental rights defender, Indigenous peoples' rights defender, Pro-democracy activist
- Perpetrator-State
- Suspected state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Aug 21, 2020
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Apr 24, 2020
- Event Description
Nine contractual workers from the Coca-Cola Femsa Plant in Santa Rosa were brought to Camp Macario Sakay in Los Ba�os, Laguna after finishing a 12-hour shift, where they were accused of being �members of the revolutionary New People�s Army,� April 23.
This would not be the first time Coca-Cola workers would experience harassment during the ongoing lockdown brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Between April 1 and 2, armed police officers visited the houses of Coca-Cola unionists and insisted they �surrender� as members of the NPA.
One worker, who asked for anonymity , stated that he and 10 others were asked by Jury Montellana, chairperson of Liga ng Manggagawa para sa Regular na Hanapbuhay sa Planta ng Coca-Cola (LIGA), to go to Camp Macario Sakay, but only nine of them decided to go.
Inside Camp Macario Sakay, the nine workers were interrogated in batches of three, and each batch was asked different questions. Some common questions were about who their instructors were, what courses they took, and if they �took an oath.�
Labor group Defend Coca-Cola Workers stated LIGA members were attending educational discussions such as a Course on True, Militant, and Nationalist Unionism, Union Administration, Collective Bargaining Agreement tactics, labor laws, and so on.
The nine workers were also promised regularization in exchange for not participating in union activities.
�Turncoat opportunist�
The nine workers also identified Rey Austria Medellin, a labor leader inside the Coca-Cola union, to be collaborating with the Philippine National Police.
A statement by labor group Defend Coca-Cola Workers identified Medellin as a known police asset whose job is to �point out who the leaders are and, alongside the PNP, go to their houses to intimidate at force to surrender as members of the NPA.�
The Revolutionary Council of Trade Unions � Southern Tagalog (RCTU-ST) condemned Medellin, calling him an �example of an opportunist leader who, after benefitting from the union�s struggle, is ready to sell out the union�s and his class� interests in exchange for minuscule rewards from capitalists and fascists.�
According to RCTU-ST, Medellin was a high ranking labor leader, and was in fact a victim of harassment from a certain Tom Garcia due to his involvement in the Coca-Cola union. Medellin was also plagued by financial trouble and struggled to raise his 10 children.
The Coca-Cola union was set to report the harassment faced by Medellin to the United Nations� International Labour Organization, while also preparing how to assist Medellin in his financial instability.
However, RCTU-ST Spokesperson Fortunato Magtanggol said Medellin �exposed himself as collaborating with the capitalists of Coke and the military� as early as February, when he expressed his plan to dismantle the union with the aid of Rene Escuadra, head of Coca-Cola�s security.
Last March 29, Medellin was identified by RCTU-ST as one of the �surrenderees� paraded by the Armed Forces of the Philippines in a �fake ceremony� on 40 NPA members at Camp Vicente Lim, presenting himself under the alias Rebo.
Medellin was also identified to have accompanied the police in harassing Coca-Cola workers in their homes, April 1 and 2.
�Shameful collusion�
Defend Coca-Cola Workers described the incident as a �clear case of harassment and anti-union practice�, calling it �shameful and infuriating� that Coca-Cola would �collude with the AFP and PNP to take advantage of the hunger, fear and struggle faced by many due to the COVID-19 pandemic.�
The group pointed out that both the Philippine Constitution and the Labor Code protect the workers� rights to unionize, engage in union activities, and to strike, citing Article XIII, Section 3 of the 1987 Constitution and Article 211 of the Labor Code.
Defend Coca-Cola Workers also stated that the �capitalists of Coca-Cola clearly want to break the union and take back the victories it has gained by conflating unionism with revolutionary movements and the NPA.�
About 430 Coca-Cola workers went on strike in 2013, which resulted in regularization and other benefits. edellin was one of the workers who were regularized following the three-day strike. Due to continuing concerns over contractualization and union-busting, 140 LIGA members staged a strike five years later in March 2018, which also resulted in a victory for the workers.
- Impact of Event
- 9
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats, Vilification
- Rights Concerned
- #COVID-19, Freedom of association, Labour rights, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Labour rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Aug 21, 2020
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Apr 19, 2020
- Event Description
Charges will be filed against former lawmaker Ariel Casilao and six other volunteers who were on their way to distribute relief packs in Bulacan province for allegedly violating quarantine rules, the Department of the Interior and Local Government said Monday.
The former Anakpawis party-list representative and six other volunteers of Sagip Kanayunan and Tulong Anakpawis relief operations were flagged down at a checkpoint in Norzagaray town Sunday morning.
They were brought to Norzagaray Municipal Police Station without clear explanation why there were brought there and then brought to Malolos Provincial Police Station �only to be yelled at for giving out �anti-government propaganda materials and accused of being supporters or recruiters of the New People�s Army,� Unyon ng mga Manggagawa sa Agrikultura said Monday.
Casilao is vice chairperson of UMA.
Local Government Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya claimed the food pass acquired by the volunteers was unauthorized but fishers' group Pamalakaya said the food pass used for the relief efforts was issued by Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources national director Eduardo Gongona.
In a statement on Sunday, SAKA (Sama-samang Artista para sa Kilusang Agraryo) said the relief efforts in Bulacan have been done "in close coordination with Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas-affiliated peasant organizations" since the start of the Luzon lockdown.
"Organizations would directly purchase fresh produce from farmers in San Jose del Monte and Norzagaray for distribution to different communities, and would also bring relief packs to these farmers for needs they cannot grow in the agricultural land they till and struggle for," the group also said. 'Attempted mass gathering'
The DILG spokesperson accused the team of volunteers of attempting to conduct a mass gathering in the guise of distributing relief goods. He also claimed that tarpaulins and �propaganda materials� were found in the jeepney that ferried Casilao and other volunteers.
Malaya said the volunteers will be charged for allegedly violating the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act and Article 151 of the Revised Penal Code, which punishes resistance and disobedience to a person in authority.
Casilao will be also charged for usurpation of authority under Article 177 of the Revised Penal Code.
�Anakpawis will have their day in court. The DILG assures them of due process. Sa korte na sila magpaliwanag,� he said. �Blatant harassment�
Casilao slammed on Monday what he called �blatant harassment and outright red-tagging at a time when aid is urgently needed by the poor.�
�The government should stop criminalizing organizations and individuals who simply want to give much needed relief as they should stop arresting the poor for asking for aid just like what they did with San Roque 21,� he said, referring to the residents of Sitio San Roque who were arrested after demanding food and financial aid during a protest early in April.
Pamalakaya chair Fernando Hicap, former Anakpawis party-list representative, said the incident was a �vile harassment� against humanitarian volunteers who are considered frontliners.
�Contrary to the statement of [Undersecretary] Malaya, we underwent through a proper process in applying for the food pass, so that our delivery of relief packs to the distressed fishing and farming communities will not be hampered,� he also said.
The International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines, for its part, urged Philippine authorities to work with organizations that try to help people cope with the coronavirus pandemic.
- Impact of Event
- 7
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats, Judicial Harassment, Vilification
- Rights Concerned
- #COVID-19, Freedom of assembly, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Community-based HRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Aug 21, 2020
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Apr 19, 2020
- Event Description
While they condemned her warrantless arrest, civic organizations in Cebu and in other parts of the country are calling for the immediate release of Cebuana entrepreneur and film writer Ma. Victoria �Bambi� Beltran.
Movement Against Tyranny � Cebu (MAT � Cebu), Concerned Artists of the Philippines, and DAKILA issued separate statements expressing condemnation of Beltran�s arrest past midnight on Saturday, April 18, 2020.
They also rallied to have the artist released from the custody of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO � 7) citing statements from Beltran�s camp that her arrest was without any legal basis.
Read: Police arrest Cebuana entrepreneur accused of posting false information
Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella accused Beltran, whom he once appointed to the city�s cinema development council, of allegedly peddling false information.
Labella was referring to a Facebook post that Beltran made alleging that over 9,000 residents in Sitio Zapatera in Barangay Luz, Cebu City have already been infected with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
However, Beltran�s legal counsel Vincente Isles and DAKILA, a group of writers where she is a member of, said the post was of satirical nature and was not intended to sow public confusion and panic.
�This statement (which Beltran posted on social media) echoed reports from local news that health officials from DOH Central Visayas considered the whole sitio with a population of 9,000 as infected or presumed contaminated,� DAKILA said.
Both MAT � Cebu and DAKILA also called for local government officials to direct their focus on responding to the pandemic that has infected 165 individuals in Cebu City as of April 19, 2020.
�What we need is an efficient government willing and able to address the medical and socio-economic needs of its constituents, not a leviathan very eager to maintain its posture to the extent of persecuting ordinary citizens,� MAT- Cebu said.
The groups also share the observation that Beltran�s arrest was an attack and a threat to freedom of speech and expression.
�This targeting and arrest is a vicious attack on freedom of expression amidst the continuing failure of the national and local governments to ensure expanded and systematic mass testing and a comprehensive public information drive on the pandemic,� the Concerned Artists of the Philippines stated.
Beltran was arrested in Barangay Kamputhaw, Cebu City at around 12:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 18, 2020.
High profile lawyer Benjamin Militar, who is part of Beltran�s legal counsel, said they found out that police arrested their client without any accompanying warrant and that no legal basis was cited.
Police Brigadier General Albert Ignatius Ferro, PRO � 7 director, said Beltran would be facing charges for the violation of the Anti-Cybercrime Law.
Read more: https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/303890/civic-groups-rally-call-for-bambi-beltrans-release#ixzz6UoFV2me0 Follow us: @inquirerdotnet on Twitter | inquirerdotnet on Facebook
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment, Vilification
- Rights Concerned
- #COVID-19, Online, Right to information, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- NGO staff, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Government, Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Aug 21, 2020
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Apr 18, 2020
- Event Description
Farmers and human rights groups are condemning the killing of a peasant leader who had been tagged as a member of New People�s Army (NPA) whom the military said was killed in a clash in Miag-ao town, Iloilo province last Saturday (April 18).
The leftist groups were also calling for the release of 11 persons, including minors, who were captured by the military and tagged as rebels.
The farmers group Pamanggas said John Farochilin was one of its council members and chair of the local peasant group Alyansa sang Mangunguma sa Miag-ao.
�We are saddened as we are angry at the cold-blooded murder of a dedicated peasant leader,� Cris Chavez, Pamanggas secretary general said.
Chavez said Farochilin was a key leader in the campaign to address hunger and poverty among farmers of Iloilo and to seek government assistance at the height of the El Ni�o weather phenomenon.
The Army�s 3rd Infantry Division (3ID) said soldiers of the 61st Infantry Battalion overran a rebel camp at the village of Cabalunan in Miag-ao and killed one rebel after a 35-minute gunfight.
The 3ID said in a statement that soldiers arrested seven persons, including a minor, and recovered firearms, improvised explosive devices, medical paraphernalia and rebel documents.
In another statement, the 301st Brigade said soldiers had captured rebels, including five minors.
But the NPA�s Mt. Napulak Command, which operates in southern Panay, denied that a clash occurred between rebels and government soldiers.
In a statement, Ilaya Kanaway, the command�s spokesperson, said no rebel was killed or captured as there was no clash in the first place.
The human rights groups Karapatan said those arrested were civilians and residents of the village of Igpanulong in Sibalom town in Antique province.
Reylan Vergara, citing an account of the mother of one of those arrested, said the men captured by the military were just gathering honey from beehives which they intended to sell when they were chanced upon by the soldiers.
In another statement, the 303rd Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army lauded the bravery of soldiers of the 94th Infantry Battalion during a clash with NPA rebels at a village in Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental province last Sunday (April 19).
Maj. Franco Ver Lopez, civil military officer of the 303rd Infantry Brigade, said 2Lt Ralf Amante Abibico, Cpl Joel Nobleza and Pfc Carl Venice Bustamante sacrificed their lives to protect the people from alleged extortion by NPA.
Four soldiers, who were wounded in the gun battle, were in stable condition, he said. They were Cpl John Cris M. Laus, PFC John Paul M. Geonzon, Cpl Lismer Jade J. Tumayao and Pfc Alexis I.Mepranum.
Read more: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1261738/army-in-iloilo-told-you-killed-a-peasant-leader-not-rebel#ixzz6Uo8k45Dh Follow us: @inquirerdotnet on Twitter | inquirerdotnet on Facebook
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Death, Extrajudicial Killing, Vilification, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to liberty and security, Right to life
- HRD
- Community-based HRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Aug 21, 2020
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Apr 11, 2020
- Event Description
A veteran peasant leader was arrested by authorities this afternoon at his residence in Purok 3, branagay Bonbon, Butuan City in Agusan del Norte, according to Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas.
Proceso Torralba, 71, has been charged with kidnapping and serious illegal detention in connection to the December 19, 2018 incident where 16 soldiers and paramilitary members were captured by New People�s Army (NPA) guerrillas.
KMP decried the charges as fabricated, saying that Torralba or Tatay Sisoy to his colleagues has been a peasant leader since 1985. He has been the chaiperson of the local chapter of KMP since 1988.
From 2009 to 2012, Torralba led the campaigns against high loan interest rates, and for the increase of farm workers� wages.
Torralba is now in the custody of the Philippine National Police in Ampayon, Butuan City.
KMP said Torralba has been suffering from a heart ailment, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma, making him vulnerable to coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- #COVID-19, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Community-based HRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Aug 21, 2020
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Apr 6, 2020
- Event Description
An urban poor leader assailed the harassment of police officers against their ongoing community kitchen in Sitio San Roque, an urban poor community in Quezon City today, April 6.
Elements of Quezon City Police District station 2 arrived in the community and removed their placards calling for government aid. Among those written in their placards were: #TulongHindiKulong and #SolusyongMedikalHindiMilitar.
�They threatened to stop our community kitchen if we will continue with the protests and placards. Will these police officers feed us?� said Estrelieta Bagasbas, a community leader in Sitio San Roque and one of Kadamay leaders, told Bulatlat in a phone interview.
Dubbed as Kusinang Bayan or community kitchen, the local chapter of Kadamay in Sitio San Roque, along with their supporters, has been providing warm meals to their neighbors. This effort is now on its third day.
In an earlier interview, Bagasbas explained that supporters usually drop off ingredients to their community, which they then distribute to at least 10 community kitchens within Sitio San Roque. These kitchens are manned by other grassroots organizations in the community, allowing them to provide warm meals to at least 1,000 families who lost their sources of income following the implementation of the enhanced community quarantine, one of the government approach to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
Despite the harassment, Bagasbas said the community kitchen continued its operations today, where they served pancit bihon and fried fish. Church groups such as the United Church of Christ in the Philippines and the Task Force on Urban Conscientization of the Association of Major Religious Superiors of the Philippines dropped off sacks of rice for the community kitchen today.
Sitio San Roque is among the urban poor communities in Metro Manila. Pocket demolitions, usually in the guise of road expansions, began in 2010. Residents have received relocation offers, but many have rejected as these are usually in far-flung communities where sources of livelihoods are scarce.
�While they besmirch our names, we continue to help our fellow poor. We may not have much, but we have supporters who have been extending assistance,� Bagasbas said, �Nairaraos namin ang pang-araw-araw na tulong.�
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats
- Rights Concerned
- #COVID-19, Offline, Right to food
- HRD
- Community-based HRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Aug 21, 2020
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Apr 6, 2020
- Event Description
The ongoing lockdown in the Philippines due to the novel coronavirus pandemic has failed to defuse a standoff between a local community and OceanaGold Philippines Inc (OGPI) over a controversial gold and copper mine in the province of Nueva Vizcaya.
The situation escalated on April 6 when an estimated 100 personnel from the provincial and municipal police forces dispersed the community�s �people barricade,� composed of 29 community leaders and members of peasant groups.
The barricade was an extralegal measure supported by the provincial government after OGPI�s permit to operate the Didipio mines lapsed on June 20, 2019.
The latest escalation comes after President Rodrigo Duterte�s office authorized in January the entry of 63,000 liters (16,600 gallons) of fuel to the Didipio mining site. After the dispersal, the police detained Rolando Pulido, chair of the Didipio Earth Savers Multi-Purpose Association (DESAMA).
The 27,000-hectare (66,700-acre) Didipio mine straddles the border between the provinces of Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino, some 270 kilometers (170 miles) northeast of Manila. It�s believed to hold 1.41 million ounces of gold and 169,400 tons of copper.
The standoff comes at a time when gold prices, stabilizing at $1,600 per ounce since February this year, are expected to peak amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
On July 1, 2019, local communities in Didipio and Alimit, hosts to the underground mines, set up a blockade to stop the entry of fuel tankers and service vehicles to the mining site. After a series of confrontations in the streets and in the courts, OceanaGold formally suspended its operations on Oct. 15, 2019, while it processes its application for an extension.
The community took over abandoned checkpoints, and with members working on shifts, maintained the blockade until the COVID-19 pandemic placed Metro Manila and the whole island of Luzon under an �enhanced community quarantine� � a lockdown that has suspended all domestic land, sea and air travel from March 15 until April 14.
Prior to the lockdown, residents blocked OGPI�s efforts to send in trucks carrying 630,000 liters (166,400 gallons) of fuel to run generators for its dewatering activities, which includes removing or pumping out groundwater from the mine site.
Governor Carlos Padilla clarified that the president�s letter allowing the delivery of fuel does not authorize the mining giant to continue its mining operations, which stalled for a lack of an extension.
�The provincial government recognizes the authority granted by the Office of the President to OGPI to transport fuel for its dewatering activities,� Padilla wrote in a letter dated March 10 to Eduardo A�o, the secretary of the interior and local government. �We have reservations, however, as to the amount of fuel to be transported to the mine site.�
Padilla said that 630,000 liters is �excessive if the same is to be used only for the dewatering activities,� adding that a tank of fuel, with a capacity of about 20,000 liters (5,300 gallons), can run generators for 50 hours during a power outage, which seldom transpires in the area.
Three tanker trucks, carrying roughly 60,000 liters, were delivered to the site.
Environmental groups have questioned the timing of the move as it comes while the country is under a state of calamity (a state of emergency during which the government has access to extra funds) due to a rising number of coronavirus cases. There were 3,660 confirmed infections in the Philippines and 163 deaths as of April 6.
�The national government violates its own pronouncements and orders � to give way for large-scale mining interests,� said Leon Dulce of the Kalikasan People�s Network for the Environment. �OceanaGold must be held accountable if the pandemic spreads in the villages affected by its operations.�
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Administrative Harassment, Judicial Harassment, Use of Excessive Force, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- #COVID-19, Freedom of assembly, Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Environmental rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Government, Police
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Suspected non-state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Aug 21, 2020
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Apr 5, 2020
- Event Description
Free expression groups and advocates are outraged at village officials and public school teachers in Cabiao, Nueva Ecija who forced a campus journalist into issuing a public apology over his criticism of the Rodrigo Duterte government�s handling of the corona virus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.
Arts and media alliance Let�s Organize for Democracy and Integrity (LODI) said the officials and teachers �deserve nothing but our (LODI) contempt and scorn� for being �bad examples to the youth� when they forced University of the East Dawn editor in chief Joshua Molo into issuing a public apology over his online criticisms of the president and the government.
�In their attempt to silence Joshua, they abused their positions of influence in the community and merely helped cover up the negligent and inept who Joshua wished to expose,� LODI said in a statement.
Molo caught the ire of Barangay San Fernando Sur officials and his former high school teachers when he questioned the Duterte administration�s �inaction� in posts on his Facebook wall. The post has since been taken down.
Molo�s posts piqued three of his former teachers at Cabiao National High School who professed their unquestioning support of the president.
LODI identified Molo�s former teachers as Jun Ainne Francisco, Rochelle Galang, Wilma Manalo, Mel Garcia, Delmar Miranda, Jonifel Ventura, and Rogelio Dela Cruz. The barangay officials are unidentified.
That Molo was eventually �forced� to issue a public apology and take down his posts have earned the ire of free expression and rights groups and advocates.
Violation to free expression
In an alert, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) said Redwire, an independent publication run by students of UE-Manila first broke the news and quoted friends who were in contact with the campus journalist as saying that the barangay officials threatened to file a libel case against Molo and have him picked up by police if he refused to apologize.
�A video posted on the UE Dawn editor�s social media account Sunday afternoon, April 5, showed him (Molo) making the �apology,� taking his cue from persons outside the frame of the image to begin reading the message he had prepared on his phone, a possible indication he was under duress at the time,� the NUJP said.
Before removing the video, the campus journalist posted a comment saying a former teacher had asked him to take it down, the group added.
LODI said the Molo�s criticisms of the government�s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic are �non-crimes� and that he was right in pointing out the slow delivery of relief items for the citizens placed under quarantine.
Molo�s student publication, the UE Dawn, also condemned �in the strongest possible terms� actions against its editor, adding �preventing someone from expressing his or her opinion on matters such as grievances against the government is an act of oppression.�
Alumni of the College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP), the national alliance of student publications that count the UE Dawn as its member, expressed full support to Molo and condemned �the cowardly acts of harassment against him.�
�The coronavirus pandemic is no excuse to deny anyone, including students, the right to air grievances against government and to hold government accountable for its ineptitude and neglect. The limits on physical movement render free public debate online all the more important. Students have every right to participate in the debate,� the CEGP alumni said.
In a statement, the group asked Molo�s teachers to reconsider their plans to file charges against the campus journalist.
�[They should]�allow Joshua to freely speak his mind, and to instead to help him ventilate the valid complaints he is raising regarding the Duterte administration�s response to the pandemic. Teachers should be the last ones to discourage critical and independent thinking among students. Neither should they encourage blind, unthinking obedience to authority,� the CEGP alumni said.
Human rights group Karapatan for its part said, �We are alarmed on this incident as it is a case of curtailment of the right to free expression. Karapatan would like to remind authorities that the right to free speech is protected by the Philippine Constitution and international human rights instruments. Anyone who wishes to express dismay over government�s actions should never be threatened and penalized.�
Philippines Graphic editor in chief Joel Pablo Salud also publicly criticized Molo�s former teachers, asking �What sort of teachers would take the constitutionally-assured exercise of free speech against this university student editor? These are former teachers in high school; the young man is now in college,� he said.
�Is this the kind of system these teachers are propagating�coercion, intimidation, harassment of those who will exercise their right to free speech? To make matters more disturbing, these teachers were allegedly his former Campus Journalism instructors in high school,� Salud added.
Journalist Inday Espina-Varona said the barangay officials were wrong in coercing submission from Molo on issues way beyond the specific complaint.
�Threatening Molo with arrest on grounds of anti-government sentiment is a violation of his constitutional right to free expression,� Espina-Varona said,
�Acting like a dictator�
In the same statement, the CEGP also condemned Cebu governor Gwendolyn Garcia�s threat against Today�s Carolinian (TC), student publication of the University of San Carlos in Cebu, that published an editorial critical of the local executive.
�She [Garcia] is not exempt from the requirement of accountability of public officers, and she has no legal authority to limit what can or cannot be said, or what can be asked or commented on,� the article reads.
The editorial entitled �A governor is not above the Constitution� was a criticism of Garcia�s announcement to form a unit to track down people with critical online posts.
Garcia responded with an �invitation� to TC editor in chief Berns Mitra to �beam some light into your clearly uninformed mind that has hastily jumped to an erroneous conclusion.�
The former officers of the CEGP however said Garcia should simply answer the questions and concerns raised by Cebu campus journalists.
�The pandemic is not a license for Garcia to act like a little dictator. She remains a public servant required by law to be accountable at all times to the people,� they said.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Administrative Harassment, Censorship, Intimidation and Threats
- Rights Concerned
- #COVID-19, Media freedom, Online
- HRD
- Student, Youth
- Perpetrator-State
- Government
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Aug 21, 2020
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Apr 3, 2020
- Event Description
President Rodrigo Duterte has slammed human rights lawyer Jose Manuel �Chel� Diokno and members of the opposition for supposedly resorting to �black propaganda� as the government grapples with solutions to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic in the country.
In his public address on Friday night, Duterte said Diokno and his colleagues in the opposition were pouncing on the Covid-19 crisis to gain political advantage for the 2022 elections.
�Itong si Chel Diokno sinabi pa niya sige ako mag-depensa sa inyo. Alam mo Chel Diokno, kayong opposition dilaw, huwag niyo pilitin ang pagkatao niyo sa gobyerno (This Chel Diokno, he even stated to defend these people. You know what, Chel Diokno, you in the yellow opposition, do not insist in putting yourselves in government),� Duterte said.
�Kayo nag-sige tagatakbo ng black propaganda kasi malapit na eleksyon, sabihin ko ngayon sa mga taong Pilipino, kung iyan ang ipalit niyo sa sunod na eleksyon, torpe talaga ang Pilipino (All of you who are pursuing black propaganda because election is coming, I will tell the Filipino people now, if you are going to choose them to replace the people in government in the coming elections, then Filipinos are really sheepish),� he added.
Duterte even ridiculed Diokno�s appearance, saying that the former opposition senatorial candidate was buck-toothed and talks like a janitor.
He also said Diokno was among �lousy lawyers� who are allegedly encouraging people to defy the law.
�Kung magsalita ka para kang, wag lang mainsulto kayong mga janitor�ito si Diokno magsalita parang janitor (If you talk you are like, I hope janitors would not get insulted�Diokno is talking like a janitor),� Duterte said.
�Alam mo kung bakit hindi ka nanalo? Kasi kalaki ng ngipin mo. Magsalita kalahati ng panga mo lumalabas (You know why you didn�t win in the last elections? Because you have big teeth. The way you talk, half of your jaw is showing),� he added.
Diokno, chair of the Free Legal Assistance Group, on Thursday, revealed that the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has summoned social media users who expressed sentiments on the government�s response to the pandemic.
He said NBI�s actions would bring a chilling effect since his client, who was summoned to explain, did not post misinformation but �fair commentary on matters of public interest.�
On his official social media accounts, Diokno has also called for mass testing for the novel coronavirus and cautioned the public on the use of the P275-billion government budget to fight the crisis.
In a radio interview on Saturday, Diokno said �now is not the time to go after anybody� as the country was still in the middle of the public health crisis.
�Sanay naman tayo sa ganyan na mga salita ng Pangulo, pero sana �di mawala ang pokus niya doon sa mga problema ng bayan, yung mga pangangailangan ng ating kapatid (I�m used to the disparaging remarks made by the President, but hopefully he won�t lose focus on the country�s problem, the needs of our countrymen),� Diokno said in an interview with dzMM radio.
�Now is not the time to go after anybody, but rather we all work together to address this problem,� he added.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats, Vilification
- Rights Concerned
- #COVID-19, Online, Right to information
- HRD
- Pro-democracy activist
- Perpetrator-State
- Government
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Aug 21, 2020
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Apr 1, 2020
- Event Description
Twenty-one protesters demanding food and other assistance were arrested Wednesday in Quezon City for staging a rally without government permit, police said.
The Quezon City Police District in a statement said the protesters, who are residents of Sitio San Roque, were arrested at a portion of EDSA in Barangay Bagong Pag-asa around 11 a.m.
A video posted by DZRH on Twitter shows the violent dispersal of protesters conducted by the QCPD. One of them can be seen being dragged by authorities, while being berated for participating in the protest.
Among those arrested was a 47-year-old woman who led the group Samahan Ng Magkakapitbahay ng Barangay San Roque.
They were apparently part of dozens of protesters shown on videos that circulated on social media. Some of them held placards saying they have not gotten any help from the local government amid the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine to curb the spread of COVID-19.
The local government of Quezon City denied these claims, saying there has been "continuous distribution of food packs throughout the city, both from the local government and the barangays to ensure that affected families are looked after during this crisis period."
"Nevertheless, the mayor has instructed city personnel to review the list to make sure nobody has been inadvertently left out," it added.
The city government said the residents crowded the area after being given false information that a TV crew was distributing relief goods there. The group Kadamay instigated individuals to hold the rally and claim they were not given aid, claimed Quezon City Task Force Action Officer Rannie Ludovica in a CNN Philippines News Night interview.
"Upon further questioning however, some residents acknowledged that they did receive food packs," the Quezon City government stressed.
As of March 31, the local government of Quezon City said it has distributed more than 952,000 food packs since the imposition of the quarantine, which has restricted people's movement. Quezon City has 151 confirmed cases of the coronavirus. Of this number, 27 have died while 11 have recovered.
Meanwhile, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte called on authorities to release the arrested protesters "in the interim for humanitarian reasons," and issue them a warning instead. PNP reiterates: No mass gatherings
Police earlier said charges will be filed against the protesters for violations of the Republic Act 11469 or the Bayanihan To Heal As One Act, which was recently passed to address the COVID-19 crisis; and the Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act. They will also be charged for resistance and disobedience to authorities.
�Bago po sila hinuli, unang-una pinakiusapan natin sila para magsibalikan sa kanilang tahanan, subalit nagmatigas sila kaya wala tayo magawa kundi i-implement natin ang batas," said QCPD Director Police Brigadier General Ronnie Montejo.
[Translation: Before they were arrested, authorities first requested them to return to their homes, but they refused to do so, and there's nothing we can do but implement the law.]
Ludovica also said protesters are "targeting other barangays" in Quezon City, including Payatas, Batasan, Holy Spirit and Commonwealth.
"After po nito, 'yun na po ang isusunod nila para lalabas talaga na 'yung mga tao ay di na makapaghintay at gutom na," Ludovica said.
[Translation: After this, they also intend to stage protests in those areas to make it appear like the people are already starving and can no longer wait.]
Philippine National Police Chief General Archie Gamboa warned of "firm and decisive police action" against those who will organize and join "illegal mass actions" amid the state of national health emergency due to the COVID-19 crisis.
Under Luzon-wide quarantine, people are ordered to stay home, except those offering basic services, mass transportation is suspended and all mass gatherings are prohibited. Groups call for protesters' release
Cause-oriented groups Bayan Muna and Gabriela condemned the "violent dispersal" of the protesters and demanded their immediate release.
"We further call for immediate action on the people's request for food and financial assistance," Bayan Muna Rep. Ferdinand Gaite said in a statement. "We demand the immediate release of the P8,000 cash assistance to the poor, the implementation of the P1,000 hike in SSS pension, and other social amelioration measures that were mandated by Republic Act 11469."
Gabriela Women's Party in a separate statement said, "using excessive force and detention will not quell the empty stomachs of Filipinos who up to this day remain denied of the promised P200-billion cash aid for the poor."
Nationwide, COVID-19 cases have risen to 2,311, with 96 deaths and 50 recoveries.
- Impact of Event
- 21
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- #COVID-19, Freedom of assembly, Offline, Right to food, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Community-based HRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Aug 21, 2020
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Mar 31, 2020
- Event Description
A woman peasant leader was killed on March 31 in San Miguel, Surigao del Sur.
Nora Apique, 66, who was shot by unidentified assailants at 7:00 p.m. yesterday. She was reportedly on her way home when gunmen fired at her in barangay Patong, according to Amihan National Federation of Peasant Women.
Apique was a leader of Kahugpungan sa mga Mag-uuma sa Surigao del Sur. She was also a member of Barangay Agrarian Reform Committee (BARC), and became the chairperson of the Municipal ARC.
She was also a member of the Provincial ARC since 2016. She joined in the 20017 caravan to Manila demanding free irrigation services for farmers.
Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP)-Caraga chapter said Apique was constantly red-tagged allegedly by members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and paramilitary groups.
In a statement, Zenaida Soriano, chairperson of Amihan, said, �Apique�s killing show that military operations continue despite the crisis the country is facing and the �preventive community quarantine� being implemented in the province.�
Bayan Muna Rep. Eufemia Cullamat also condemned the killing of Apique. She said while the country is facing the crisis brought about the pandemic, members of the military in the provinces continue to commit abuses and rights violations.
Cullamat�s family harassed
Cullamat also cited the harassment against her family in Lianga, Surigao del Sur, by the members of the military.
She said after the arrest of her sister, Gloria Campos Tumalon, on March 19, soldiers went to her children and asked about her personal information.
�For what will they use the information about me? Why not ask me personally�, she said.
She said trolls also circulate fake news about her, labeling her as a member of the New People�s Army.
�Authorities have been warning the public about spreading fake news, but they are the ones who are leading it. They should be the one who should be punished,� she added.
She called on the government especially the Philippine National Police and the AFP to stop the attacks on national minorities, respect indigenous people�s right to self-determination.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- Death, Extrajudicial Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to life
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Land rights defender, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Suspected state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Aug 21, 2020
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Mar 17, 2020
- Event Description
A 25-year-old activist and artistic director of a community theater group was shot to death by unidentified assailants in Cortes town on Tuesday morning.
Marlon Maldos, a choreographer and trainer of �Bol-anong Artista nga may Diwang Dagohoy� (Bansiwag), became the youngest victim of extrajudicial killing in Bohol.
The police investigation showed that Maldos was in between two persons on board a motorcycle in Barangay Dela Paz in Cortes, 10 kilometers from this city, when the perpetrators, on board another motorcycle, arrived and fired at the victim.
Witnesses told the police that Maldos appeared to be the target since when he and his companions fell to the ground, the gunmen approached and finished him off.
Maldos suffered five bullet wounds on the body.
Police recovered four empty shells of .45-caliber and three spent shells of 9-mm caliber at the crime scene.
Investigators have yet to identify the perpetrators as well as the motive behind the killing.
Farmers and progressive groups, including the Hugpong sa Mag-uumang Bol-anon (Humabol), condemned the murder of Maldos.
In a statement, Humabol said agents of state forces were behind the killing of Maldos.
At a time when the country is under a health emergency and all efforts should be directed towards controlling the spread of COVID-19, fascist agents of this fascist government are on a rampage, harassing, and killing farmers, land rights activists, and cultural workers, the statement said.
Humabol said Maldos and his family had been the subject of constant red-tagging, vilification, and harassment.
He has been unfairly and baselessly linked to the revolutionary underground movement even if he was plainly out in the open, participating in rallies calling for genuine land reform, and organizing theater arts workshops,� it said.
�We demand swift justice for Marlon. We demand to end impunity. We demand that these senseless killings be solved and perpetrators be brought to face the court of law, and punished accordingly, it added.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Death, Extrajudicial Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to life
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Youth
- Perpetrator-State
- Suspected state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Aug 21, 2020
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Mar 19, 2020
- Event Description
Police arrested Manobo leader Gloria Tomalon in barangay Diatagon, Lianga, Surigao del Sur, on charges of kidnapping and serious illegal detention, March 19.
Tomalon is a prominent leader in the indigenous Manobo’s struggle as founder of the organization KATRIBUMMU and a council member of the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC). Tomalon is also the sister of Bayan Muna Representative Eufemia Cullamat.
“The PNP [Philippine National Police] and AFP [Armed Forces of the Philippines] chose to illegally arrest my sister as the country grapples against the horror of this COVID-19 pandemic. [They] should stop the attacks against national minorities and respect our right to self-determination instead,” said Cullamat in a statement.
According to Cullamat, Tomalon was visited by elements of the Lianga police at her home on March 19, 11:20 a.m. She was then forced to go to the police station where a warrant of arrest was served to her.
Bayan Muna asserted that the charges of kidnapping and serious illegal detention were “trumped-up” and were “filed en masse against some 400 individuals, including leaders and members of Lumad organizations and civilians in Sibagat, Agusan del Sur, 2018.” Tomalon has been the target of an intense red-tagging campaign. The state-owned Philippine News Agency labeled Tomalon as leader of the New People’s Army (NPA), linking her to an attack by the NPA guerrillas in sitio Emerald, barangay Diatagon and an alleged failed ambush on February 19.
A statement by Maj. Gen. Antonio Parlade, Jr., spokesperson of the National Task Force to End the Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), also described Tomalon as the chair of an organization that “promotes communist principles.”
Cullamat belied NTF-ELCAC’s claims. “This is part and parcel of the PNP and AFP campaign to link IP leaders who are opposing the mining and other environmentally destructive activities to armed groups in a bid to illegitimize their struggle and eventually suppress their voice,” she said.
Tomalon, in her capacity as chair of KATRIBUMMU, was vocal in opposing attempts by five mining companies to operate in the Andap Valley complex. The five companies were the Romualdez-owned Benguet Corp., Abacus Coal Exploration and Development Corp., the Chinese-owned Great Wall Mining and Power Corp., ASK Mining and Exploration Corp., and Coal Black Mining Corp.
Tomalon’s brother, Pablito Campos, was also arrested in February 2018 and was branded as an “NPA spokesperson.” Her other brother, Dionel Campos, was the chairperson of Malahutayong Pakigbisog Alansa sa Sumusunod (Mapasu) and was killed by members of the paramilitary group Magahat-Bagani in September 2015.
Other Bayan Muna representatives also condemned the arrest. House Deputy Minority Leader Carlos Isagani Zarate said the arrest was brought about by Executive Order 70 and the NTF-ELCAC, which has been used to “attack and harass even the legal progressive organizations, their members, and leaders.”
“The Gloria Tomalon case is no exception as it obviously bears the mark of the typical PNP-AFP false campaign to align the leaders of legal organizations to the communist insurgents to create an excuse to attack, harass, and even kill them,” Zarate said.
Rep. Ferdinand Gaite also condemned the arrest in the middle of a crisis. “The government is asking for united effort to combat the spread of COVID-19,” he said, “but clearly, what is still in full swing is not war against the pandemic, but the government’s war against democratic dissent, against people’s political participation, against the indigenous people’s assertion of their rights.”
Tomalon is currently in custody of the Lianga police. Her sisters have already sought the help of both the NAPC and the Commission on Human Rights.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment, Vilification, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Offline, Right to liberty and security, Right to protect reputation
- HRD
- Indigenous peoples' rights defender, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military, Government, Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Mar 26, 2020
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Mar 20, 2020
- Event Description
A leader of a farmer’s group in Pantukan, Compostela Valley was shot dead in his house at 6:30 p.m. on March 20.
Agudo Quillio, 52, chairperson of Hugpong sa mga Mag-uuma sa Pantukan (Humapan), was in his house preparing dinner for his family when three armed men forcibly entered their door. The men headed straight to Quillo, and shot him multiple times in the chest instantly killing him, the Karapatan Southern MIndanao Region wrote in their report.
Quillio led the peasant group Humapan in campaigning to stop the mining exploration activities of the American-owned St. Augustine Mines Ltd. in his town. Kingking in Pantukan is one of the prime mining areas that began to be actively promoted to foreign investors under the Arroyo presidency.
Quillo had also participated in the campaign of Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries to recover their lands from the control of banana plantations in Davao del Norte.
HUMAPAN is a municipal peasant organization in Pantukan town and under the provincial peasant organization, Hugpong sa mga Mag-uuma sa Walog Compostela (HUMAWAC), an affiliate organization of Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas- Southern Mindanao Region.
The human rights group Karapatan suspects the assailants are under the 46th Infantry Battalion. They lambasted the military for its vicious attacks on anti-mining advocates.
Two years before, in January 27, 2016, another anti-mining leader, Teresita Navacilla, was shot in Kingking, Pantukan. She died in the hospital three days later. Like with Quillo, the attack was reportedly perpetrated by soldiers from the 46th Infantry Battalion which has been assigned to secure the King-king mining project.
Before the fatal shootings, the same infantry battalion have reportedly assaulted and arrested members of the Mansaka tribe and other residents opposed to the mining project.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Death, Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to life
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Environmental rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Suspected state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Mar 24, 2020
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Feb 8, 2020
- Event Description
Human rights alliance Karapatan condemns in strongest terms the trumped-up charges against couple Reynaldo and Carmelita Camacho, who were arrested by the elements of the 47th Infantry Battalion (IB) without a warrant nor any legal basis in their home at Brgy. Tolang, Getafe, Bohol last February 8, 2020.
Reynaldo, according to their neighbors, is an upright citizen of Brgy. Tolang and even ran for councilor in the recent elections. He is currently a volunteer for the local peace and order group Bantay Bayan as well as a catechist of the Sto. Niño in Gestafe.
According to Eulalia Camacho Pacanza, elements of the 47th IB barged into their home after raiding three houses and one sari-sari store, and took their belongings including cellphones, a laptop, and PHP 18,000 worth of cash before “inviting” Reynaldo without declaring an arrest and boarding him in a white van. His wife Carmelita volunteered to accompany him to assure his safety. The couple are now being tagged and paraded by the military as arrested top leaders of the New People’s Army (NPA) with guns and bombs allegedly confiscated from the couple.
“State terrorism, after all, is a lucrative business. It’s no wonder that the military is now rabidly manufacturing lies from photoshopping rebel surrenderees, planting guns and bombs in raids of offices of progressive organizations, to proliferating fake news of catching big fish of the NPA by staging arrests of innocent individuals through trumped-up charges as part of their modus operandi to collect thousands of pesos worth of bounty in their fascist counterinsurgency operations under Executive Order No. 70,” Karapatan Deputy Secretary General Roneo Clamor said.
He further averred that the couple’s arrest was done by the virtue of a recycled and already dismissed case: “The case now being lodged against the Camacho couple was previously employed in the arrests of Roy Erecre in Davao in May 2014 and Fr. Rustico Tan in Oslob, Cebu in November 2017. Both the charges against Erecre and Fr. Tan were eventually dismissed, and we urge that this malicious allegations against them be immediately junked for the very simple reason that it is nothing but an already proven lie.”
“Karapatan joins the family of Reynaldo and Carmelita Camacho in demanding justice for their illegal arrest and in the dropping of the trumped-up charges and allegations against them. We also urge the Commission on Human Rights to investigate and hold accountable the deceptive military and their attacks on people’s rights,” the Karapatan official ended.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Denial Fair Trial, Judicial Harassment, Raid, Vilification
- Rights Concerned
- Right to fair trial, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security, Right to property, Right to protect reputation
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Family of HRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Mar 11, 2020
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Mar 3, 2020
- Event Description
The Quezon City city prosecutor has found “reasonable grounds” for the filing of perjury charges against 10 human rights defenders.
City Prosecutor Vimar Barcellano overturned Quezon City Senior Assistant City Prosecutor Nilo Peñaflor resolution in November 2019 dismissing the original complaint against 11 rights defenders. Barcellano granted the appeal of the complainant, National Security Hermogenes Esperon Jr.
Among the accused are Karapatan officers Elisa Tita Lubi, Cristina Palabay, Edita Burgos, Gabriela Krista Dalena, Roneo Clamor, Jose Mari Callueng and Wilfredo Ruazol. Also charged were Gabriela officers Joan May Salvador and Gertrudes Libang and Emma Cupin, national coordinator of Rural Missionaries of the Philippines (RMP).
In an interview with Bulatlat, Burgos maintained the case is pure harassment. “The case is being used to retaliate versus Karapatan officers who were only seeking protection from the court,” she said.
Esperon filed the charges following the filing of writ of amparo and writ of habeas data with the Supreme Court by Karapatan, Gabriela and RMP. Esperon was named respondent in Karapatan’s plea for protection against harassment and threats from state security forces. The Court of Appeals eventually denied Karapatan’s petition.
“Don’t we have the right to seek protection for ourselves?” Burgos asked. “And perjury? We are God-fearing. We are not liars. They are the ones who lie.”
The National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) also maintained that the case is a form of political persecution.
Ephraim Cortez, NUPL secretary general, noted the “extraordinary speed” by which the city prosecutor acted on Esperon’s motion for reconsideration. Cortez told Bulatlat ordinary motions usually take three months to one year.
“It’s been railroaded,” Cortez said, noting that the national task force to end the local communist armed conflict (NTF-ELCAC) chaired by Esperon, boasted as legal victory the filing of perjury against Catholic nun Elen Belardo.
Cortez also noted that the revival of the charges coincide with the 43rd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva. Karapatan and other organizations filed complaints against the Duterte administration’s human rights abuses before the UN body.
The accused, except Palabay and Cupin who are outside Manila, posted bail this morning.
- Impact of Event
- 10
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- Denial Fair Trial, Judicial Harassment, Reprisal as Result of Communication
- Rights Concerned
- Offline, Right to access and communicate with international bodies, Right to fair trial
- HRD
- NGO staff, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Government, Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Active
- Date added
- Mar 4, 2020
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Dec 26, 2019
- Event Description
“But now more than ever, the RMP will live out its commitment to be servant-leaders with the poor farmers, fisherfolk, agricultural workers, and Indigenous Peoples so that all may truly experience God’s compassion and mercy in the here and now.”
Amid the continuing crackdown on progressives, the Philippine government’s Anti-Money Laundering Council has issued a freeze order on the bank accounts of the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines, “depriving rural poor of the help and services they deserve, and that the government refuses to provide,” the church group said.
This, the RMP said, is the latest attack against them that “greatly encumbers our mission to collectively witness and act as Christ’s disciples with the rural poor, for them to enjoy the fruits of their labor, to live a life of justice and peace towards fullness of life promised to all God’s children.”
The 50-year-old institution is a national organization of religious men and women, priests, and lay who provide assistance to communities of peasants, fisherfolk, indigenous peoples, and agricultural workers.
The RMP said the accounts were created and maintained for completed and on-going projects of RMP, as well as for its internal operations. It added that the donations and funding they have received are used “to help the marginalized and oppressed.”
Compared to the government’s track record, the RMP said it has provided much-needed services to rural communities for the past 50 years.
Series of attacks
This is not the first time that RMP has been subjected to harassment.
Last year, military spokesman Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr. went on a vilification-spree against RMP and several progressive organizations. RMP was among those who sought the protection of the Supreme Court as red-tagging often results to graver rights abuses such as extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and illegal arrests.
The Court of Appeals, however, tasked by the High Court to hear their amparo petition, denied the legal remedy that human rights defenders were seeking.
A perjury case filed by Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr. against RMP’s former Chairperson Sr. Elen Belardo instead remains pending before a Quezon City court.
Apart from Belardo, other key RMP leaders and members are also facing trumped-up charges. These include Sr. Emma Cupin and lay worker Angie Ipong who are facing arson, kidnapping, and robbery, and frustrated murder, respectively. Just this morning, another RMP lay worker Mariell Domanquill was arrested along with four others in simultaneous raids in Tacloban City.
The tribals schools that the RMP has helped set up were also forcibly closed, with their two volunteer teachers Melissa Comiso and Nori Torregosa still in jail for trumped up charges.
“Our organization has been vilified and maligned — thru cowardly and baseless anonymous black propaganda materials, and thru equally cowardly and baseless official pronouncements of the government,” the RMP said.
Vague reasons
On Dec. 26, 2019, however, the anti-money laundering body issued Resolution TF-18, ordering for a 20-day freeze for three RMP accounts under the Bank of Philippine Islands, one of the country’s biggest banks.
RMP said the bank was also ordered to submit other bank accounts.
A petition to extend the freeze order up to six months was also filed before the Court of Appeals, despite what the RMP described as “very vague reasoning” that RMP is related to terror financing, which they strongly denied.
“We have our mission and community partners to confirm this,” they said.
On Jan. 9 and 13, the church group received notices from their bank, confirming that their accounts have been suspended, including two for the National Office and nine for Northern Mindanao.
Continue with advocacy
The attack against RMP, the church group said, is proof that living out one’s faith as a Christian and establishing the Church of the Poor, “will put your liberty and life at risk.”
“But now more than ever, the RMP will live out its commitment to be servant-leaders with the poor farmers, fisherfolk, agricultural workers, and Indigenous Peoples so that all may truly experience God’s compassion and mercy in the here and now,” the group said.
Instead of pouring their efforts on RMP, the group called on the government’s anti-money laundering body to instead go after those who are truly involved in crimes of laundering money through corruption and other crimes against the poor.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Administrative Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of association, Right to access to funding, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to property
- HRD
- NGO
- Perpetrator-State
- Government
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Feb 10, 2020
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Feb 5, 2020
- Event Description
Human rights group Karapatan condemns the arrest of its National Council member in Western Mindanao, Engr. Jennefer Aguhob, yesterday, February 5, 2020.
Aguhob was reportedly arrested based on a warrant for charges of murder issued on July 26, 2019 by Judge Victoriano Lacaya, Jr. of Regional Trial Court Branch 9 in Dipolog City, Zamboanga del Norte. She is currently detained at the Oroquieta City Police Station.
"The arrest of human rights worker Engr. Jennefer Aguhob based on charges she wasn’t aware of, based on incidents that she had no knowledge of, and based on an alleged crime that she had no participation in, depicts the kind of judicial harassment faced by human rights defenders and critics of this administration. By exercising human rights work, Aguhob and many human rights advocates are persecuted," said Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay.
Aguhob, a resident of Oroquieta City in Misamis Occidental and a recent law graduate, is currently Karapatan’s National Council member from Region 13. She participated in the organization’s council meeting in October 2019. Aside from conducting human rights work in the region, she was currently preparing to take the bar exams this year.
"Prior to her arrest, Aguhob had no knowledge that there was such a complaint filed against her and others. She was deprived of her right to due process, when she was arrested based on the said complaint,” Palabay stated.
Aguhob experienced several threats and harassment in the past two years. She was terminated from the Oroquieta City engineer’s office, after her military officials talked with her superiors.
Karapatan said the filing of trumped up charges against activists is a policy and practice by administrations in an attempt to stifle dissent. “The Duterte administration is more viciously implementing this with Executive Order No. 70 and martial law, declared or otherwise, in Mindanao,” she added.
The human rights group demanded for the release of Aguhob, as it pressed for the rescinding of EO70 and the enactment of measures for the protection of human rights defenders. “Release human rights worker Engr. Jennefer Aguhob!,” Palabay concluded.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Right to fair trial, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- NGO staff, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Feb 10, 2020
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Feb 7, 2020
- Event Description
Activist groups as well as the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) demanded the immediate release of a journalist and four human rights advocates who were arrested for alleged illegal possession of firearms and explosives in two simultaneous raids in Tacloban City early Friday morning.
Arrested in the raids conducted by the police and the Army were Marielle Domequil, a staff member of the Rural Missionaries Philippines-Eastern Visayas; Mira Legion, a staff member of Bayan Muna; Alexander Abinguna, secretary general of Katungod-Sinirangan Bisayas; Marissa Cabaljao of People’s Surge and Frenchiemae Cumpio, journalist and executive director of independent news outfit Eastern Vista. Advertisement
Cumpio and Domequil were arrested at an office in Barangay Calapaniwan where police said they found firearms and ammunition.
Legion, Cabaljao and Abinguna were arrested at an office in Barangay Fatima where police also allegedly found several firearms, live ammunition and fragmentation grenades
Cabaljao was sleeping with her 1-year-old baby when the arresting team arrived, according to the human rights watchdog Karapatan. As of press time on Friday, the infant was with the mother and the four other detainees at the municipal police station in Palo town.Search warrants
The arresting officers were led by Police Lt. Col. Marvin Pedere of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group of the Philippine National Police. According to the 8th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army based in Catbalogan City, Samar, the raids were conducted based on search warrants issued on Feb. 3 by Executive Judge Eligio Petilla of the Tacloban Regional Trial Court Branch 44. NUJP and Karapatan condemned the arrests, claiming the evidence against the activists were planted.
Karapatan noted that the search warrants were shown to the activists only after they were arrested. Long before Friday’s raids, the group said, it received reports of threats and incidents of harassment directed against the activists and their organizations. ‘Rights of defenders’
“Today’s arrests and raids should enrage [those] who stand for civil liberties and human rights, social justice and lasting peace in the country,” the group said in a statement. “We are calling on all advocates and communities to defend the rights of defenders against these attacks by the Duterte administration.”
NUJP assailed Cumpio’s arrest as part of the government crackdown on critical voices in the mainstream and alternative media.
“Since last year, the government has no longer bothered to hide the fact that the critical media have been included in their list of ‘enemies of the state,’’ the media group said. “Let us thwart this government’s attempts to muzzle freedom of the press and of expression, without which democracy cannot survive. Let us send out the message that we are free not because anyone allows us to be but because we insist on being free.” Cumpio had suspected state agents of following her and placing her under surveillance since September last year, according to the two groups. ‘Renewed crackdown’
At the House of Representatives, Bayan Muna Representatives Carlos Isagani Zarate and Eufemia Cullamat condemned the raids and called for the immediate release of the five detainees.
Zarate, the House deputy minority leader, said the raids were “part of the renewed crackdown on progressive groups in the country” and “followed the same pattern of mass arrests, then the filing of trumped-up charges based on planted evidence of illegal possession of firearms and explosives.”
- Impact of Event
- 6
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community), Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Denial Fair Trial, Judicial Harassment, Raid
- Rights Concerned
- Right to fair trial, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Family of HRD, Media Worker, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military, Judiciary, Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Feb 10, 2020
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jan 31, 2020
- Event Description
It has been days since Jay-ar Mercado was killed by suspected elements of the Philippine Army’s 4th Infantry Battalion but Mercado’s family is still unable to have any peace.
Mercado was an indigenous people’s organizer and member of Bigkis at Lakas ng mga Katutubo sa Timog Katagalugan (BALATIK). He was conducting mass work with the indigenous community in Bulalacao, Oriental Mindoro when he was murdered by suspected state agents on Jan. 31.
On February 1, Mercado’s family began their search for the slain organizer. When they arrived at a local funeral home in Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro, they were informed that the military had already claimed and buried the body the day before.
The family then proceeded to Bulalacao Municipal Police Station, where four soldiers, allegedly from the 4th Infantry Battalion, accosted them. The soldiers questioned the family’s credentials and insinuated that they were not Mercado’s actual family.
An update from Karapatan Southern Tagalog stated that Mercado’s family has managed to talk with Bulalacao Mayor Ernilo Villas, who said that a court order is needed to exhume Mercado’s remains. According to Villas, the order came from Governor Humerlito Dolor.
The Municipal Health Office also claimed that the remains can only be exhumed after three to five years.
Karapatan-ST demands justice. “We are disappointed and angry at the military, who not only took Jay-ar’s life, but also blatantly violates the rights of the family by performing delaying tactics and depriving them of the right to claim their relative’s remains,” Kyle Salgado, Karapatan ST spokesperson, said in a statement.
Mercado’s death is the latest in a long line of attacks by state forces on the indigenous peoples and advocates going as far back as Oplan Habol Tamaraw under Jovito Palparan. Mindoro’s indigenous Mangyan population currently faces threats of development aggression from private corporations and state forces.
Last year saw increased militarization in Mindoro, as well as crackdowns on peasant organizers and rights advocates. The military has declared Karapatan Southern Tagalog persona non grata in Mindoro. “The death of Jay-ar Mercado is an addition to countless human rights violations perpetuated by the tyrannical rule of the Duterte regime,” Salgado said. “It is a reflection of how this reactionary government twists the mind of the people into thinking that our country is at peace.”The Philippines is the most dangerous country for environmental activists according to nonprofit organization Global Witness. In 2018, 164 activists were killed, including attacks on activists fighting against mining, hydropower, and agribusiness projects.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Death, Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to life
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Indigenous peoples' rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Suspected state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Feb 4, 2020
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jan 27, 2020
- Event Description
Policy research group Ibon Foundation on Thursday, January 30, condemned the "persistent raid-baiting" of the Duterte administration instead of addressing the issues raised by progressive groups.
"The public deserves the truth and to be informed about the issues that matter to them the most," the group said. "Instead, the government is red-baiting critical voices to silence opposition and to hide the real situation of the country."
The statement comes after an episode of One News' The Chiefs where Ibon research head Rosario Guzman and Communications Undersecretary Lorraine Badoy discussed the numbers cited by the Duterte Legacy campaign. (READ: Making sense of the ‘Duterte Legacy’ infographic)
Ibon presented its own fact-checking of the data. Badoy, however, accused the group of being part of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).
According to the group, Badoy's action is "symptomatic of the administration’s wholesale attacks on independent groups," in line with the government's counterinsurgency campaign.
"Usec Badoy’s behavior is being done to hide the worsening economic situation, prevent the radical reforms needed to develop the country, and promote its self-serving agenda," Ibon said.
"Under the pretext of ending the armed Communist rebellion, the Duterte administration cast its net wide and is attacking every group that is critical of its anti-people economic policies and authoritarianism," it added.
The Duterte government has been widely criticized for its treatment of human rights defenders and activists in the Philippines. According to rights group Karapatan, at least 2,370 human rights defenders have been charged by the government from 2016 to 2019, the biggest number in more than a decade. (READ: Duterte's war on dissent)
Ibon, a policy group focused on socioeconomic issues founded in 1978, was previously tagged by the Philippine government as among groups whose funding was allegedly being used by the CPP. It has previously experienced cyberattacks against its website.
The group vows to push forward with its work amid greater attacks by the government.
"As with activists and other groups, we are undeterred and will continue to support the efforts of the people’s movement to reclaim the economy from the elites that have taken it over," it said. "We will also be taking measures to show that we do not condone the people’s money being used for a self-serving political agenda."
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Online Attack and Harassment, Vilification
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of association, Online, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to protect reputation
- HRD
- NGO
- Perpetrator-State
- Government
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Feb 4, 2020
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jan 21, 2020
- Event Description
A field reporter of Radyo ni Juan based in Tagum City, Davao del Norte was harassed by police in Carmen town as he covered a protest by banana workers Jan. 21, according to an alert released by the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP).
Radyo ni Juan reporter Glenn Jester Hitgano was covering the strike of workers of banana company Philippine Dream Farm Development when policemen cut short his interview and took took him to the police station, where he was held for an hour. The policemen also attempted to confiscate his phone and ordered him to erase his interview, but the reporter asserted his rights as a journalist.
“They subjected me to psywar and harassed me, saying I was not allowed to carry out interviews,” Hitgano said.
National alternative media group Altermidya denounced the intimidation and arrest of Hitgano.
“Altermidya condemns this attack on our colleague, who was clearly being coerced into silence by state forces who were uncomfortable with the truth. The arrest and intimidation of journalists like Hitgano is a blatant violation of media’s task of exposing the truth to the public,” the group said in a statement.
Altermidya said members of the Carmen police should be held accountable.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Intimidation and Threats
- Rights Concerned
- Media freedom, Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Media Worker
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Feb 4, 2020
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jan 17, 2020
- Event Description
The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) on Monday, January 20, condemned the "brutal" killing of a local peasant leader in Northern Samar.
In a statement, the CHR said 35-year-old Jennifer Tonag is just one of the many victims who have "faced reprisals due to exposing state-perpetrated human rights violations and demanding for justice and accountability."
"The CHR calls for justice for the death of Tonag and all the human rights defenders in the country and around the world who sacrificed their lives to create a better future for everyone, especially for the marginalized, vulnerable, and disadvantaged segments of our society," CHR spokesperson Jacqueline de Guia said.
Unidentified men killed Tonag, organizer of the Northern Samar Small Farmers Association (NSSFA), while she was on her way home from a seminar sponsored by the Department of the Interior and Local Government last Friday, January 17.
She sustained two gunshot wounds, one on her hand and chest, and was declared dead on arrival at the Northern Samar Provincial Hospital.
Tonag leads the NSSFA, a group helping farmers defend their land rights and other issues, in Lope de Vega, Northern Samar.
The CHR's regional office has already dispatched a quick response team to conduct an independent probe into Tonag's killing, De Guia said.
Call for repeal of EO
The CHR "amplified the clamor" for the government to repeal Executive Order No. 70 which created a national task force that sought to address causes of armed conflict with communists at the local level.
Human rights groups have said that EO No. 70 only led to massive red-tagging as well as threats and harassment under the guise of a counterinsurgency program.
"The commission reiterates its call to the government that it must desist from all forms of violence and harassment against human rights defenders," De Guia said.
"These attacks are in the context of increasing number of reported extrajudicial killings in rural areas alongside the intensified counterinsurgency program of the government," she added.
More than 100 human rights defenders have been killed since July 2016, data from rights group Karapatan showed. Many of the killings were in provinces that have long had conflicts related to land, with victims mostly coming from the farming sector. The killings exist alongside other incidents of legal harassment against activists by the Duterte administration."We strongly urge our legislators to prioritize the enactment and full implementation of a Human Rights Defenders Protection Bill that will give legal recognition and protection of the rights of defenders in the conduct of their work," De Guia said.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- Death, Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to life
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Feb 4, 2020
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Dec 10, 2019
- Event Description
The secretary-general of human rights group Karapatan received threats of death and rape, among others, during the annual celebration of International Human Rights Day on Tuesday, she said.
Cristina Palabay said she received a phone call and a series of texts from an unknown number. Related Stories How activists respond to being tagged as rebels
“I received a phone call from this number (a call which I took because I thought the caller might be a distressed victim or a journalist), presumably yet another caller from the military intelligence or paid hitman from the government threatening to kill me,” Palabay’s Facebook post on Tuesday read.
“He was asking where I live and said all the worst possible things that he/they will do to me.”
The caller subsequently sent texts containing praises of President Rodrigo Duterte and threats of rape against the Karapatan official. Screen captures of the said texts were included in Palabay’s post.
“Karapatan strongly condemns this verbal assault and series of threats against our secretary-general. Such use of words meant to demean Cristina on the basis of her identity as a woman is precisely indicative of the fascist character and toxic masculinity perpetrated and replicated by President Duterte and his supporters,” the rights group said in a Wednesday release.
Moreover, Karapatan said that aside from attacks targeting female leaders, the incident holds grave implications on the state of human rights in the Philippines considering it happened during a holiday meant to celebrate the observation of human rights.
“This latest attack confirms that as we commemorate human rights day, the Philippines has regressed to an all-time low with regard to its protection and respect for women's and people's rights,” the group said.
Despite the attack taking place through the official mobile number used by Palabay in media lists and press releases distributed during protests, including to police, Karapatan said that it will not be deterred.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- Death threat, Gender Based Harassment, Intimidation and Threats, Vilification
- Rights Concerned
- Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to protect reputation
- HRD
- NGO staff, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Suspected state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Active
- Date added
- Dec 19, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Nov 7, 2019
- Event Description
Independent think tank Ibon Foundation expressed alarm over a notice of “ocular inspection” from the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) in the wake of successive raids of offices of progressive organizations.
In a statement, Ibon Foundation said it received a call from a certain Col. Joaquin Alba of NCRPO at around 4 p.m. informing them that a warrant of arrest will be served on someone supposedly within the office building.
Ibon Foundation told Alba that the person indicated in the warrant does not hold office there but the latter insisted that they will still go to conduct “an ocular inspection.” The research group received information that a police team from Criminal Investigation and Detection Group was preparing to go to Ibon to ‘pick up’ someone (“may kukunin na tao”).
“This is alarming and we believe that it is part of the Duterte government’s worsening crackdown on activists upholding human rights and hence critical of its retrogressive policies and authoritarian governance,” the group said in a statement.
Ibon noted that the incident comes on the heels of a week of consecutive military and police operations against various activists and activist groups in Manila and Negros. “This included using spurious search warrants to raid homes and offices, planting guns and grenades, and arresting activists on bogus charges,” the group said.
Some 60 activists have been illegally arrested and detained in the past week.
Ibon is among many activist organizations and cause-oriented groups that have been red-tagged by the Duterte administration.
“The Duterte administration is attacking IBON because our research, education and advocacy work exposes Philippine economic realities that the government wants to conceal,” the group said.
The group also blamed the so-called task force to end local communist armed conflict for the ongoing crackdown against NGOs and progressive organizations.
As of press time, police forces have not showed up at the premises of Ibon Foundation building at Timog Avenue in Quezon City.
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) also alerted members of the Philippine media as Altermidya network holds office at the second floor of the building.
In a statement, Altermidya warned the Philippine National Police to stay away from its office. “Make no mistake about it, any breach into our office premises will be construed as a grave violation of press freedom and will be met with widespread condemnation and legal action,” Altermidya said.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of association, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- NGO
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Nov 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Nov 4, 2019
- Event Description
A union leader and community organizer was killed on Monday, November 4, in front of his wife in Cabuyao, Laguna.
Reynaldo Malaborbor, 61, was repeatedly shot in the head by an unidentified man while walking with his wife near their residence at 9:30 pm in Barangay Banay-banay.
Police said the gunman managed to flee the scene of the crime by foot.
Malaborbor was a longtime activist involved in several labor organizations. He served as coordinator of Makabayan Southern Tagalog during the 2019 elections.
He was among the 3 farmers arrested and accused by the military in 2010 of illegal possession of firearms and explosives. The case was dismissed in 2015.
Pagkakaisa ng Manggagawa sa Timog Katagalugan-Kilusang Mayo Uno (PAMANTIK- KMU) condemned the killing.
“The grizly details of the last moments of Rey Malaborbor goes to show that the de facto martial rule continues to claim victims in the form of its task forces to supposedly end the armed conflict,” the group said.
Malaborbor’s death comes amid what human rights groups call a “massive crackdown” of progressive organizations and dissent under President Rodrigo Duterte.
At least 60 people have been arrested during raids of offices and residences since October 31 in Manila and Bacolod.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Death, Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to life
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Labour rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Nov 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Nov 5, 2019
- Event Description
MANILA, Philippines – Gabriela Women's Party – which won a seat in the 18th Congress – was red-tagged by both the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Department of National Defense (DND) in a hearing held inside the Batasang Pambansa.
Facing members of the House committee on national defense and security on Tuesday, November 5, AFP Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence Major General Reuben Basiao presented a list of 18 organizations that are alleged communist fronts.
Third on the list was Gabriela, which is currently represented in the House by Arlene Brosas after the party-list group secured more than 446,000 votes during the May 2019 elections.
The congresswoman, however, was not present during Basiao's presentation. When she arrived at the conference hall, she requested to see the list once again.
"Mismo dito sa Kongreso ay tina-tag kami as a communist terrorist group? Ano ba 'yan? Ano bang nangyayari? Bakit ganyan?" asked the second-termer congresswoman.
(We're being tagged as a communist terrorist group even here in Congress? What gives? What's happening? Why are you doing this?)
Brosas lashed out against the AFP and the DND, asking if Gabriela's inclusion in the list is a "prelude" to martial law.
"Familiar naman po kayo sa mga ginagawa namin. Binoto po kami ng taumbayan. Binoto po kami. May mandato po kami. Bakit nakalagay ang pangalan ng Gabriela Women's Party in particular? Ano pong ibig sabihin nito? Prelude ba ito sa martial law na ang mga legal entities at legal organizations in particular ay tina-target ngayon ng AFP?" asked Brosas.
(You're familiar with what we do here. We were voted by the people. We were elected. We have a mandate. Why put the name of Gabriela Women's Party in particular? What does this mean? Is this a prelude to martial law, with legal entities and legal organizations in particular now being targeted by the AFP?)
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana then said that based on documents recovered by the military across the country, Gabriela is a "legal front" for the Communist Party of the Philippines.
But the DND chief said they are "not red-tagging" Gabriela.
"There is no prelude to martial law. We are not red-tagging Gabriela. We are just saying that they are [a] front of the communist movement. We based this conclusion from documents that we captured from our operations all over the country," said Lorenzana.
"Palaging lumalabas 'yung Gabriela tsaka 'yung iba pang mga fronts nila. So what can you conclude there? I'm not saying you are communist. I'm saying that you are fronting, kayo 'yung legal front nila," he added.
(Gabriela's name keeps on popping up along with other fronts. So what can you conclude there? I'm not saying you are a communist. I'm saying that you are fronting, that you are their legal front.)
In a statement released after the hearing, Brosas once again slammed the AFP and the DND for their "attempt to criminalize dissent." (LISTEN: [PODCAST] Dapat bang gawing ilegal ang pagiging komunista?)
"Hindi kami armadong grupo at hindi armado ang mga miyembro namin. Sa ilalim ng kasalukuyang Konstitusyon at mga batas, hindi krimen ang mag-organisa at hindi krimen ang maging aktibista. Gabriela Women's Party strongly condemns this clear attempt to criminalize dissent and weaponize the law," said Brosas.
(We are not an armed group and our members are not armed either. Under the current Constitution and our laws, it is not a crime to organize and become activists. Gabriela Women's Party strongly condemns this clear attempt to criminalize dissent and weaponize the law.)
Gabriela's clash with the AFP and the DND came on the same day the Manila police arrested 3 members of progressive groups during a raid in Tondo past midnight.
On October 31, law enforcers in Bacolod City also arrested 56 persons affiliated with progressive and human rights groups during raids on their offices.
- Impact of Event
- 3
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats, Vilification
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of association, Right to protect reputation
- HRD
- NGO
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military, Government
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Nov 18, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Oct 31, 2019
- Event Description
Authorities arrested 56 persons they alleged were communist rebels and “rescued” six minors supposedly undergoing “training and “indoctrination” during simultaneous raids on the offices of three activist groups and a private residence in Bacolod City early Friday evening, October 31.
Several firearms and grenades were also reported recovered during the raids on the offices of the Bayan Muna party-list and Gabriela in Barangay Bata, the National Federation of Sugar Workers at Libertad, and the home of Bayan Muna’s Romulo Bito-on and his wife Mermalyn, who were both arrested.
All three organizations have long been openly accused of being “legal fronts” of the communist movement.
Bito-on, on the other hand, has been previously arrested and charged for being an alleged communist.
But human rights group and some of those apprehended denied the accusations they were rebels and said the weapons had been “planted.”
Video taken of the search at the nearby office of Gabriela showed a police officer inspecting a revolver and ammunition taken from a backpack at a corner of the yard.
Local media quoted Captain Cenon Pancito, spokesman of the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division, as saying 49 persons, including the minors, were taken into custody from the Bayan Muna compound.
Among those arrested there were known activist leaders John Milton Lozande and Danny Tabura of the NFSW, Proceso Quiatchon of the human rights group Karapatan, Nilo Rosales of the Kilusang Mayo Uno, and Aldrin de Cerna of the Kilusang Mayo Uno.
Lozande said the raiders held them for around an hour and then he was called to a house in the compound and showed “an obviously planted” gun supposedly found in his bag.
Nine other persons were arrested at the Gabriela office and two more from the NFSW.
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines said among those arrested at the Gabriela office was Anne Krueger of the newly established alternative media outfit Paghimutad, which has been covering social issues, including extrajudicial killings and other human rights abuses.
They were all taken to the Negros Occidental Provincial Police Office.
Interestingly, the raids were covered by search warrants issued by Executive Judge Cecilyn Burgos-Villavert of Branch 89 of the Regional Trial Court in Quezon City.
Karapatan, in a statement, called this suspicious and said this was reminiscent of the Oplan Sauron 2 operations in Negros Oriental in March, which were covered by search warrants issued in Cebu City.
Bayan Muna Representative Carlos Isagani Zarate also condemned the “dastardly Gestapo-like raid … simultaneously conducted by state forces against the offices of Bayan Muna, Gabriela and NFSW in Bacolod, Negros Occidental.”
He noted that the raids were conducted “at night before a long weekend so as to ensure that the courts are closed tomorrow so that the planted pieces evidence and subsequent trumped-up charges filed cannot immediately be challenged.”
Karapatan called the raids part of a “full-blown crackdown on activists and red-tagged legal organizations,” noting that earlier in the day, police arrested Cora Agovida, the Metro Manila chairperson of Gabriela, and her husband Mickael Tan Bartolome of the urban poor group Kadamay, and claimed a .45 caliber pistol and two grenades were seized from their home.
However, Pancito told media the raids, which he described as “part of cutting the source of manpower to Red areas,” or territory were the rebels operate, would prove to be a “big blow to the Red fighters of the New People’s Army” and would “trigger the downfall” of the insurgency on Negros.
- Impact of Event
- 6
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Intimidation and Threats, Judicial Harassment, Raid
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of association, Right to fair trial, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security, Right to protect reputation
- HRD
- Environmental rights defender, Media Worker, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Nov 4, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Oct 10, 2019
- Event Description
Different groups assailed the recent arrests of a peasant leader and two Lumad volunteer teachers on Oct. 10 in Mindanao region.
The police arrested 68-year-old Virgilio “Ka Yoyong” Lincuna in Butuan City for alleged attempted murder which happened in Lianga, Surigao del Sur. Lincuna is the chairperson of Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP)-Caraga and Unyon sa mga Mag-uuma sa Agusan del Norte (UMAN). He is also a member of the KMP National Council.
On the same day, Melissa Comiso, head of the Literacy and Numeracy Program of Rural Missionaries of the Philippines (RMP)-Northern Mindanao, and another teacher were also arrested by police operatives in barangay Limaha, Butuan City. Both are detained at the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group office in Butuan City.
Karapatan denounced their arrest and called for their immediate release. The group said the arrests of Lincuna and Comisa are part of the government’s crackdown against organizers, activists, and progressive leaders in Mindanao.
“These attacks have been aggravated and justified by State policies, foremost of which is the continuing martial law in Mindanao, intensified operations under the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict and Oplan Kapanatagan,” Karapatan said in a statement.
‘Lincuna, veteran of the progressive farmers’ movement’
The KMP-Caraga region said Lincuna is a veteran of the progressive farmers’ movement in the region. He is a farmer organizer since the 1980s and has led campaigns against plantations and mining operations as well as providing paralegal services to farmers victimized by human rights violations.
Caraga is a resource rich region and has been a constant target of investors for expansion of plantations such as palm and mining operations. The area has been militarized since peasants continue to resist the occupation of their land for business interests.
Danilo Ramos, KMP chairperson, said Lincuna led several peasant struggles in the region and gained victories such as increase in wages of farmworkers, an increase in palay and copra prices, lowering of land rent and interest rates.
Ramos said agrarian reform beneficiaries in Agusan Plantation Inc., Filipinas Palm Plantations Inc. in Agusan del Sur and Tubay Agricultural Center in Agusan del Norte are asserting their right and defending their position in almost 10,000 hectares of agricultural lands that are now under the control of plantation companies.
Clearly, Ramos said, this recent attack against Lincuna “is an attack on those who fight against land grabbing.”
Meanwhile, RMP said Comiso has been a long-time member of RMP and has managed a number of schools in the northern Mindanao.
“She has tirelessly sought to bring education to Lumad communities and work with her fellow Lumad and other advocates to achieve this goal,” RMP said in a statement.
According to RMP, Cosimo has been tagged as supporter of the New People’s Army (NPA) because of her service to the Lumad children. She has also been receiving death threats through SMS and Messenger and was put under surveillance by alleged State forces, which prompted her to seek sanctuary.
“We call for the immediate release of Lincuna and the two Lumad teachers. In light of the closure of Lumad schools on the basis of unverified and malicious military reports, such are indicative of incessant violations against indigenous and peasant communities,” Karapatan said.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Land rights defender, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Nov 4, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Oct 31, 2019
- Event Description
A leader of women’s group Gabriela and her husband were arrested by elements of the Manila Police District and Criminal Investigation and Detection Group early this morning, Oct. 31.
According to a statement released by Gabriela, at around 5:00 a.m. today, ten policemen forcibly entered the house of Cora Agovida, spokesperson of Gabriela-Metro Manila and her husband Michael Tan Bartolome in Manila. The couple was instructed to drop to the floor while their two children, aged two and ten years old, and their companion were asked to go outside. A few minutes later, police claimed they recovered a.45 caliber pistol and two grenades from the residence of the couple.
The couple has been brought to the Manila Police District and charged with illegal possession of firearms and explosives.
The search warrant against the couple was issued by Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 89, the same court that issued the search warrant for the simultaneous raids of offices of people’s organizations in Bacolod City, Oct. 31.
Their children had been under the custody of the Manila Rehabilitation Action Center last night. The couple has requested the Children’s Rehabilitation Center to look after their children. As of press time, the transfer of custody is being processed.
Gabriela condemned the arrest and called for the immediate release of Agovida and Bartolome.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment, Raid
- Rights Concerned
- Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Family of HRD, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Nov 4, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Oct 21, 2019
- Event Description
An activist doctor and professor received death threats a few hours after joining a protest demanding a bigger budget for the Philippine General Hospital (PGH).
Dr. Gene Nisperos, president of the All UP Academic Employees Union-Manila Chapter (AUPAEU-Manila), received a text message Monday night, October 21, saying he and his family would be killed soon.
“I know where your condominium is. We will get your family one by one…You are dead by…including your children and wife,” the message read.
The message was sent by an unidentified person through mobile phone number +639567955995.
Nisperos blamed the climate of violence created by the Rodrigo Duterte government against those who seek substantial reforms and genuine change in Philippine society for the latest threats against him and his wife, also a doctor.
“In these times, those who do good and stand for what is right are persecuted. It [this administration] is sowing fear because it rules by fear. This must be opposed in whatever form and whenever it occurs,” Nisperos told Kodao.
As he was being interviewed by Kodao, Nisperos received another threat from the same number Tuesday morning.
A graduate of UP College of Medicine’s prestigious Intarmed program, Nisperos and wife, Dr. Julie Caguiat, served as community doctors in Mindanao before returning to Manila to advocate for community-based health programs in the national level.
Nisperos is an assistant professor who teaches Community Medicine in UP Manila.
Duterte government as suspects
The AUPAEU-Manila condemned the most recent death threats against Nisperos and family.
The union said the threat comes at a time when the AUPAEU-Manila is calling on all faculty, administrative staff, and researchers of the university to unite against the impending budget cut for the University of the Philippines, particularly on the UP Manila and Philippine General Hospital (PGH), and to campaign for the regularization of contractual workers, among others.
The union said the threats are attempts to sow fear among teachers and unionists who assert for their rights and to fight for a higher state subsidy for social services such as education and health.
“[O]ur Union will not tremble in the face of vicious repressive measures and increasingly fascist attacks by this administration,” AUPAEU-Manila said.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Death threat, Intimidation and Threats
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Labour rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Suspected state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Nov 4, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Sep 23, 2019
- Event Description
A human rights lawyer based in Roxas City survived an ambush attack late morning today, Sept. 23, after attending a hearing.
Lawyer Criselda Heredia posted on her Facebook account that her car was strafed while traversing Timpas, Panitan town in Capiz, just a stone’s throw away from a military camp Antonio Belo.
Nine bullets were recovered from the car, she told Bulatlat.
Heredia was accompanied by her daughter and a client.
In a message sent to Bulatlat.com, Heredia said the target of the assailant could either be her or her client.
In a statement, lawyers group National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers chapter in Panay held state security forces accountable.
Heredia, according to NUPL, has been “red-tagged in posters and has been personally threatened by a military agent who visited her office and warned her to slow down on her human rights advocacy.”
Apart from being a lawyer, Heredia is also a cultural worker who used to perform musical presentations and has mounted painting exhibits in both Iloilo and Roxas City.
NUPL-Panay said the attack came in the wake of the call of international organizations to President Duterte to protect lawyers in the Philippines.
Under Duterte, 47 lawyers, including judges and prosecutors, have been killed.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Lawyer, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Suspected state, Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Oct 3, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Sep 19, 2019
- Event Description
On September 19, an ongoing surveillance and a threat of a raid by the CIDG (Criminal Investigation and Detection Group) of the Philippine National Police into the joint office of the Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment (Kalikasan PNE) and the Center for Environmental Concerns – Philippines (CEC-Phils) was reported by a reliable source to the two organizations.
This came after the two organizations participated in a number of important work on environmental defenders. Kalikasan delivered a testimony on the state of human rights and environment in the Philippines during the National Inquiry on Human Rights Defenders organized by the Commission of Human Rights (CHR) held last week, and CEC raised the issue of environment defenders during the ASEAN People’s Forum 2019 held in Bangkok, Thailand.
This is clear harassment and an obvious effort to silence civil society groups like CEC and Kalikasan.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats, Surveillance
- Rights Concerned
- Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to privacy
- HRD
- Environmental rights defender, NGO
- Perpetrator-State
- Government, Police
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Oct 3, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Sep 3, 2019
- Event Description
CEBU CITY, Cebu, Philippines — Unscrupulous individuals are apparently trying to make money following an attack on a lawyer in this city on Monday.
At least three Cebu-based human rights lawyers received a call from a man claiming to be a leader of a gun-for-hire group from Davao City, who demanded P100,000 from them in exchange for sparing their lives. The caller said the lawyers’ names were on his group’s hit list.
But lawyers Magdalena Lepiten, Ian Manticajon and Kim Grace Mendoza suspected that the calls might have been a scheme to extort money from them.
The calls were received in separate times on Tuesday, a day after two men on board a motorcycle attacked lawyer Inocencio de la Cerna while he was leaving the Cebu City Hall of Justice.
De la Cerna survived the attack, but had cuts from glass shards after the suspects fired at his Toyota Land Cruiser.
Same number
Lepiten said she received a call at 9:39 a.m. Tuesday from a certain Bobby who claimed to be from Davao.
She said she did not entertain the caller and instead turned off her phone. Moments later, she said received a text message from the same number—0997-1779161.
The message read: “Ma swerte lang c dela cerna. ekaw ug dli ka makig coperate mamatay ka. 100K kapalit sa imung kinabuhe (Dela Cerna was fortunate to have survived. If you won’t cooperate, you will die. P100K in exchange for your life).”
Lepiten said she posted her conversation on her Facebook account to know if other lawyers received the same call. It turned out she was not the only one.
Mendoza posted on her Facebook account a recording of her conversation with the caller who used the same mobile phone number.
Probe
The man told Mendoza that she was next in the list after De la Cerna but he would spare her life if she had P100,000.
Mendoza, however, told the man to “just kill me” as she didn’t have the money. Irritated, the man called her “crazy (pagkabuang gyud nimo)” before dropping the call.
Manticajon, who missed a call from the same number four times on Tuesday, urged the police and the National Bureau of Investigation to arrest the people behind the threats.
“Although it’s a scam, it still somehow instilled fear among us. It’s not alarming but rather annoying … The government must do something to make every citizen safe and feel safe,” he said.
Col. Gemma Vinluan, city police chief, said she created a team to investigate the matter.
“Although the motive here might be extortion, these lawyers should not take the threats likely. No matter what you call it, it’s still a threat,” she said.
- Impact of Event
- 3
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- Death threat, Intimidation and Threats
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Lawyer, WHRD
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Suspected non-state, Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Oct 2, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Sep 14, 2019
- Event Description
On September 14, 2019, Karapatan received information from its regional chapter in Southern Tagalog that Alexandrea Pacalda, a human rights worker affiliated with the organization, was abducted by six operatives of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in General Luna, South Quezon. She was initially brought to the 85th Infantry Battalion headquarters, and then later to the General Luna police station. At the police station, Alexandrea was forced to sign a certification indicating that she voluntarily surrendered. Thereafter, she was taken to the 201st AFP Brigade camp in Calauan, Quezon.
During the past days, Karapatan got in touch with Alexandrea’s family. Karapatan legal counsel Atty. Maria Sol Taule was also able to talk to the victim herself. Amid all the false reports circulating online, Karapatan would like to clarify a few matters:
Alexandrea Pacalda, 23, was a human rights worker of Karapatan. She is currently affiliated with Pinag-isang Lakas ng Magsasaka sa Quezon (PIGLAS-Quezon), a local peasant organization in the region. She was abducted by elements of the military and she continues to be under military custody. She was arrested without a warrant and continues to be under detention for five days now.
As of this writing, there have been no charges filed against Pacalda, unless they start planting evidence or put her name under Jane Does or ludicrous aliases in outstanding warrants of arrest. She is being held without charges for more than 36 hours now. Particularly, 118 hours have already passed. This already qualifies as arbitrary detention and the military should be held accountable. Alexandrea should be immediately released to her family.
Alexandrea Pacalda signed the affidavit of voluntary surrender while under duress. In a signed statement to her lawyer, the victim said that she was subjected to mental torture, and was merely forced to sign the affidavit. She added that she was not allowed to sleep and was starved for 24-30 hours.
Alexandrea’s family was likewise forced to affix their signature. While there was no physical coercion, Karapatan asserts that the coercive circumstance wherein the family was subjected to invalidates the giddy claims of the PNP and the AFP that she “voluntarily surrendered.” The military threatened the family with a criminal case to be charged against Alexandrea if they don’t agree to sign the affidavit. This signed document, though far from voluntary, is making the rounds in social media.
Alexandrea’s father broke down after meeting with Karapatan’s legal counsel. He said he signed the affidavit and convinced her daughter to do so, as they were held in a hostile environment. They were fearful of what the military can do to Alexandrea, given that she remains under military custody.
The father of Alexandrea was presented to the media. He initially stated that his daughter was a good person, but was forced to change his account because the military merely wanted the father to talk about the so-called “surrender” of Alexandrea. The family was also invited to join the parade of parents who claim their children are missing, despite being defied and opposed by the children themselves. The Pacalda family refused, and is currently in coordination with the Commission on Human Rights and Karapatan for her release.
Alexandrea was taken to the notary public on September 17, 2019. She was not provided a copy of the said affidavit. She was subjected to custodial investigation, yet an affidavit was drafted without the presence of a counsel of her own choice. The said affidavit, which has likewise been circulated online, was signed without the presence of her lawyer, and was done so while the victim was under pressure. All statements taken from any victim without the presence of his/her counsel of choice should be deemed inadmissible.
After Alexandrea was taken to the notary public and while in conversation with Atty. Taule and her family, she signed a short statement recounting how she was forced to sign the affidavit, as well as her mental and emotional disposition while under military custody. This statement supersedes previous claims by the military and the police about her alleged surrender.
Until now, the military refuses to release Alexa Pacalda. She is currently under the custody of the 201st Brigade in Calauag, Quezon.
On September 19, Capt. Benedict Alfonso Cagain, a civil military officer of the Army’s 201st Brigade, released a statement saying that Alexandrea is not being detained, and that she is free to return home to her family. As of press time however, Alexandrea’s family, accompanied by CHR, is asking continuously demanding for her release. The military refuses to heed the family and the CHR’s request, despite the lack of a case against Alexandrea.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Abduction/Kidnapping, Denial Fair Trial, Judicial Harassment, Torture, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of movement, Right to fair trial, Right to food, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- WHRD, Youth
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military, Government, Judiciary, Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Oct 1, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Oct 12, 2014
- Event Description
An expert in forensic medicine and an anti-mining advocate, Doctor Benito E. Molino received a death threat via private message to his Facebook account which was posted by a certain Dexter Movilla, also known as Mark Minimo, on October 15, 2014 at 10:35 a.m. The message was (in Tagalog dialect), "Mxado kng ma papel mga tao nwlan ng trabho dhl sau tndaan m isang bala k lng mag ingat ingat k bka isang araw patay kna." (You're a meddler. People lose their jobs because of you. Keep in mind that one bullet can kill you. Beware, one day you're dead.) Another message was sent on October 12, 2014 at 8:08 p.m. It said, (also in Tagalog), "Wla pla mrami ng wlng trabaho nyan dhl sa pilit ny0ng ipahnto ang mining Alm nyo b dhl sa gnwa nyo mraming gl8 sa in u d mta2hmik buhay nyo sa gnwa nyo lahat ng mining pna hnto nyo." (People lose their jobs because you coerced the mining company to stop. Do you know, because of what you did, many are angry with you, you will not have peace because of what you did, you stopped all mining operations.) Dr. Molino, fondly called as "Doc Ben", 57, is at the center of the struggle against mining operations in Sta. Cruz. Currently, he has been at the receiving end of criticisms from supporters of mining companies in the province. Mine workers have blamed Doc Ben for the suspension of mining activities that cost them their jobs. Doc Ben is the chairperson of the Concerned Citizens of Sta. Cruz, Zambales (CCOS). CCOS is of the active anti-mining groups in the province that has been strongly campaigning for the cancellation of mining operations due to the vast amount of destruction in the environment that would eventually affect the health and livelihood of the people. According to Doc Ben, nickel laterite (soil layer rich in nickel compound) has clogged the natural flow of water from rivers, creeks, fishponds, shorelines and farmlands. Apparently, more than 300 hectares of farmlands have already been destroyed which has caused farmers of Sta. Cruz and Candelaria millions worth of income. On July 15, the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) regional office in Central Luzon suspended the operations of four mining companies that extract nickel laterite in the province, citing their "unsystematic mining or stripping method." Doc Ben claimed that the suspension order was only an initial victory for Sta. Cruz residents who, they say, have been struggling to revive their sources of livelihood, which are mostly farming and fishing. Recently, mine workers appealed to the provincial officials of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to lift the suspension order against four mining companies in Sta. Cruz, Zambales such as the Diversified Metals Corporation, Benguet Corporation Nickel Mines Inc., Eramen Minerals Inc., and LNL Archipelago Minerals Inc. Aside from his activities in the anti-mining movement, Doc Ben is currently working with the Medical Action Group (MAG), in partnership with the Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP) for the protection of human rights defenders in the country. Doc Ben is a lecturer and an expert in medical investigation and documentation of torture cases. He is also involved in the investigation and documentation of alleged cases of enforced disappearances, particularly in exhumations.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats, Reprisal as Result of Communication
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Active
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jul 11, 2014
- Event Description
On the 25th April 2014 at 9:30am in San Rafael Street, Barangay Kapitolyo, Pasig City, worker's rights organization NAGKAISA led a peaceful rally outside the building where AsiaPro central office is located. Around 200 participants coming from various labor groups including the Partido ng Manggagawa, Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP), SENTRO, Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP), and the Philippine Airlines Employees Association (PALEA), attended the activity. Equipped with sound system, flags, streamers, banners, and position papers, the demonstrators criticized AsiaPro for its anti-labour union activities. On the 11th July 2014, officials of the AsiaPro Cooperative charged both Edcil Bacalso of NAGKAISA, a coalition of labour groups and Wilson Fortaleza of Partido ng Manggagawa (Workers Party), with libel, illegal assembly, and alarm and scandal. The charges were filed at the Office of the Prosecutor in Pasig City, Metro Manila, Philippines. Based on his complaint affidavit, Mr. Edeward C. Milano, Head of the Business Unit for Luzon of AsiaPro Multipurpose Cooperative accused Bacalso and Fortaleza of distributing libelous materials to the public allegedly containing malicious and defamatory statements. Milano blamed the group of obstructing traffic flow and blocking pedestrians due to NAGKAISA's activity. Further, Milano stated that the public were disturbed due to the loudspeaker system used in the protest. The right to freedom of assembly and association and the right to freedom of expression are guaranteed rights under the 1987 Philippine Constitution. Bacalso and Fortaleza's work in promoting and protecting worker's rights against unfair labor practices are the motive behind false charges of libel, illegal assembly, and alarm and scandal filed against them. AsiaPro is resorting to filing trumped up charges to weaken the campaign against its exploitation of workers.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of association, Labour rights, Right to Protest
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Oct 1, 2014
- Event Description
Mr. Joseph D. Quiles, an instructor at the Marikina Polytechnic College, filed a perjury case (Article 183 of the Revised Penal Code) against: 1) Ernie Quisora, 2) John Clifford C. Bisol, 3) Eduardo V. Muerong, Jr., 4) Daisy Mae M. Viola, 5) Leneth F. Bacsal, 6) Crystal Ann P. Lusuego, 7) Applye B. Estuye, 8) Jimbo R. Cruz, 9) Rowel D.G. Chavez, and 10) Rheginald C. Padua. The said case is filed at the office of Assistant City Prosecutor Conrado C. Rosario. By virtue of a subpoena sent to Quisora and the other respondents, they already appeared in the preliminary investigation conducted on October 2, 2014, held at the Office of the Prosecutor. Based on previous accounts, it has been reported that Quisora, a student of Marikina Polytechnic College, and a Student Council volunteer, suffered minor injuries during a scuffle between him and Mr. Quiles, a college professor. Quisora suffered a bruise on his left hand. He also felt pain on his nape. The incident happened on December 20, 2013. Quiles and school guards alleged that Quisora is a supporter of the protest action conducted by the faculty association. Quisora and other student leaders already filed a formal complaint to the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and Civil Service Commission (CSC) against Quiles. Quiles filed the perjury case apparently as retribution and a counter attack against leaders and advocates of students' rights and welfare, particularly members and volunteers of the Student Council.
- Impact of Event
- 10
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment, Reprisal as Result of Communication
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- May 30, 2013
- Event Description
On 30 July 2013, two journalists at the weekly tabloid Aksyon Ngayon Newspaper, Mr. Bonifacio Loreto and Mr. Richard Kho, were shot and killed by two unidentified men on motorcycles in the Quezon City neighborhood of the capital, Manila. It is reported that the two victims' criticism of corruption involving prominent politicians may have been the motive for the killings. Two days after these events, on 1 August 2013, Mr. Mario Sy, a freelance photographer, was shot twice and killed in his home in General Santos City by an unidentified man who had broken into his house. Sources further inform that Mr. Sy's photographs reported on drug trafficking for local newspapers, which may have been the reason for his assassination. Grave concerns are expressed that Messrs. Bonifacio Loreto, Richard Kho and Mario Sy were killed in connection with their journalistic activities. Further concerns are expressed that the lack of safe environment for journalists in the Philippines to perform their work independently and without undue interference, harassment and threats to their physical and psychological integrity severely restricts the right to freedom of opinion and expression. On 22 August 2013, a Joint Allegation Letter was issued by the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression; the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders; and the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions. No response was received.
- Impact of Event
- 3
- Violation
- Killing, Reprisal as Result of Communication
- Rights Concerned
- Right to information, Right to life
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Not active
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Aug 21, 2013
- Event Description
An anti-mining activist from Nueva Vizcaya went missing since August 21, the human rights group Karapatan-Cagayan Valley claimed this week. Bryan Epa, 34, was reported missing after police allegedly arrested him on August 21 in Barangay Salvacion, Dumlao Boulevard in Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya. Barangay official Alfonso Shog-oy reportedly saw six policemen taking Epa aboard their patrol vehicle and announced during the arrest that Epa will be taken into custody because he looked "suspicious.' Shog-oy reported that Epa resisted arrest but was punched in the stomach by two of the policemen, and then hit in the hand by a baton. The following day, Shog-oy and lawyer Fidel Santos reportedly sought Epa at the police station, but they did not find him there. Later, the police claimed that they have released a detained person on the same night that Epa was arrested, but records showed instead that it was another person- Felix Bacsa, Jr.- who was released and not Epa. Epa has figured in the protest movement in Nueva Vizcaya opposing the entry of Australian mining company Royalco Philippines, Inc. He is also reportedly among the locals manning the barricades, set up since 2007 to prevent mining equipment. As such, the Manila-based group Kalipunan ng mga Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas (KAMP) is expressing its concern over the continued disappearance of Epa. According to KAMP, there had been 35 extra-judicial killings of indigenous peoples since Pres. Benigno Aquino III took office.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Violation
- Enforced Disappearance, Intimidation and Threats
- Rights Concerned
- Right to property
- Source
PhilStar | http://www.landcoalition.org/sites/default/files/publication/1614/Compilation_LER_HRD_Dec2013_final.pdf)
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Sep 17, 2013
- Event Description
MANILA, Philippines-Militant farmers on Wednesday decried the arrest of Anakpawis Rep. Fernando Hicap and 10 other agrarian reform advocates at Hacienda Luisita, branding it as an example of human rights abuses purportedly committed every day at the sugar estate owned by President Benigno Aquino III's family in Tarlac. Hicap was attending a fact-finding mission on land distribution in the sugar estate at about noon Tuesday when he and his 10 companions were apprehended by members of the Philippine National Police. The group was reportedly being held at the Tarlac City Police Station on charges of illegal assembly, direct assault, trespass to dwelling and malicious mischief. In a statement, the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas described the arrests of Hicap and the other agrarian reform advocates as an example of purported abuses experienced by farm workers and residents of Hacienda Luisita. "The national fact-finding mission team (was) in Hacienda Luisita to document political and economic rights abuses suffered by farm workers," KMP secretary general Antonio Flores said. "Unfortunately, the team experienced first-hand the day-to-day violence experienced by Hacienda Luisita farm workers and residents," he said. The KMP said no formal complaint had been lodged against Hicap and his 10 companions as of Wednesday morning even as they remained under the custody of Tarlac police. "The illegal arrest and detention of Ka Pando and 10 other land reform advocates show that Hacienda Luisita is under a state of terror," Flores said. "Even[a] person who supposedly enjoys parliamentary immunity was not spared. Imagine the life of an ordinary Hacienda Luisita farm worker at the hands of the President's family," he said. "And this state of terror is continuously being used as a major component of the Cojuangco-Aquinos and the Department of Agrarian Reform's campaign of deception and denial of Hacienda Luisita farm workers' rights to the lands," Flores said. The KMP reiterated its calls for the "free distribution" of Hacienda Luisita, insisting that the distribution of the landholdings "should be beyond the bounds of the bogus Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program." "Hacienda Luisita should be distributed for free," Flores said, noting that the order of the Supreme Court to compensate the landowner "does not automatically mean that farmers should pay amortization." The group also accused the Tarlac Development Corporation (Tadeco), a firm controlled by the Cojuangco family, of land grabbing and eviction of Hacienda Luisita farm workers. The group said Tadeco issued a "notice to vacate" dated July 30, 2013 and received in August, instructing farmers in Barangay Sta. Catalina (now Cutcut) inside Hacienda Luisita to stop planting and leave the land within 15 days from the receipt of the letter. The KMP said farm workers in Barangay Balete received similar demand letters from Tadeco in what it called "blatant land grabbing."
- Impact of Event
- 11
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Intimidation and Threats
- Rights Concerned
- Right to property
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Not active
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Mar 3, 2014
- Event Description
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines-Judge Reynerio Estacio Sr. handled many controversial cases involving politicians, suspected Abu Sayyaf bandits and policemen, and can even be considered a pillar of the Philippine justice system, according to people who knew him well. Any of those cases may have something to do with how his life ended on Friday morning. Two motorcycle-riding men shot Estacio seven times in front of his house on Narra Drive, Tugbungan village, as he was leaving for work around 7:40 a.m. Chief Insp. Felix Martinez, commander of the Tetuan police station, said Estacio was revving the engine of his car to drive off when the gunmen struck. His wife, Teresita, who was in the car was not hurt, but Estacio died while being taken to hospital, Martinez said. Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno condemned the killing of the judge, and asked the law enforcement agencies to "act swiftly" and bring the perpetrators to justice. "I wish to express my deepest outrage over the killing of Judge Estacio," Sereno said in a statement released by the Supreme Court in Manila. "I offer my sincerest condolences to his widow, Teresita, and the other members of his family," Sereno said. "We remember our brother judge and thank his family for sharing him with the judiciary." Sereno said Executive Judge Peter Eisma of the Zamboanga Regional Trial Court had been instructed to closely monitor the police investigation of Estacio's killing and to provide support and assistance to the judge's family. Eisma was expected to send a report to the Supreme Court later on Friday. Defenseless judiciary Sereno lamented that the judiciary had no resources to combat violence against its members and that it had to rely on law enforcers to investigate and bring to justice the killers of judges. "We will not, however, let the killing of Judge Estacio remain yet another statistic due to the judiciary's lack of investigative or law enforcement capacities," Sereno said. "Within the bounds of our resources, we will look into ways of protecting our judges and looking after their families," she said. "The proposition that inter arma enim silent leges (in the clash of arms the law is silent) is unacceptable. In order that judges may continue to be fearless and undaunted in discharging their duties of fairly, impartially and swiftly dispensing justice, they must be insulated from the violence that comes from the clash of arms. The law must speak and speak loudly so that the arms are silenced-inter leges silent arma," she said. Attack recorded Investigators in Zamboanga said a closed-circuit television camera recorded the attack on Estacio and the footage could help police identify the gunmen. Martinez said, however, that it might not be easy to determine the motive and brains behind the murder. "We may unmask the gunmen, but we still do not know the principal in this crime," he said. Martinez said investigators were coordinating with the Hall of Justice "so we can review the cases handled by Judge Estacio." "What a sad news. We praise him for his sense of justice and strict observance of the law," lawyer Yasser Apion of the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos said. Apion said one of the controversial cases that Estacio handled was the petition of Muslim students of the Universidad de Zamboanga to be allowed to wear veil on the campus. Many schools here have banned the veil or niqab following terror attacks in recent years, but Estacio struck the ban, Apion said. "We pray that the culprits will be brought to justice very soon," he said. Jalosjos case The Inquirer learned that Estacio was the judge who disallowed the inclusion of convicted child rapist Romeo Jalosjos on the Zamboanga City voter list in 2012. Jalosjos wanted to be registered as a voter in Zamboanga so he could run in the 2013 mayoral race. Estacio also cited for contempt in 2012 Senior Supt. Edgar Danao, then the director for Western Mindanao of the police's Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, for failing to present an Abu Sayyaf suspect in court despite the issuance of a writ of habeas corpus.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Violation
- Killing
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Mar 29, 2019
- Event Description
Prominent Philippine journalist Maria Ressa has been re-arrested at Manila airport, allegedly for violating laws barring foreign ownership of media. Ms Ressa, the founder of news site Rappler, was granted bail after paying P90,000 ($1700; ��1300). It comes weeks after she was arrested over an alleged internet libel case. Press freedom advocates say the veteran reporter is being targeted by President Rodrigo Duterte because of Rappler's critical reporting on the government. Eleven legal cases have been filed against the outlet since January 2018. Ms Ressa, who was named one of Time Magazine's People of the Year in 2018, spoke to reporters as she was arrested. "Obviously this is yet another abuse of my rights. I am being treated like a criminal when my only crime is to be an independent journalist," she said.After her previous arrest on 13 February she spent a night in jail before being released on bail. What happened? Ms Ressa was arrested moments after stepping off a plane from San Francisco, ABS-CBN, reported. Before arriving, apparently aware that she might be met by police officers, she tweeted: "Landing in a short while to face my latest arrest warrant and the 7th time I will post bail."She then posted a series of tweets following her arrest, including a photograph from inside the police car. ater she tweeted again, writing: "Am posting bail for 7th time! For being a journalist." Why was Ressa arrested? The government accuses Ms Ressa, who has both Philippine and American nationality, of having violated foreign ownership rules and committed securities fraud. According to Philippine law, media organisations must be completely Filipino-owned. Rappler has denied government allegations that the website is being controlled by an organisation outside of the Phillipines, and press freedom organisations say the charges are designed to intimidate independent journalists. Human Rights Watch said: "The court case is unprecedented and speaks volumes of the Duterte administration's determination to shut the website down for its credible and consistent reporting on the government." n February, Ms Ressa was accused of "cyber-libel" over a report on a businessman's alleged ties to a former judge. Two months earlier she had posted bail on tax fraud charges, which she described as "manufactured". If convicted of one count of tax fraud, she could serve up to a decade in prison. The cyber-libel charge carries a maximum sentence of 12 years. The repeated arrests of Ms Ressa have drawn international condemnation and raised concerns about worsening press freedom in the country. Rappler has reported extensively on President Deterte's hardline war on drugs, in which police say around 5,000 people have been killed over the past three years. In December, the website reported on Mr Duterte's public admission that he had sexually assaulted a maid. President Rodrigo Duterte has previously denied charges against Ms Ressa are politically motivated, describing the website as "fake news". Since 1986, 176 journalists have been killed in the Philippines, making it one of the most dangerous in the world for reporters. In 2016, the president was criticised for saying some of those journalists deserved to die. Why Rappler is raising Philippine press freedom fears What is Rappler? Rappler was founded in 2012 by Ms Ressa and three other journalists and has gone on to become known in the Philippines for its hard-hitting investigations. It is also one of the few media organisations in the country that is openly critical of President Duterte, regularly interrogating the accuracy of his public statements and criticising his sometimes deadly policies. The president has banned its reporters from covering his official activities and last year the state revoked the site's licence. Ms Ressa is a veteran Philippine journalist who, before founding Rappler, spent most of her career with CNN - first as the bureau chief in Manila, and then in Jakarta. She was also the US broadcaster's lead investigative reporter on terrorism in Southeast Asia.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Online, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Media Worker, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Government, Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Feb 8, 2019
- Event Description
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) website was briefly inaccessible twice on 8 February 2019 in a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack, the group said in a statement. "According to our digital security partners, the two attacks happened at around 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., with attackers sending up to 426 gigabytes of traffic to our website, almost 10 times the 50 gb/s that brought down alternative news site Bulatlat," NUJP said. The site was back up at 8:30 p.m. This is not the first time NUJP's website was attacked. On 9 January 2017, the group reported that its website was attacked by a "massive denial of service." NUJP was also subjected to red tagging on 7 January 2019 by several local tabloids, which ran a similar headline, "NUJP pinamumunuan ng CPP-NPA-NDF" (NUJP Headed by CPP-NPA-NDF). One "Ka Ernesto', identified in the reports as a former member of NUJP, said the group had links with the Communist Party of the Philippines founder Jose Maria Sison. "We believe the attack on NUJP site is related to the ones launched against Bulatlat and alternative news sites Kodao Productions and AlterMidya, all of which host NUJP chapters." Bulatlat (translated as the act of uncovering or exposing something) reported receiving continuous DoS attacks, which brought down its website for several days, from 19 to 29 January 2019. Alternative news websites - including Bulatlat, Pinoy Weekly, and Kodao Productions - were the targets of cyber attacks in December 2018.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Online Attack and Harassment, Surveillance
- Rights Concerned
- Internet freedom, Online
- HRD
- NGO
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Feb 11, 2019
- Event Description
According to an alert released by the RMP-NMR, a certain CPT. Lorefel Judaya INF, Intel Officer of 1st SFBn went to the home of Jandayan in Brgy. Macabalan, Manolo Fortich Bukidon and took her to the Barangay Hall for questioning on the allegation that she is Medic of the New People's Army. She was later informed that she needs to be brought to the Philippine Army's 1st SF Batallion camp in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon for further questioning. Further information stated that Gloria and Gleceria demanded for an arrest warrant and refused to go with Cpt. Judaya when the latter failed to produce said warrant. But Judaya was insistent on bringing Gloria with him, and Gleceria then decided to accompany her mother to ensure her safety. At 10:30 am, Gleceria was able to send a message that they are being held at the 4th IDPA camp in Patag, Cagayan de Oro City and their phones are about to be confiscated. Nothing was heard from them since. Jandayan is a Barangay health worker and is the point person of Makabayan Partylists to assist beneficiary patients in the Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC). Jandayan is also a Gabriela Women's Party member. Balangiao on the other hand has been a member of Panday Bulig and is currently working with the RMP-NMR. Even without Martial Law, the rural poor and their supporters, including rural missionaries and lay workers have always been victims of human rights violations for their firm stand against anti-poor programs and policies of the government. With the ML in place, militarization of rural communities have intensified resulting to increasing number of victims of human rights violations such as extra-judicial killings, illegal arrests and detention and filing of trumped-up charges. This harassment against Jandayan and Balangiao is not isolated and is part of the continuing attack against Church people, human rights defenders and the rural poor in Northern Mindanao. Datu Jomorito Goaynon, chair of Kalumbay Regional Lumad Organization, and Ireneo Udarbe, chair of Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) in Northern Mindanao was illegally arrested last January 28 in Bukidnon. Meanwhile, 5 members of the Misamis Oriental Farmers Association (MOFA) and two minors were also illegally arrested and detained last January 30 in Villanueva, Misamis Oriental. We demand for the immediate release of Gloria and Gleceeria and we call on our fellow Church people to denounce this latest harassment. We also call for the immediate release of Goaynon and Udarbe, and of the five members of the MOFA and the withdrawal of fabricated charges against them. Furthermore, we demand for an end to these attacks against land and peace advocates in Northern Mindanao and an end to Martial Law in Mindanao. As Christians who vowed to fulfill our mission with the rural poor, we will continue to stand with them and will continue to expose the injustices committed against them.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Intimidation and Threats, Judicial Harassment, Vilification
- Rights Concerned
- Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Family of HRD, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Government, Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Feb 12, 2019
- Event Description
DAVAO CITY - An employee of Rural Missionaries of the Philippines-Northern Mindanao Sub-Region (RMP-NMR) received on Monday afternoon threating text messages from an unknown sender. RMP-NMR - an inter-diocesan and inter-congregational group composed of priests and lay people - also posted a statement about it on Tuesday. Fr. Allan Khen Apus, spokesperson of Karapatan in Northern Mindanao, did not name the employee for security reasons, but he said the employee received four text messages from mobile number 0906-154-0493. The sender addressed the RMP-NMR employee as "Tagalog," according to Apus. Below are the messages: "Tagalog nadakop na yung isang kasama niyo wala ka magresponde?"[Tagalog, one of your colleagues has been arrested, aren't you going to respond?] "Nawala ka dito sa cagayan tagalog ha ha haaa."[You have been missing here in Cagayan Tagalog ha ha ha.] "Bakit ka kasi nagpunta pa ng mindanao tagalog ka naman hindi ka dapat nakialam mabilis ka din gumawa ng kontra."[Why did you have to go to Mindanao. You're Tagalog. You should not have meddled. You're so quick to oppose.] "Tagalog kung gusto ka mag media ayaw lang sa mga npa."[Tagalog if you want join the media but not the NPA "NPA" in the fourth message stands for New People's Army. Apus said the text messages came a day after the arbitrary detention of Gleceria Balanguiao, another RMP-NMR employee, and her mother, Gloria Jandayan of Gabriela Women's Party. In a text message sent to RMP-NMR on Monday, Balanguiao said they were being held at a camp of the 4th Infantry Division in Patag, Cagayan de Oro City. In its statement issued on Tuesday, the RMP-NMR said: "We call on the faithful to lend their support in calling out these types of harassment and intimidation against human rights defenders. Let us continue the good fight in supporting each other against the enemies of truth, peace and justice."
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats, Vilification
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- NGO
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Feb 22, 2019
- Event Description
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines - Journalist groups and a human rights organization denounced an anonymous list distributed to journalists in Cagayan de Oro City on Friday, February 22, that tagged several groups and individuals as members of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP). The red-tagging document came from an unknown person and was given to journalists during a human rights forum in Cagayan de Oro City on Friday. The document, written in Bisaya, said, "Here is the list of several members of the Communist Party of the Philippines here in our city that are aspiring to wrestle the government." Among those included in the list are: lglesia Filipina Independiente priests Rolando Abejo, Khen Apus, Kris Ablon, and bishop Felixberto Calang Rural Missionaries of the Philippines Alliance of Concerned Teachers Journalist Leonardo "Cong" Corrales, his son LA, and his wife Ai Lawyer Beverly Musni and her lawyer daughters Czarina and Beverly Ann Musni Union of People's Lawyers in Mindanao Kabataan Partylist Karapatan-Northern Mindanao in a statement Friday deplored the list as yet another case of harassment against human rights defenders in Northern Mindanao. Cristina Palabay, Karapatan secretary-general, said that two brown envelopes with 13 copies each of the document were handed over by "military-looking" men to the security guards of Philtown Hotel, where human rights groups were holding an assembly. Palabay said the document tagged the names in the list as communists. "The notorious lists have further endangered the already perilous situation of human rights defenders. We have repeatedly raised how these arbitrary and baseless accusations incite threats to the lives and security of named individuals, the worst of which they become victims of extrajudiial killings," Palabay said. "We call on the Commission on Human Rights and the local government to protect the rights of defenders and make accountable those who continue to put their lives at risk," she added. But the 4th Infantry Division denied the allegation thrown at them by Karapatan. "To all our media friends, it's for Palabay to prove it...burden of proof," Lieutenant Colonel Eugene Osias of the Armed Forces of the Philippines-Eastern Mindanao Command said. "My take on this is if Karapatan cannot prove that it came from the Army then I say that they[Karapatan] are the ones who made it to sow intrigues among our ranks!" he said. Captain Ryan Delgado, spokesperson of the Army's 403rd Brigade, and Captain Regie Go, acting spokesperson of the 4th Infantry Division, both denied that the document came from them. "This is the first time I've seen this document. We don't know where that came from," Go said. 'Virtual death sentence' The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) in a statement deplored the inclusion of its member and former director Corrales, as well as his wife and son in the list. "There is nothing more cowardly and deplorable than to vilify persons and put them in mortal peril behind the cloak of anonymity," the statement said. "As has happened all too often, red-tagging is not mere intimidation. All too often it can be a virtual death sentence," the NUJP said. The group added: "Even media have not been spared from red-tagging and other acts clearly intended to intimidate a critical press into silence, as with the ongoing vilification campaign against the NUJP and the cyberattacks on alternative media." The Cagayan de Oro Press Club (COPC) also condemned the list. "The COPC strongly debunks the allegation that Board Member Leonardo Vicente 'Cong' Corrales is affiliated with the Communist Party of the Philippines as what has been stated in a document circulated during a press conference in a hotel this morning, February 22, 2019," the organization said. The COPC added, "Let it be known that we will stand with Board Member Corrales as we call on the authorities to investigate this red-tagging and ensure that media personalities be spared from this accusation." Corrales, meanwhile, said that whoever put him and his family on the list is a coward. "We are not, have never been and never will be members of CPP. My wife is a marketing executive with Gold Star Daily, where I am the associate editor. My son is a regular staff of the Commission on Elections-10 and is currently serving in the commission's city office. He is also currently studying at Xavier University College of Law. Our credentials are readily available," Corrales said. "We denounce this list as it is not only aimed to intimidate me in my work as a journalist but has endangered my family. We know fully well that red-tagging is a virtual death sentence." "On my end, I will not let this cowardly act push me to silence. I will continue speaking truth to power," Corrales added. - Rappler.com
- Impact of Event
- 4
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats, Vilification
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Lawyer, Media Worker
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jan 20, 2019
- Event Description
Karapatan's website www.karapatan.org has been inaccessible since January 20, 2019. We were careful not to automatically attribute this problem to a possible cyberattack against our web page. However, after much troubleshooting, our website continued to receive an abnormal load of traffic which was more than what the provider can handle. After requesting assistance from Quirum, a Sweden-based non-profit secure hosting provider for independent media and human rights organiztions, to investigate, initial findings show that the signature of the attacks was identical to those of Philippine alternative media groups Bulatlat, Altermidya, and Pinoy Weekly. We, therefore, confirm that the inaccessibility of our website is due to a targeted Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attack from a source intent on silencing Karapatan's platform for online advocacy. According to Qurium, Karapatan's website has been monitored by the attackers since November 2018, when information and press statements, an average of three per day, were released by the alliance on various human rights violations. The attacks started on December 26, 2018. The attackers used several virtual private networks (VPNs). The attacker, Qurium says, can be a group of people judging by the number of devices they used. According to Qurium, this kind of attack against Karapatan's site and other alternative news sites is one of the worst that they have seen in the last ten years that they have been monitoring attacks against civil society online spaces globally. It was a continuous and relentless attack, taking our website offline for nearly a month, bringing us to the conclusion that those who commissioned such attacks have enormous resources and thousands or even millions of funds to spend. Since it was put online in 2007, Karapatan's website has become one of the primary sources of data and analysis on the human rights situation in the country. Our website is a space for us to provide information and expose rights violations in the Philippines, to report evidence-based analysis of the deteriorating rights situation in the country, to educate the public with access to internet on the need to promote, protect and uphold human and people's rights, and to advocate for fundamental societal change. Resources on this website date back to the administration of former Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to the current administration, and information on many cases, which at times do not receive ample attention from authorities, are published in this site. Together with those who support our advocacy, both online and offline, we persevered in maintaining the site, keeping it updated as much as possible, knowing fully well that the victims and their families need all the help and efficiency we can muster. With this, the only ones who can benefit from such attacks are State forces, with billions of intelligence and discretionary funds in their war chest and whom we have relentlessly made accountable through our human rights advocacy in both online and offline platforms. Karapatan strongly condemns this attack as a desperate move by those who have clear contempt on the exercise of people's rights. In light of similar attacks against alternative news platforms Bulatlat, Kodao Productions, Altermidya, and Pinoy Weekly and the politically-motivated charges against Rappler's Maria Ressa, this cyberattack reveals a systematic and devious effort to curtail people's basic rights to information, freedom of speech and expression, and freedom of thought, conscience and belief, both online and offline. This is an extension of the Duterte government's attack against human rights defenders and against people's rights. This year, we have been grappling with the Securities and Exchange Commission Memorandum No. 15 which institutionalizes red-tagging and can seriously hamper the work of organizations through arbitrary and draconian provisions. Prior to this, we have dealt with online threats, banners branding us as "enemies of the State" and outright violations such as killings and arrests perpetrated against our colleagues. Clearly, this is an effort to silence us, but we will not cower. We stand in solidarity with the Philippine-based alternative media groups who have been subjected to similar attacks. They are among the most reliable partners of people's organizations in upholding the people's right to information and freedom of expression. We thank Qurium and all digital activists who are helping us, as we are back online since February 15, 2019. However, we remain uncertain if our website can withstand future attacks, which is why we call on all our partners among national and international civil society and human rights bodies, members of the media and academe, and human rights defenders to continue this support by providing spaces in your online platforms for statements, reports, and materials released by Karapatan. Amid constant threats of similar online attacks, we enjoin you to #MirrorUs to #FightBack, a solidarity online campaign that we will be launching to enable the release of public information from Karapatan through publication in various websites and social media accounts. You may contact us at karapatan@karapatan.org for further information on this campaign. Through your support, Karapatan, in all its years of activism and advocacy, has carried on despite numerous attacks directed against the alliance. As we remain vigilant, we will take concrete steps towards exacting accountability and exposing this deliberate and devious web of repressive tools to ultimately silence dissent and critical opinion.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Online Attack and Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Internet freedom, Online, Right to privacy
- HRD
- NGO
- Perpetrator-State
- Suspected state, Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Feb 13, 2019
- Event Description
Authorities in the Philippines have arrested award-winning journalist Maria Ressa, who leads the Rappler news website that is known for its tough scrutiny of President Rodrigo Duterte's administration. In a live stream posted by Rappler on Wednesday, officials of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) cybercrime unit were seen speaking to Ressa inside the website's headquarters. The NBI is a government agency under the Department of Justice. Rappler earlier said that an officer has prohibited its journalists from taking photos and videos inside her office, where the arrest warrant was served. Time honours Khashoggi, Maria Ressa and other journalists as 2018 'Person of the Year' In a short statement to journalists, Ressa said she had not seen the indictment before her arrest was issued. She said that "if possible", she would post bail immediately. "We are not intimidated. No amount of legal cases, black propaganda, and lies can silence Filipino journalists who continue to hold the line," Ressa said. "These legal acrobatics show how far the government will go to silence journalists, including the pettiness of forcing me to spend the night in jail." The arresting officers served the warrant at 5pm local time, just as government office hours ended, making it difficult for Ressa to apply for bail. In a statement, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) condemned the arrest of Ressa as "a shameless act of persecution by a bully government". "This government, led by a man who has proven averse to criticism and dissent, now proves it will go to ridiculous lengths to forcibly silence a critical media and stifle free expression and thought," it said. One of the political parties, Akbayan Partylist, also issued a statement in Ressa's support, saying they condemn the government for "the latest of the series of actions aimed at stifling press freedom in the country". "The arrest of Maria Ressa for fighting disinformation puts a target sign on all those who tell the truth," the statement said. "This arrest is deplorable. It highlights Duterte's fear of true, free and critical journalism." Last week, Philippine prosecutors announced that it will file a libel charge carrying up to 12 years in prison against Ressa, who was named a Time Magazine Person of the Year in 2018 for her journalistic work. The case - under a controversial cybercrime law penalising online libel - adds to legal pressure on Ressa and her company, which has already been hit with tax evasion charges that could shutter the outlet and put her behind bars. Rappler has drawn the administration's ire since publishing reports critical of Duterte's signature anti-drug crackdown that has killed thousands of alleged users and pushers since 2016. However, the new case against Ressa and former Rappler reporter Reynaldo Santos Jr stems from a 2012 report written about a businessman's alleged ties to a then-judge in the nation's top court. Philippines journalist charged with tax evasion (2:59) The cybercrime law, however, came into effect after the publication of the report. While investigators initially dismissed the businessman's 2017 complaint about the article, the case was subsequently forwarded to prosecutors for their consideration. 'Gross violation of press freedom' Amnesty International Philippines said Ressa's arrest was based on a "trumped up libel charge". "This is brazenly politically motivated, and consistent with the authorities' threats and repeated targeting of Ressa and her team," it said. The International Press Institute (IPI), a global network of media personnel, also denounced condemned Ressa's detention. "The arrest of Maria Ressa is an outrageous attempt by the Philippines government to silence a news organisation that has been courageously investigating corruption and human rights violations in the country," Ravi R. Prasad, IPI director of advocacy, said in a statement. "The manner in which Ressa has been pursued by the government by slapping legal cases against her is not only shameful but also a gross and willful violation of press freedom." Duterte has lashed out at other critical media outfits, including the Philippine Daily Inquirer newspaper and broadcaster ABS-CBN. He had threatened to go after their owners over alleged unpaid taxes or block the network's franchise renewal application. Some of the drug crackdown's highest-profile critics have wound up behind bars, including Senator Leila de Lima, who was jailed on drug charges she insists were fabricated to silence her. Ressa, already on bail for the tax charges, has maintained that the new case lacks a sound legal basis. The law that forms the foundation of the case takes aim at various online offences, including computer fraud and hacking. Nonoy Espina, chairman of the NUJP, earlier warned that the case would set an ominous precedent. "This is an extremely dangerous proposition since it essentially means anyone can be made liable for anything and everything they posted even way before the Cybercrime Law," he added.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Enactment of repressive legislation and policies, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Online, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Media Worker, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Government, Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jan 10, 2019
- Event Description
The Philippines' Department of Justice (DOJ) has indicted news website Rappler, its chief executive officer and executive editor Maria Ressa, and former Rappler reporter Reynaldo Santos, Jr. for cyberlibel for an article the news website published seven years ago. The DOJ announced its decision in a resolution dated Jan. 10 but was made public only yesterday, reported GMA News. The case stemmed from a complaint filed by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) which acted on a case filed by a businessman named Wilfredo Keng. Keng filed the complaint against Rappler for allegedly publishing false information about him in an article titled "CJ using SUVs of "controversial' businessmen." Written by Santos, who was then working for Rappler, the article reported that Keng was allegedly involved in "illegal activities, namely "human trafficking and drug smuggling.'" The article also said that then-Chief Justice Renato Corona used a vehicle that belonged to Keng when Corona was attending his impeachment trial at the Senate. Keng, however, denied that he owned the vehicle which Corona used during that time. The article was published on Rappler's website on May 29, 2012 and was updated on Feb. 19, 2014. Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Edwin Dayog said Rappler, Ressa, and Santos Jr. committed libel under the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012. In the resolution that was obtained by ABS-CBN News, Dayog said: "The publication complained of imputes to complainant Keng the commission of crimes. It is clearly defamatory." Dayog added: "Under Article 354 of the Revised Penal Code, every defamatory imputation is presumed to be malicious, even if it be true if no good intention and justifiable motive for making it is shown. The presumed malice is known as malice in law. The recognized exceptions, where malice in law is not present, are the absolutely or qualifiedly privileged communications." "The publication in question does not fall under any of the absolutely or qualifiedly privileged communications. It is not qualifiedly privileged as a "private communication made in the performance of any legal, moral or social duty,'" Dayog also said. According to The Philippine Daily Inquirer, Ressa said that she could not be accused of cyberlibel because the Cybercrime Prevention Act was not yet in effect when the article was first published in May 2012. The Act, also known as Republic Act 10175, was approved on Sept. 12, 2012. The DOJ disagreed with Ressa because it said the article was updated in February 2014 and remains online to this day. On the other hand, the DOJ dismissed Keng's complaints against former and incumbent Rappler board members Manuel Ayala, Nico Jose Nolledo, Glenda Gloria, James Bitanga, Felicia Atienza, and Dan de Padua and former corporate secretary Jose Maria Hofile_a due to the absence of evidence that would prove their participation in the alleged crime. The cyber libel case is just one of the many legal woes that Ressa and Rappler are facing. Rappler and Ressa have been charged at the Court of Tax Appeals (CTA) with three counts of violating the internal revenue code for allegedly failing to submit the correct information in their tax returns in 2015. They were also charged with one count of tax evasion at the CTA. It does not end there. One count of tax evasion was filed against Rappler and Ressa at the Pasig Regional Trial Court. Ressa has maintained that the charges were politically-motivated because it has been critical of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- Enactment of repressive legislation and policies, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Media Worker, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Government, Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jan 30, 2019
- Event Description
National Democratic Front (NDF) consultant Randy Malayao was shot dead inside a passenger bus in Nueva Vizcaya early morning Wednesday, January 30. Malayao, 49, was aboard a Victory Liner bus bound for Isabela when the bus made a stop in Aritao town in Nueva Vizcaya past 2 am on Wednesday, according to the spot report of the Nueva Vizcaya police. Aritao town police chief Geovanni Cejes said Malayao was sleeping inside the bus when an unidentified gunman shot him. Police reports said the gunman boarded the bus when it stopped in Aritao. "The victim was still inside the bus when the suspect gunman went inside the bus then fired two successive shots upon the victim causing his untimely death," said the spot report. The police said the suspect "immediately came down the bus then boarded his getaway motor vehicle together with his companion/driver." Two unidentified suspects were seen aboard a black Yamaha Mio near the crime scene. Police recovered a bullet and two pieces of cartridge case at the scene. As an NDF panel consultant on political and constitutional reforms, Malayao joined the peace negotiations in Europe under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte, and had attended peace forums around the Philippines. He was among the 656 people that the Department of Justice had wanted a Manila court to declare as terrorists in February 2018, but was no longer on the shortened DOJ list of 8 people in a January 3 petition to the Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 19. Edre Olalia, president of the National Union of Peoples' Lawyers (NUPL), condemned the killing. "These series of attacks follow one thread: get those who fight the oppressive and exploitative system and who work for fundamental change fast and quick," said Olalia. Bayan Muna said the murder of Malayao "is part of the coordinated and direct attacks against progressive groups like Bayan Muna and the Makabayan bloc in the run up to the elections." Malayao had apparently attended a campaign conference of Makabayan before his murder. "This is another nail on the coffin of the peace negotiations. It is truly tragic that while we are going all out to resume the peace negotiations, the militarist hawks in the Duterte administration are the ones running the show," said Bayan Muna Representative Carlos Zarate. Malayao, an activist since his college days, was in jail from May 2008 to October 2012 as the main suspect in the killing former Cagayan Governor Rodolfo Aguinaldo. The court has dismissed the charges against him in the Aguinaldo killing. -
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Death, Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to life
- HRD
- Pro-democracy activist
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jan 28, 2019
- Event Description
PROGRESSIVE groups in Northern Mindanao have expressed alarm over the sudden disappearance of two leaders of Lumad and peasant organizations in Cagayan de Oro City last Monday, January 28, but police said the two were arrested on the strength of a supposed arrest warrant. The families and colleagues of Lumad leader Datu Jomorito Goaynon, chairperson of Kalumbay Regional Lumad organization, and Ireneo Udarbe, chairperson of the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) in Northern Mindanao, failed to reach the two and declared them missing since Monday morning. However, a police official in Northern Mindanao confirmed that the two were not missing but were arrested by virtue of an arrest warrant for attempted murder and frustrated murder, issued by a court in Cagayan de Oro. Police said Goaynon and Udarbe, whom the police tagged as leaders of the New Peoples Army (NPA), were charged with four counts of attempted murder and frustrated murder. They were arrested through a joint military and police operation. "They are not missing. Udarbe and Goaynon were arrested at Barangay Patag by virtue of a court-issued arrest warrant according to our records," PRO Northern Mindanao D Director Timoteo Pacleb said. Reports said Goaynon and Udarbe left their office in Barangay Bulua, past 10:00 a.m., Monday. Their last communication to a Kalumbay staff was to inform that they were stuck in traffic on the way to their meeting place from their office. However, the two never got to their meeting place and none of their relatives and friends have seen or heard from them since then. Calls to Goaynon were picked up but no one answered while Udarbe's phone was still ringing but no one was picking up. The two can no longer be reached as of this writing. The two were supposed to attend a meeting with Pig-uyonan, a member organization of Kalumbay, in Barangay Carmen, this city. Pig-uyonan was scheduled to have a dialogue with the members of the 65th Infantry Battalion, facilitated by the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) last Monday. Last January 22, Pig-uyonan together with Goaynon filed a complaint against the 65IB for harassment and forced surrender. Goaynon has been complaining over a tarpaulin bearing his picture hanged in Talakag, Bukidnon which accused him of recruiting the lumad to the New Peoples Army (NPA). Police claimed that firearms, fragmentation grenades and subversive documents were seized from their possession during the arrest. PRO-Northern Mindanao spokesperson Superintendent Surki Serenas said the two will undergo inquest proceedings for illegal possession of guns and explosives. The two were detained at the jail facility of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG). Human rights groups have argued that the charges made against the 2 lumad leaders are trumped up and aimed to target and intimidate the HRDs
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Land rights
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Indigenous peoples' rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Government, Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jan 29, 2019
- Event Description
A member of a farmers' group affiliated with the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) was shot dead in San Roque village, Rizal town, in Zamboanga del Norte, a human rights group said Tuesday. Jennifer Aguhob, spokesperson of Karapatan in Western Mindanao, identified the victim as Sergio Atay, of Barangay Upper Dioyo, Sapang Dalaga, Misamis Occidental. The 35-year-old activist was a member of a local peasant group Magbabaul, an affiliate of KMP. Aguhob said Atay's body was found on January 29, Tuesday at about 8:30 a.m. "His was found riddled with 5 bullets, all in the head. Medico-legal investigation shows that he had torture marks and was hogtied," Aguhob said. Citing accounts from his family, Atay traveled along the highway of Sapang Dalaga, Misamis Occidental, and Rizal, Zamboanga del Norte, on January 28, at 10:00 p.m. "He was on his way home. He and his wife were under surveillance, visited by military several times last year for their active involvement in the peasant group," Agubob said. He was last seen alive when he was stopped, held and interrogated at the Regional Public Safety Battalion (RPSB) check point in the same area," she added. Aguhob suspects that Atay's active involvement in Magbabaul and KMP was the reason why he was interrogated by the RPSB elements. "His family is seeking for justice," Aguhob said. She added that Atay's body is now at the morgue and Karapan is forming a quick reaction team to probe the killing. /cbb
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Death, Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to life
- HRD
- Community-based HRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Suspected state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Apr 4, 2018
- Event Description
Suspected communist rebels belonging to Guerilla Front 54 allegedly killed on Wednesday a town's representative of the indigenous peoples in the Sangguniang Bayan in Magpet, Cotabato. The victim identified as Antonio Takinan, 50, was an ex-officio member of the SB. Police Senior Inspector Jose Marie Molina, Magpet Police chief, said Takinan had multiple gunshot wounds and died on the spot on Wednesday afternoon. His two companions, Robello Tambunan and village watchman Rene Soriano, were injured. Molina said at least three armed men attacked Takinan and his companions while they were on their way to Barangay Bantac. Takinan was able to retaliate. However another three armed men fired at them using a caliber .45 pistol and M 16 rifles. Takinan had just attended their regular session at the Sangguniang Bayan Hall at the municipal hall in Barangay Poblacion when the incident happened. Molina said the victim has received several threats from Kumander Bobby Rosete. The latest threat was recorded on March 18, 2018. "He has constantly been receiving threats from Kumander Bobby as per information we gathered from the victim's wife," Molina told this writer. He disclosed that Takinan has told his fellow tribe members not to support the NPA but instead encouraged them to join the training of the Civilian Active Auxiliary or CAA. The victim was also responsible for the entry of some Indigenous Peoples (IP's) for training to become future soldiers. Molina added that Kumander Bobby even instructed Takinan to meet him in an undisclosed village in Magpet. Takinan however refused to meet him despite several calls made by the rebel commander. After the ambush, the suspects immediately fled toward the northern portion of Magpet situated within the tri-boundaries of Arakan-Antipas and Magpet. Soriano and Tambunan were brought to a private hospital for medical treatment as they sustained gunshot wounds. Takinan's fellow SB members condemned the attack and called it an act of cowardice. -KG, GMA News
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Death, Killing
- Rights Concerned
- Right to life
- HRD
- Community-based HRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Event Description
On March 22, 2018, Garito Malibato, 23, Manobo, and a resident of Brgy. Gupitan, Kapalong, Davao del Norte, was shot dead by elements of the Alamara, a paramilitary group under the control of the 73rd Infantry Battalion-Philippine Army. The Alamara has been implicated in many rights violations against indigenous communities in Mindanao, including the killing of 15-year-old student Alibando Tingkas in January 2016, the killing of 60-year-old Umayamnon tribe leader Matanem Pocuan in February 2017, and the shooting of farmer Ande Latuan in July 2017.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Death, Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to life
- HRD
- Community-based HRD
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Feb 22, 2018
- Event Description
Karapatan strongly condemned the killing of peasant leader Ronald Manlapat, 30 years old and a member of the local chapter of the National Federation of Sugar Workers (NSFW) in Hacienda Joefred, Brgy. Luna, Sagay City, Negros Occidental yesterday, February 22 at around 5am. He was shot by an unknown assailant at the back of his head. Previously, Manlapat had been receiving threats for being actively involved in organizing laborers and farmers in their village. "This is unconscionable. In an ideal situation, peasants like Manlapat should get support and services from the government. But for insisting on suitable wages as laborers on a farm, they get bullets instead. To add insult, killings of peasants have remained unpunished," said Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay. Palabay cited the cases of NFSW leader Alexander Ceballos who was killed last January 20, 2017, and Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) members Wencislao Pacquiao and Webby Argabio Sr., who were killed last January 20, 2017 and November 8, 2017, respectively, as among the recent cases of extrajudicial killings in Negros. The island is widely known to have been plagued by persistent issues of landlessness, landgrabbing, underpayment of wages of agricultural sugar workers, poverty and labor right violations, with the continuing dominance of big sugar barons and landlords in the province. "The culture of impunity which this regime embraces must end. We call for an independent investigation on the killing of Manlapat and all peasant activists who are staunch campaigners of genuine agrarian reform," Palabay concluded.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Death, Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to life
- HRD
- Community-based HRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Feb 22, 2018
- Event Description
OEBU CITY-Five security guards are facing criminal charges for killing four sugarcane farmers and wounding another on Wednesday in Siaton town, Negros Oriental. Complaints for multiple murder and frustrated murder were filed at the prosecutor's office on Thursday afternoon against Roswil Antanoy, 29; Edilberto Pancho, 41; Reynante Rubia, 36; Nelcher Abordo, 27; and Jason Ramos, 31. They were detained at the police station of Siaton pending resolution of the complaint against them. The five were accused of killing farmers Jessebel Abayle, 34; Carmelina Amantillo, 57; Consolacion Cadevida, 66; and Felimon Molero, 66. Another farmer, Lito Prudencia de Jesus, 28, was wounded and was recuperating at the hospital. In a phone interview, PO3 Euberto Kinkito Jr. of Siaton Police, said personal grudge appeared to be the motive in the shooting. The farmers worked in a sugarcane farm, about 200 meters from the national road in Sitio Bondo, Barangay Napacao, Siaton. The suspects belonged to Nico Security Agency that was tapped by farm owner Gaspar Vicente to guard his farm. But the farmers caught the ire of the security guards because they would report to the owner any infraction committed by the guards, said Kinkito. Police investigation showed that the suspects went to the tent where the farmers were resting and shot them several times. One of the suspects then threw a hand grenade at the victims. The suspects fled but were caught two hours later in Napacao during a hot pursuit operation by the police.
- Impact of Event
- 5
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Death, Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to life
- HRD
- Community-based HRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Feb 4, 2018
- Event Description
A tribal leader of the Langilang-Manobo tribe and his son were shot dead by armed men inside their home in Barangay Palma Gil, Talaingod, Davao del Norte on Sunday dawn. The victims, Datu Banadjao Mampaundag and his son, Jhonard Mampaundag, were attacked around 4 a.m. inside their home by the armed men posing as soldiers but were believed members of the New People's Army (NPA). AFP Eastern Mindanao Command (EastMinCom) spokesperson Maj. Ezra Balagtey said the attackers were Tagalog-speaking members of the NPA who entered the house of the Mampaundags and murdered the two tribal leaders. Balagtey said a medical team from Talaingod was sent to give assistance but they stopped when the team heard an explosion. The remains of Banadjao and Jhonard are still in Sitio Igang waiting to be retrieved. The NPA members were believed to be in an ambush position and could possibly attack army troops who would respond to the incident. The incident happened a day after Banadjao came home from the two-day "Panagtagbo Alang sa Kalinaw ug Kalambuan," an Indigenous Peoples Leaders' Summit held in Davao City at the Green Height convention Center on January 31 and February 1. Banadjao was one of the participants of the gathering at the EastMinCom headquarters in Panacan, Davao City where President Rodrigo Duterte called on tribal leaders from four regions in Mindanao to "dissociate from the NPA." "Distansya mo as NPA. Ayaw mo pakig away (You distance yourselves from the NPA. Do not fight them," he had told them. The two-day IP Leaders Summit was aimed at providing the "lumads" with an avenue to air their concerns to the national government. Two of the issues included security and lack of economic opportunities. Banadjao was also one of those who signed a manifesto calling for a push on their struggle and fight for self-determination based on their customary laws, cultures and traditions passed by their ancestors that are deeply rooted in their communities. In the manifesto, they vowed not to fail Duterte in his peace and development program spelled-out in the administration's 10-point socioeconomic agenda. (PNA)
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Death, Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to life
- HRD
- Community-based HRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Feb 9, 2018
- Event Description
ANOTHER Lumad leader was allegedly killed by the New People's Army (NPA) in Alegria town, Surigao del Norte on Friday, February 9, just a week after a tribal was gunned down by members of the communist group in Davao del Norte. In a statement, Captain Al Anthony Pueblas, Civil Military Operations (CMO) officer of the 402 Infantry (Stingers) Brigade, said Dakula Guillermo Tiambong, 58, a farmer and a tribal leader, was shot to death in front of his family while in his farm at the mountains in Sitio Palo 10, Barangay Camp Edward, Alegria, at 2:30 p.m. Tiambong is an officer of the Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representative (IPMR) of the Mamanwa Tribe in Alegria. According to the victim's daughter, Girlie, his father had previously received death threats from the NPAs for being an active advocate on peace and development in their community. "Walay sala ang akong amahan nganong ila man kining gipatay? Giyatakan sa mga NPA ang katungod namong mga tribu nga magpuyong malinawon (Why did they kill my father? The NPA have stepped on our rights as Indigenous Peoples (IP) to live peacefully)" Girlie said. Lieutenant Colonel Allen Raymund Tomas, Commanding Officer of 30th Infantry Battalion, condemned the recent atrocity perpetrated by the NPA and expressed his sympathy to the bereaved family. "We extend our deepest condolences to the bereaved family of Dakula Guillermo Tiambong whose daughter is an active youth leader," Tomas said. The slain tribal leader attended the three-day IP summit dubbed as "Panagtagbo Alang sa Kalinawug Kalambuan" at the Naval Station Felix Apolinario, Panacan, Davao City wherein they met President Rodrigo Duterte and had a dialogue regarding their issues and concerns in the community. "Datu Tiambong is the voice of the Mamanwa tribe during the three-day IP Summit in Davao where President Rodrigo Roa Duterte met them last January 30 to 31 and February 1, 2018," he said.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Death, Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to life
- HRD
- Community-based HRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jan 25, 2018
- Event Description
On January 25, 2017, Arturo Colao was shot by two unidentified motorcycle-riding gunmen in Puting Balas, Talisayan town. The victim was attending a birthday party when the assailants stopped a meter from where he was sitting and started shooting. Colao sustained a gunshot wound on his hip. This is the latest of a series of attempts on Colao's life.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Death, Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to life
- HRD
- Community-based HRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jan 20, 2018
- Event Description
Peasant activist James Flores, 33, resident of Purok Cadena, Brgy. Mankilam, Tagum City, Davao del Norte was shot dead by an unidentified assailant around 6pm of January 20, 2018. Flores was tying his groceries to his single motorcycle parked at the back of Gaisano shopping mall in Tagum City, when an unidentified gunman shot James multiple times. James was a staunch peasant rights activist and a member of Pederasyon sa tanang Asosasyon sa mga Mag-uuma ug Lumad sa Agusan ug Davao (PAMULAD).
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Death, Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to life
- HRD
- Community-based HRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jan 28, 2018
- Event Description
DAVAO CITY, Philippines - Another Lumad was killed in Arakan town, Cotabato, reported human rights group Karapatan on Sunday. Karapatan Southern Mindanao Region said in a statement that 30-year old Ricky Olado was shot dead by suspected military agents Sunday morning. Olado was driving his motorcycle boarding another passenger heading to Barangay Datu Ladayon, Arakan when "they were chased by two armed men in two single motorcycles." He sustained multiple gunshots while the unidentified passenger was wounded. Olado was a member of a local IP group Tinanaon Kulamanon Lumadnong Panaghiusa (TIKULPA) under PASAKA Confederation of Lumad groups in Southern Mindanao. On Saturday, President Rodrigo Duterte reiterated his call to go after organizations believed to be supporting the communists saying if the military has to kill they have to do so. "And if you have to kill, do it because the human rights, kung babagsak itong bayan na "to, walang maitulong sa atin "yan," Duterte said. Karapatan National in a statement slammed Duterte's pronouncement to target legal and progressive organizations saying "[these] are the very reasons why majority of the Filipino people strongly distrust government institutions." "Making no distinction between armed combatants and civilians gives state forces carte blanche to kill, arrest, threaten, and harass any one, including free speech advocates, unarmed activists, peasants, workers, indigenous peoples, church workers, among others. These tactics, used by the Marcos dictatorship and subsequent regimes such as that of Benigno Aquino III and Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, are acts of desperation and paranoia," said Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay. Olado is the 66th victim of politically motivated killings in Southern Mindanao Region according to Karapatan.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Death, Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to life
- HRD
- Community-based HRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Dec 17, 2017
- Event Description
Early this morning, December 17, 2017, Karapatan-Southern Mindanao received information that the remains of Jeanni Rose Porras, 39, a member of Compostela Farmers Association (CFA), was found at a funeral parlor in Nabunturan, Compostela Valley. Jeanni's son reported her missing on December 15. Jeanni's son narrated that on December 14, his mother went out to talk to someone. He started worrying when after a day, Jeanni has still not returned home. He tried calling through her mobile phone but it was out of reach. On December 15, Jeanni's son decided to report the incident at a nearby police station in Compostela town. He also informed fellow CFA members, asking their help to look for his mother. It was only this morning that they discovered her body at a funeral parlor. As of this writing, Karapatan, along with CFA members, are still trying to ascertain the details with regard to Jeanni's disappearance and death. Jeanni Porras was a staunch anti-mining activist and a peasant organizer in the area. Her organization, the Compostela Farmers Association, has long been the target of killings, illegal arrests, and harassment due to their anti-militarization, anti-mining, and agrarian reform campaigns. HR Alert #12-17-17 Released: 17 December 2017 Source: Karapatan -Southern Mindanao
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Death, Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to life
- HRD
- Community-based HRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Dec 3, 2017
- Event Description
The 27th IB-AFP massacred civilian residents and not NPA members in a skirmish that took place in Sitio Datal Bonglangon, Brgy. Ned, Lake Sebu, South Cotabato in December 3, 2017. The victims are members of the T'boli-Manobo S'daf Claimants Organization (TAMASCO), a group fighting for the tribe's ancestral lands seized by the DMCI through the government's IFMA program. The group found out that the government had rejected their claim by granting the renewal of Consunji's IFMA contract. But the group continued to fight for their rights. The NDF-FSMR strongly condemns this heinous crime and terroristic act perpetrated by the AFP against the civilians. This is clearly an antrocious violation of the human rights and the international humanitarian law. Sityo Datal Bonglangon is a T'boli-Manobo community located within the vast coffee plantation of the Silvicultural Industries Inc.-DMCI. For a long time, sitio residents have persistently resisted the company's efforts to evict them. According to reports received by the NDF-FSMR, prior to the incident, Lumad residents have complained about the incessant intimidations done by DMCI company guards and government forces. Lt. Col. Harold Cabunoc, the commanding officer of the 33rd IB-AFP, have also threatened to attack the sitio. Reports said that at around 12:25 in the afternoon in December 3, forces of the 27th IB-AFP conducting military operations arrive in the community. The soldiers approached the house of the chieftain Datu Victor Danyan and opened fire. This prompted the residents, armed with 12-gauge shotguns and indigenous weapons, to fight back. The firefight resulted to the death of eight individuals namely Datu Victor Danyan Sr., Victor Danyan Jr., Artemio Danyan, Pato Celardo, To Diamante, Bobot Lagase, and Mateng Bantal. A number were also wounded that includes Luben Laod and Teteng Laod, and a minor that was taken to a hospital. According to witnesses, three 27th IB soldiers were also killed and three others were wounded. A unit of the Mt. Daguma Operations Command-NPA operating in area immediately responded to rescue the fleeing civilians. They engaged the maneuvering forces of the 33rd IB-AFP a kilometer away from the community. A Red fighter was martyred in the gunfight. The 33rd IB indiscriminately bombed the place after the successive encounters. At least fifteen 105 mortar shells were fired by the AFP from 2:00 o'clock until 4:30 in the afternoon that day. Hundreds of families in Datal Bonglangon and adjacent sitios evacuated as a result of the incidents and the continuing presence of government armed troops in the area.
- Impact of Event
- 8
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Death, Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to life
- HRD
- Community-based HRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Dec 17, 2017
- Event Description
MANILA, Philippines - Suspected members of the New People's Army (NPA) brutally murdered a Lumad leader from Kapalong town in Davao del Norte. Datu Benandao Maugan, 59, a tribal leader of Sitio Luno-luno, Barangay Gupitan, Kapalong, was killed by the alleged communist guerillas at around 1 pm on Sunday, December 17, in front of his people. According to a police report, which cites the testimony of Maugan's brother-in-law who witnessed the scene, several NPA members led by a certain Renard Catarata (alias SM or Tata) and Rene Catarata (alias Gilbert) arrived in their village on Sunday morning while Maugan was out hunting. The alleged NPA members, he said, forced them to assemble at the village center, where their jungle knives or bolos were confiscated. Also present were Maugan's wife, child, and several relatives. Upon his arrival, Maugan was reportedly dragged to a nearby hut. He was heard saying, "Pahibal-a ko ninyo kung unsay sala nako." (Tell me what I have done wrong.) Maugan was then reportedly blindfolded, hogtied, and dragged to the riverside by at least 5 armed men, including a certain Bucay Matog and alias Dasoc. A few minutes after, the villagers heard several gunshots. SM Catarata supposedly instructed the people to pick up the body of Maugan, whom he described as a "corrupt" and "hard-headed" leader. Maugan's brother-in-law and the other villagers then recovered the leader's body, which sustained 9 gunshot wounds. After the incident, the alleged NPA members fled the village and threatened those who would oppose them. In 2013, Maugan refused to give in to the NPA's demand and prevented his entire village from evacuating to Haran, Davao City, for their communist propaganda. On several occasions, he also prevented his villagers from being used by the NPA as errand runners. In one account, Maugan was said to have been accused by the NPA of personally blocking food supplies supposedly delivered to them in nearby Sitio Muling. Recently, Maugan also facilitated the establishment of a public school in Luno-luno in collaboration with the local government of Kapalong. Police said they are now preparing a case against the NPA members. Meanwhile, Kapalong Mayor Maria Theresa Timbol has given initial assistance to Maugan's family. News of Maugan's killing comes as President Rodrigo Duterte declared a ceasefire with communist rebels during the Christmas season, from December 24, 2017, to January 2, 2018. - Rappler.com
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Death, Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to life
- HRD
- Community-based HRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Government
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Nov 28, 2018
- Event Description
Former Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo and ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro were arrested along with 72 others for conducting a solidarity mission in Davao del Norte on Wednesday night. According to ACT Teachers party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio, the lawmakers and the other individuals who were mostly part of human rights groups held the protest to support students and teachers of a lumad (indigenous people) school that had been forcibly shut down by the 56th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army. [T]he solidarity mission convoy was attacked by men believed to be members of the paramilitary group known as Alamara. Tires of some of their vehicles were spiked, the windshield of the van ridden by Rep. Castro and Ka (Kasama or Comrade) Satur was broken and gunshots were fired in their vicinity," Tinio told reporters. The police, instead of going after the attackers, he said, brought the mission participants to the Talaingod police station in Davao del Norte, where they were detained. The Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives confirmed that the National Solidarity Mission was a delegation of 74 people, including 29 students and 12 teachers of lumad schools in the region. The protesters have been detained since 9:30 p.m. The bloc said all the protesters involved are facing charges of "human trafficking in relation to child abuse law," which it said was a "blatant and outrageous lie." The Army on Thursday said tribal leaders in Davao sought assistance from the police and military in connection with the alleged child trafficking incident.
- Impact of Event
- 74
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- HRD
- Lawyer, Social activist ~
- Perpetrator-State
- Government, Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Nov 23, 2018
- Event Description
A LUMAD leader in Agusan del Sur is in critical condition after he and his companion were shot by still unidentified gunmen while they were on their way home in Sitio Cantagan, Barangay Lucac, San Francisco, Agusan del Sur, last November 23. Datu Walter Espa_a, 34, a Lumad-Manobo and barangay chairperson of the Nagkahiusang Mag-uuma sa Agusan del Sur (Namasur)-Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas-Caraga, was shot several times by eight armed men. His companion, identified as Rommel Romon, 22, died in the attack.ARTICLE_MOBILE_AD_CODE Espa_a sustained three bullet wounds on his right chest, on the right side of his stomach, at the back part of his waist, and on his legs. He was brought to the hospital. As of Tuesday, November 27, he was still fighting for his life. Romon, an active member of Namasur, was shot on his legs, chest and head. He sustained three bullet wounds on his head, resulting in his immediate death. Another companion, identified only as Carillo, was able to escape. Police in Agusan del Sur identified one of the gunmen as Roger Detros, who also died during a brief shootout. Police said the remaining gunmen escaped. Authorities have yet to determine the motive in the attack. Human rights group Karapatan said that Espa_a, along with members of Namasur, have opposed the expansion of oil palm plantation of Davao San Francisco Agricultural Ventures Inc. (Dasfavi). "He firmly refused to sell the hundreds of hectares to the company despite the grave threats and attempts of Dasfavi to buy his principles by offering him large amounts of money," the group said. Dasfavi, a Davao-based plantation company, operates an oil palm plantation in Rosario and San Francisco, Agusan del Sur, covering more than 50 hectares of land. It was established in 2012 by the SC Group of Companies of Davao. The shooting last Friday, November 23, is the recent in a string of attacks recorded by Karapatan in Mindanao in just a span of two weeks. The other attacks include the alleged abduction of teachers of the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines Sitio Babalayan, Barangay Durongan, Tagoloan 2, Lanao del Sur. Reports said that before the teachers went missing, soldiers were allegedly roving the area looking for Sultan Jamla and Datu Langi, both known community leaders in the area. The whereabouts of teachers Tema Namatidong, 28, Julius Torregosa, 30, Ariel Barluado, 22, and Giovanni Solomon, 20, are still unknown. In Kitaotao, Bukidnon, a member of a Lumad school's Parents-Teachers Community Association was shot dead on November 17. Esteban Empong Sr., 49, was shot dead while asleep in a relative's house. Empong Sr., a member of Tinananon Kulamanon Lumadnong Panaghiusa, was allegedly harassed by the 19th Infantry Battalion. On November 18, five students who were on their way home were allegedly tortured by soldiers of the 19th IBPA in Magpet, North Cotabato. The victims, all minors, were students of Mindanao Interfaith Services Foundation Inc. in North Cotabato. Karapatan secretary general Cristina Palabay said "this is the real face of martial law, the reality that the Duterte regime is desperately trying to whitewash." "The government, however, is still eyeing the extension of military rule in Mindanao, insistent on cracking down against marginalized sectors raising legitimate demands. The perpetrators are guaranteed protection, while the Filipino people are left to suffer unbridled repression and plunder," she said. "The government targets indigenous and peasant communities. Increasingly, the Duterte regime has also trained its guns on teachers. Lumad schools are bad for a government who prefers an uneducated populace. Likewise, progressive organizations are bad for a government who prefers disunity. In any case, after this series of violations, martial law has peddled state terrorism to an unprecedented degree," she added. (SunStar Cagayan de Oro)
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Death, Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Minority Rights, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to life
- HRD
- Community-based HRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Nov 5, 2018
- Event Description
The Sagay City Police have filed kidnapping charges against human rights group Karapatan for taking custody of the 14-year-old witness in the massacre of nine farmers in Sagay City, Negros Occidental. Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Director General Oscar Albayalde said on Monday that the group violated the law by taking custody of the minor who is not their relative. "According to the report of the DO (Directorate for Operations), meron nang fi-nile na kaso na kidnapping doon sa members ng Karapatan doon," he said in a press briefing. (According to the report of the DO, kidnapping cases have been filed against members of Karapatan in that area.) "Hindi tama iyon na kukunin mo iyong bata na hindi mo kaano-ano and then suppress him and then curtail his liberty for that matter," he said. (It's not right that you take custody of a child who is not your relative and then you will suppress him and curtail his liberty for that matter.) Chief Supt. John Bulalacao, director of the PNP in Western Visayas, said the police filed the charges last week at the request of the minor's father. The minor is being considered as the key witness in the killing of nine sugarcane workers in Sagay City on October 20. The PNP has earlier filed multiple murder cases against suspects who recruited the nine farmers to join the National Federation of Sugar Workers (NFSW). The police earlier said that the group is a legal front of the New People's Army. The NFSW has denied this claim. Regional women's rights group Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development has condemned the filing of kidnapping and illegal detention charges against lawyer Katherine Panguban and is calling for them to be dropped. "APWLD demands that the politically motivated charges against Ms. Panguban to be dropped immediately and for the murders of Benjamin Ramos and the nine farmers to be independently investigated," they said in the statement. Police officials said earlier this month that they support the filing of charges. "It's not right to get the kid if you're not related and curtail his liberty," Philippine National Police Director General Oscar Albayalde was quoted in a GMA News Online report on November 5. "We need the whereabouts of the kid," he added. But APWLD and other human rights groups denied that Panguban was the one who took custody of the child and was only representing Flordeliza Cabahug, the child's mother. APWLD pointed out that a criminal complaint was filed despite the fact that it was the "mother and recognized parent who sought assistance from NUPL and human rights organization Karapatan." They added that regaining custody over the minor was done considering Lester's "manifested choice to be with his mother over his estranged father, officially done in the presence of the head of CSWD Sagay (City Social Welfare and Development Office); properly documented; one that was acknoweldged and signed by Lester's parents." The groups insisted that Panguban represented the the mother with consent and "had signed agreements with NUPL and Karapatan." The child's mother ackonwledged and had the documents notarized in Manila, it also said. Panguban was also the counsel of Catholic nun Patricia Fox, who had her missionary visa revoked last month and left the Philippines on November 3, after the administration of Rodrigo Duterte had her investigated for allegedly taking part in political activities.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment, Vilification
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- NGO, NGO staff
- Perpetrator-State
- Government, Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Nov 6, 2018
- Event Description
NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, Philippines - A human rights lawyer here was killed by riding-in-tandem assailants Tuesday night, November 6, in Barangay 5, Kabankalan City. Benjamin Ramos, secretary-general of the National Union of Peoples' Lawyers-Negros Island, was in front of a store near the public plaza when he was shot at close range by two unidentified men. Karapatan-Negros secretary-general Clarizza Singson, quoting the victim's wife, said the lawyer was having a smoke when he was attacked around 10:20 pm. Singson said the victim was rushed to a hospital but he succumbed to 4 gunshot wounds, 3 in the front and one in the back. Ramos, who represented a number of political prisoners, was the lawyer of youth leader and University of the Philippines Cebu alumna Myles Albasin and her 5 companions - known as the Mabinay 6 - who were arrested in March this year in Mabinay, Negros Oriental, following an alleged clash with government troopers, although they later tested negative for gunpowder residues. The lawyer, being a peasant advocate, had also founded the farmers' organization Paghiliusa Development Group. - Rappler.com
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Death, Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to life
- HRD
- Lawyer
- Perpetrator-State
- Suspected state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Oct 4, 2018
- Event Description
AN INDIGENOUS Peoples' (IP) leader condemned the arrests of activists Gerry Basahon and Carmelita Dorado, both members of the Misamis Oriental Farmers Association (MOFA) who were accused as New People's Army (NPA). Basahon and Dorado were arrested in Gingoog City on Thursday, October 4, after an arrest warrant was issued by a court in Cagayan de Oro City for two counts of attempted murder and frustrated murder charges. Both were tied in the attack of Binuangan town police station last December 3. The attack left four policemen wounded including the station's commander. According to police, two were alleged members of the Guerilla Front 4B. But Datu Jomorito Goaynon of Kalumbay lumad organization insisted that the charges against them are trumped-up charges and denied they were part of the attack. For Goaynon, the arrest was not only efforts by the state to harass or silent them, but also a symbol of Duterte's dictatorship, he added. Goaynon said October is a critical month for activists who are targets of an intensified crackdown by the government. "Maybe it's the end for us even before this month ends. They intend to destroy us lumads because they have interest in our ancestral lands," he said.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Land rights
- HRD
- Community-based HRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Government
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Oct 22, 2018
- Event Description
Two members of Onyon sa Yanong Obrerong Nagkahiusa (Union of United Agricultural Workers - OGYON) were illegally arrested and detained by members of the Philippine National Police and Philippine Army in a checkpoint in Lumbo, Valencia City in Bukidnon earlier today, October 22. Julie Balvastamen and Susanu Aguaron are with other members of OGYON on their way to Cagayan de Oro City to join the region-wide Peasant Mobilization in time with the International Peasant Month.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- HRD
- Community-based HRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Government, Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Oct 12, 2018
- Event Description
We in the Kalikasan People's Network for the Environment (Kalikasan PNE) urgently request your support for Filipino land and environment defenders and other activists across the region of Cagayan Valley who have recently faced a systematic campaign of vilification and harassment from suspected military intelligence operations from October 12 to 16, 2018. Last October 12, 2018, the Cagayan Valley chapter of the Karapatan - Alliance for the Advancement of Human Rights received reports that leaflets and streamers were scattered around several towns in the provinces of Nueva Vizcaya, Isabela, and Cagayan implicating the names of leaders and members of peoples' organizations as "leaders and recruiters" of the communist rebel group New People's Army (NPA). These are organizations that have led protest movements against land grabbing and environmental destruction pushed by large-scale mining projects such as illegal gold mining in Isabela, black sand mining in Cagayan, and large-scale gold mines in Nueva Vizcaya. On October 15 to 16, 2018, the Alyansa ng Novo Vizcayano para sa Kalikasan (ANVIK), the provincial member organization of Kalikasan, monitored a second wave of leaflet distribution and streamer hanging in the towns of Solano, Diadi to Bagabag. This time, leaflets included a new list of names of 27 environmental defenders, including public interest lawyers Atty. Fidel Nemenzo and Atty. Ed Balgos, and scientists Finesa Cosico, Alfonso Shog-oy, and Tess Acosta who are supporting the campaign against the large-scale mining operations of Australian-Canadian multinational corporation OceanaGold. This "red-tagging' is part of a vicious textbook pattern employed by the military where activists are repeatedly vilified to justify a series of attacks that include harassments, intimidation, arrest, strategic lawsuits against public participation, and ultimately extrajudicial killings. Elements of the 84th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army engaged in a similar vilification campaign last September 2017 in the town of Kasibu, Nueva Vizcaya, where Oceanagold's mining project is located. The recent massacre of nine (9) sugar plantation workers in the town of Sagay, Negros Occidental province last October 20 was preceded by a similar red-tagging campaign by the military since April 2018 accusing the land occupation and cultivation areas of the workers as NPA communal farms
- Impact of Event
- 27
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats, Vilification
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Community-based HRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Suspected state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Oct 16, 2018
- Event Description
A group of human rights activists condemned on Tuesday the recent arrest of four women advocates tagged by police and the military as alleged members of the New People's Army (NPA). Edzel Emocling, 23, a member of the League of Filipino Students-Polytechnic University of the Philipines (LFS-PUP); Yolanda Diamsay Ortiz, 46, and Eulalia Ladesma, 44, of Anakpawis and Gabriela Women's Party respectively; and Rachel Galario, 20, a peasant advocate, were nabbed by members of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and the 7th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army in Sitio Bangkusay, Barangay Talabutab Norte, Natividad, Nueva Ecija last Saturday. Both the police and military said in their reports that the suspects were members of the NPA and engaged in recruitment, propaganda, and extortion activities in the community. Authorities said they were armed with guns when arrested while a cache of firearms were allegedly confiscated from the four. However, Karapatan Alliance for the People's Rights said the four are members of various progressive groups, not the NPA. "Karapatan strongly condemns the illegal arrest, detention and torture undergone by the four women human rights defenders in Nueva Ecija. This is indefensible. This is precisely what happens when you have security forces that have no respect for human rights," said Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay. "We call for the immediate release of Ortiz, Ladesma, Amocling and Galario. We condemn this continuing spate of attacks against activists and rights defenders," she added. Earlier, Director General Oscar Albayalde, Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief, said the arrest of Emocling and others only proved that some individuals, particularly students, have already been "brainwashed" by the communist rebels to join them in destabilizing the government. "Wala akong kopya ng report. Nabasa ko lang sa report, sa Viber group. I really don't know the details but this goes to show that accordingly, parang nabe-brainwash nga ng mga leftist groups yung mga estudyante (I have no copy of the report. I have just read[a copy of the] report in[our] Viber group. I really don't know the details but this goes to show that accordingly, it seems the students are already being brainwashed by leftist groups)," said the PNP Chief. Even though the military revealed that the Red October, an alleged ouster plot against President Duterte, has already been dissolved, top police and military officials said the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP-NPA) still continue to recruit members.
- Impact of Event
- 4
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment, Vilification
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Government, Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Sep 28, 2018
- Event Description
A Catholic nun who has been active in social justice issues in the southern Philippines is fearing for her life after she was tagged as a communist by the military. Sister Susan Bolanio of the Oblates of Notre Dame condemned what she described as "red tagging" by the military, describing it as a "farcical lie." In a statement on Oct. 2, the nun called on authorities to investigate those behind efforts to label her as a communist rebel, saying it exposes her life to danger. "The mere suggestion of affiliation to a terrorist communist group poses a serious threat to the lives, dignity and security of the persons singled out," said Sister Bolanio. A social media post on Sept. 28 accused Sister Bolanio and tribal leaders Dande Dinyan and Victor Danyan of being part of the Far South Mindanao Region rebel front. The post was no longer available on Oct. 2. Danyan used to be chairman of the tribal group Taboli-Manobo S'daf Claimants Organization. He was killed along with seven other tribal people in December 2017. Dinyan replaced the slain leader as head of the organization. Sister Bolanio, who is executive director of the church-run Hesed Foundation in General Santos City, has been helping the tribal organization with its livelihood and development projects. The nun said the attempt to link her to the underground rebel movement was a "malicious and vile design to put her life in danger, especially as Mindanao is under martial law." "To be linked to a terrorist communist group is to condemn a person as all-out anti-government," she said. The nun has been actively involved in local and regional special government bodies in the region in the past 30 years. "How can I be a terrorist, an enemy of the state, when I have been engaging with officialdom?" she asked. Lt. Col. Jones Otida, commander of the Philippine Army's 27th Infantry Battalion in South Cotabato province, said his unit was not behind efforts to implicate the nun. "We don't know where that information came from," he said in a radio interview. Sister Bolanio said her lawyers were already looking into possible cases to file against the military.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats, Online Attack and Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Social activist ~
- Perpetrator-State
- Government
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Sep 23, 2018
- Event Description
43-year-old Mariam Uy Acob was a paralegal at the Kawagib Moro Human Rights Alliance. She was killed by suspected government troops on 23 September, 2018. Also a leader of Moro evacuee rights group Tindeg Bangsamoro, Mariam consistently denounced aerial bombardment and encampment in Moro communities, notably those perpetrated by the Army's 40th Infantry Battalion under the 6th Infantry Division, according to Kawagib. The group added that Mariam had been receiving death threats. Karapatan Alliance for the Advancement of Peoples' Rights disclosed that two gunmen shot Mariam while she was on board a motorbike on her way home. The HRD sustained seven gunshot wounds on her chest, stomach, shoulder and back. In separate statements, Karapatan and Gabriela Women's Party held the military and Duterte responsible for Acob's death. "Only tyrants and human rights violators stand to gain with the deaths of human rights defenders like Mariam Acob," Gabriela Women's Party said. "We will cry for justice as we fight for the lifting of martial rule in Mindanao." Cristina Palabay, Karapatan secretary general, condemned what she called as "the military's handiwork under martial law, mercilessly zeroing in on human rights defenders." Karapatan noted that the killing of Acob came weeks after the massacre of seven young men in Patikul, Sulu on September 14, 2018. The victims went to sitio Bato, barangay Kabuntakas to harvest fruits but their bodies were found the next day, riddled with bullets. The Army's 55th Infantry Battalion claimed in a statement that the seven were members of ISIL's branch in the Phillippines. "The government has been directing people to believe, especially under martial law, that Moro communities are the purveyors of terrorism and thus they deserve to be subjected to harassment, air strikes, forced evacuations, and other abuses," Palabay said. "What are conveniently left in the shadows are the years of oppression, repression and discrimination, and the justified and necessary resistance of Moro communities against continuing State terrorism."
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- Death, Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to life
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Pro-democracy activist, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Suspected state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Aug 14, 2018
- Event Description
An Australian professor left the Philippines on Tuesday, nearly a week after being barred entry and placed in limbo at an airport in what rights groups say was part of a crackdown on critics of President Rodrigo Duterte. The Philippine government said Gill Boehringer, 84, was put on a blacklist for allegedly violating laws barring foreigners from engaging in political activities after he attended a protest in 2015. The former law school dean denies the charges. "I am not a terrorist. I am a human rights defender," Boehringer said in a video message recorded on Monday in an airport exclusion room where he had been staying since his arrival last week. He was the latest foreigner ordered out of the Philippines following Australian Catholic nun Patricia Fox, who has been fighting deportation since April after drawing Duterte's ire. After winning the presidential election in 2016, the Philippine leader launched an unprecedented campaign against illegal drugs that has left thousands dead and sparked allegations of extrajudicial killings and human rights violations. The defiant Duterte has lashed out at foreign critics of his drug war -including the International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor and United Nations rights experts - and personally ordered the arrest of Fox in April. Like Fox, Boehringer had joined a fact-finding mission looking into alleged rights violations in the southern Philippine region of Mindanao where Duterte had declared martial law, said Maria Sol Taule, the professor's lawyer. "This is the concerted handiwork of a defensive and paranoid government," Philippine rights group Karapatan said in a statement, and opposition congressman Carlos Zarate described Boehringer's expulsion as "alarming". Manila denied Boehringer's expulsion was part of a crackdown on critics, saying the policy against foreigners' participation in politics was "nothing new". "If they (foreigners) have issues or concerns about how the government is being handled, there are other ways of expressing their opinions, other more peaceful ways," Dana Sandoval, a Bureau of Immigration spokeswoman, said. - AFP
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Enactment of repressive legislation and policies, Judicial Harassment, Restrictions on Movement
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of movement
- HRD
- Academic
- Perpetrator-State
- Government
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jul 30, 2018
- Event Description
BULACAN, Philippines - Security personnel again violently disperse striking workers of condiments giant NutriAsia in Marilao, Bulacan. Both camps are pointing fingers on who started the violence, which ended with several people injured and 19 detained at the Meycauayan Police Station. DETAINED. University of the Philippines Diliman student Jon Bonifacio talks to their lawyer on July 31, 2018 at the Meycauayan Police Station. Photo by Naokira Mengua/Rappler AIKA REY, REPORTING: Isang araw mula nang puwersahang pinaalis ang mga nagwewelgang manggagawa ng NutriAsia, may 19 na katao ang nakakulong sa Meycauayan Police Station. A day after the violent dispersal of NutriAsia workers who are on strike, 19 people are still detained at the Meycauayan Police Station. Ayon kay Superintendent Santos Mera, nanguna raw ang mga manggagawa na manggulo, matapos ang ecumenical na misa nitong Lunes. Nagsimula raw ito nang biglang may magpaputok ng baril. Superintendent Santos Mera says the workers triggered the violence after an ecumenical mass Monday. It all started when somebody fired a gun. Ngunit pinabulaanan ito ng mga manggagawa at mga taga-simbahan na nasama sa gulo. Sabi pa nila, hindi raw nila kakilala ang sinasabing may baril. But the workers and people from the church refute the claims. They also say they don't know the man who had a gun. REVEREND MARVIN DE LEON, UNITED METHODIST CHURCH: Ang nakita natin na sila 'yung talaga papalapit at talagang mukhang berdugo na uhaw na uhaw sa dugo. At pinagpapapalo at saksi natin na maraming nasaktan sa pagkakataon na 'yun. Namamagitan tayo at umulan na ng bato. Hindi natin alam saan nanggagaling, pero may unang nanggaling dito sa part ng mga guwardiya. Ayon sa mga manggagawa ng NutriAsia, 'yun ay hindi mga original na guwardiya kundi talagang goons. We saw the guards approaching and they really looked like executioners thirsty for blood. They hit us and we witnessed how a lot of people were injured. We tried to mediate but stones were thrown at us. We couldn't tell where it was coming from but the first ones came from the guards' area. According to the workers of NutriAsia, they are not the original guards but hired goons. AIKA REY, REPORTING: Sa mga hinuli, 6 ang manggagawa ng NutriAsia, 8 ang tagasuporta, at may 5 taga-midya. Sa bilang na ito, 4 ang mga estudyante. Of the detained, 6 are workers of NutriAsia, 8 are supporters, and 5 are from the media. Of the media and supporters, 4 are students. Kamakailan, inutusan ng DOLE na gawing regular ng NutriAsia ang 80 manggagawa mula sa contractor na AsiaPro. Maliit na bilang daw ito, kumpara sa mga 800 manggagawang nagsasabing dapat maregular din sila. Recently, DOLE ordered NutriAsia to regularize 80 employees from its contractor AsiaPro. But this is a small figure, the workers said, compared to the 800 employees demanding regularization. Sa kasalukuyan, patuloy pa rin ang pag-uusap ng DOLE at ng NutriAsia. Talks between DOLE and NutriAsia are still ongoing. UPDATE: On Aug 1 2018, 19 of the detained protesters were released.
- Impact of Event
- 20
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Labour rights defender, Protester ~
- Perpetrator-State
- Government, Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jul 4, 2018
- Event Description
AT LEAST 13 church workers and activists were arrested Wednesday evening, July 4, while attending a seminar on farmers and Lumad issues at the Mother Francisca and Spirituality Center, Radasa St., Ladao, General Santos City. Among those arrested are top leaders of militant organizations namely Datu Jomorito Guaynon, chairperson of the Kalumbay Lumad organization; Ireneo Udarbe, chairperson of the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas; Vennel Chenfoo, chairperson of the Kabataan Partylist; Kristine Cabardo, chairperson of the League of Filipino Students; Teresita Naul of human rights group Karapatan; Aldeem Yanez, church worker of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente; and farmer leader Roger Plana, all of Northern Mindanao. Also arrested were the security guard and staff of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente Visayas-Mindanao Regional Office for Development (IFI-VIMROD). According to the alert of the rights group Karapatan, charges against them remain unknown. In a statement, the IFI-VIMROD expressed its concern over the arrests and pointed out that this is yet another case of human rights abuse under the martial law regime in Mindanao. The IFI-VIMROD said while the meeting was ongoing, elements of police barged into the group to serve a warrant of arrest for 3 persons whose names were not even known to the participants. The police claimed that the participants were the ones named in the warrant arrest, and then proceeded to detain all of them at the Camp Fermin, General Santos City. "Development workers who are striving to create a genuine development to geographically isolated and underserved communities, sadly become victims of trump-up charges," it says. "Instead of acknowledging their valuable contribution and supporting their efforts, the government maligns their development work to justify repression. We call on the immediate release of 13 development workers and ensure their safety so that they could continue their development work to justify repression," it says. The IFI-VIMROD said they continue to call for the resumption of peace talks as a sustainable solution in achieving genuine development work without any harassment and violence. UPDATE: Only July 6 2019, detained church workers and rights activists were released on bail after their arrest on the evening of July 4 in General Santos City while holding an organizational consultation on peasant and tribal issues. They were granted temporary liberty by the Municipal Trial Court in General Santos City after posting bail last Friday.
- Impact of Event
- 13
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Land rights, Minority Rights
- HRD
- Community-based HRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Government
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jun 12, 2018
- Event Description
One of the activists who heckled President Rodrigo Duterte while delivering his Independence Day speech in Cavite will be facing a criminal case for disturbing public order, police said Tuesday. Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) member Francis Couichie was arrested while staging a protest action during Duterte's speech at Aguinaldo Shrine in Kawit, Cavite. According to a spot report from the Kawit Police, members of the Cavite Police Mobile Force Company arrested Couichie as he chanted "huwad na kalayaan!" and held a placard bearing the words "Kapayapaan para sa lahat at lahat para sa kapayapaan." Couichie is facing a case for public disturbance or violation of the Article 153 of the Revised Penal Code. He is currently detained at the Kawit Municipal Police Station.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Right to Protest
- HRD
- Protester ~
- Perpetrator-State
- Government
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jun 3, 2018
- Event Description
A labor leader was arrested by after authorities allegedly found an illegal firearm and bomb components in his possession, police said Sunday. Juan Alexander Reyes, leader of the Sandigang Manggagawa sa Quezon City, is now in the custody of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Metro Manila. Authorities said they used a search warrant for a murder case against Reyes in Agusan del Sur. Operatives then found a firearm and bomb components in his possession. But activist Cristina Palabay, secretary-general of the group Karapatan, said the firearms supposedly found in Reyes's possession was just planted. "Basta na lang (out of nowhere), magically, a warrant of arrest comes out and magically again, some persons, especially activists are being charged especially with illegal possession of firearms and explosive," added Palabay, who said she knew Reyes since their student movement days. She said they have information that Reyes was arrested yesterday while he was on his way to a meeting with his group members. "May isa siyang kasama. Dalawa silang kinuha tapos nilagay sa isang van. Tapos a few minutes, pinalabas 'yung isa niyang kasama," she claimed. (There was one person with him. Two of the were taken and put in a van. Then, after a few minutes, they forced the person he was with to come out)
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Abduction/Kidnapping, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Right to fair trial, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Labour rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Government, Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jun 7, 2018
- Event Description
Journalists from Mindanao and an international media watchdog were the latest groups to condemn the killing of yet another Filipino member of the media. The Mindanao Independent Press Council (MIPC) and the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemned Friday, June 8, the murder of Dennis Denora, publisher of the weekly community newspaper Trends and Times in Panabo City in Davao del Norte. According to the Panabo City police Denora, was gunned down around 1 pm on Thursday, June 7, while he was in his car with his driver, Mayonito Revira, along the national highway. The police said Denora was sitting at the right side of the driver when unknown assailants started firing bullets at him "multiple times". In its statement, the MIPC, a broad-based organization of practicing journalists in the island, condemned "in the strongest terms the murder of Dennis Denora". "Colleagues describe Denora, who maintained a column in his own newspaper, as an ardent advocate of community press, covering important local issues that do not usually get attention in the national media." Reporters Without Borders' condemnation Th RSF said "Denora's murder is extremely disturbing and we call on both the Davao del Norte authorities and the presidential task force on media security to conduct a thorough investigation." Daniel Bastard, the head of RSF's Asia Pacific desk said: "The current (Philippine) government keeps on pointing to this task force, created in October 2016, as evidence of its desire to protect journalists but this is the 6th journalist to be murdered since Rodrigo Duterte became president. The authorities must take more concrete measures to guarantee journalists' safety." He was referring to the Presidential Task Force on Media Security which also issued a statement Friday condemning the killing. "The Presidential Task Force on Media Security is deeply saddened and condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the killing of newspaper publisher Dennis D. Denora, a member of the Davao Region Multi-Media Group at about 2 pm (on Thursday) in Panabo City, Davao del Norte," the task force statement said. The Philippines is regarded by RSF as one of the world's most dangerous countries for journalists. In its World Press Freedom Index released in April 2017, RSF ranked the Philippines 127th out of 180 countries. Based on this index, the Philippines was in the top 5 dangerous countries for journalists - together with Mexico, Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan. The MIPC said it "deeply values the work of local journalists who are at the forefront of shedding light on the issues facing their own communities. Often, they are the only voice standing against abuses, corruption, and impunity."
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Death, Killing
- Rights Concerned
- Media freedom, Right to life
- HRD
- Media Worker
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- May 17, 2018
- Event Description
Ariel Maquiran, 33, an industrial worker in a banana plantation in Continental farm in Panabo City, Davao del Norte was shot dead by suspected agents of 16th Infantry Battalion-Philippine Army on May 17, 2018. Maquiran was driving his motorcyle on his way home to Brgy. Maduaw, Panabo City at around 9:30am of May 17, after his morning shift in the plantation when a men onboard a motorcycle followed and shot him multiple times. Maquiran accelerated his driving speed but when he reached crossing Brgy. Little Panay, he fell down from his motorcycle. Two (2) other assailants stationed in Brgy. Little Panay again shot Maquiran multiple times, resulting to his death. He sustained 9 gunshot wounds. The victim's kin recalled that on May 16, Maquiran was heading to his workplace onboard his motorcycle when men on a motorcycle followed him. Maquiran sought refuge in one of his relative's house in a nearby village to evade them. Also on March this year, the victim was summoned by the military allegedly for the investigation regarding the Lapanday incident in 2017. Maquiran was an active member of the Bayan Muna (People First) partylist in the region. He was also known for staunch defense of the rights of peasants.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Death, Killing
- Rights Concerned
- Land rights, Minority Rights, Right to life
- HRD
- Community-based HRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Suspected state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- May 18, 2018
- Event Description
A local radio broadcaster and volunteer reporter was killed in a shooting incident in Labangan, Zamboanga del Sur on 13 March 2017. Zamboanga del Sur is 1167 kilometers south of Manila. Carlos Matas, the victim, hosted Zambo News Patrol in dxCA Bell FM and dxBZ Radyo Bagting. The police also described him as a "provincial coordinator for Cassava Farmers Association in Zamboanga del Sur." Police Officer 2 Welito Nuena told CMFR that Matas was meeting a colleague in relation to his work as coordinator when he was killed. The meeting was in the house of a certain Jonathan Magdadaro. According to Nuena, the killing involved more than the usual two men on a motorcycle. Around seven gunmen on board several motorcycles parked in front of Magdadaro's house at around 3:30 p.m. When Matas went out of the house to greet them, the men simultaneously shot him dead. The suspects fled toward the direction of Barangay Dipaya in the same town where they engaged the police in a six-hour standoff. Three suspects were killed in action, one was wounded. Four days prior he was killed, Matas reported to authorities that his group was allegedly ambushed by motorcycle-riding men along Barangay Langapod in Lambangan. In a separate blotter report, the group of men in motorcycles had also reported to the police that they were ambushed by Mata's group. Both parties filed appropriate charges against each other in court. Nuena told CMFR, that while confined for treatment in the Zamboanga del Sur Medical Center one of the suspects, Arnaiz Alam Kabaro, told police that his group was seeking revenge for the May 8 ambush involving his group and Matas'. The police believe that Matas case is not related to his work as a reporter. CMFR tried but could not reach dxCA FM for comment. As of press time, 158 journalists were killed in the line of duty since 1986. Of these cases, only 17 had been partly resolved with the conviction of the gunmen while the masterminds have gone free. In the case of Bombo Radyo-Kalibo broadcaster Herson Hinolan who was killed on Nov. 13, 2004, the murder case filed against convicted mastermind former Mayor Alfredo Arsenio of Lezo town in Aklan province, was downgraded to homicide in 2016.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Death, Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Land rights, Right to life
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Media Worker
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Apr 29, 2018
- Event Description
MANILA, Philippines - The Archdiocese of Tuguegarao on Monday denounced in the strongest terms the killing of Fr. Mark Ventura, who was gunned down by unknown assailants Sunday morning. In a statement, Tuguegarao Archbishop Sergio Utleg called the death of Ventura a "brutal and cowardly act." "We just lost a young priest, zealous and dedicated, one who smelled like his sheep, to an assassin's bullet right after he said Mass and was baptizing children," Utleg said. The Tuguegarao archbishop called on the Philippine National Police to go after the assailants swiftly and bring them to justice. "There have been too many murders already done with impunity in our country by assassins[in] riding in tandem. May this be the last," he said. Utleg also offered prayers for Ventura's family and the lay faithful of Tuguegarao. The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines on Sunday called the killing of the 37-year-old priest an "evil act." Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay noted that there is a possibility that Ventura might have been targeted because of his stance as an anti-mining advocate and his work in indigenous communities. "There is no doubt that there is a disturbing trend of church people being persecuted for their stance and involvement in human rights," she said. Ventura was the second priest who was killed in a gun attack in a span of four months. Last December 2017, activist priest was also shot dead in Jaen, Nueva Ecija. The Cagayan Valley Police director has ordered an investigation into the killing of the missionary priest and a hot-pursuit operation against the suspects.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Death, Killing
- Rights Concerned
- Land rights, Right to life
- HRD
- Community-based HRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Suspected state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Apr 12, 2018
- Event Description
ALERT: Jose Benemerito Jr, secretary general of the Kahugpungan sa mga Mag-uuma sa Bukidnon (KASAMA Bukidnon)-Kliusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas is currently being held by three military men at the Musuan bridge in Maramag, Bukidnon. Benemerito is among the 600 names earlier included in the DOJ petition for terrorist proscription. He is on his way to a community activity at the BTL Training Center when he was intercepted. More updates to follow. UPDATE as of 8:49PM: Benemerito resisted and was able to evade arbitrary arrest. Asserting people's rights vs. Martial law, Buffalo-Tamaraw-Limus community members mobbed the arresting military men for its failure to show a warrant to arrest Benemerito. The community also asserted that Benemerito is not a criminal, but a peasant leader instrumental in the struggle for land rights of the BTL farmers.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention
- Rights Concerned
- Land rights, Minority Rights, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Community-based HRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Government
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Event Description
MANILA - State security forces repeatedly blocked members of a fact-finding mission investigating human rights violations in Mindanao. Since their arrival at the airports in Davao City, Lagindinangan and Butuan City yesterday, April 6, all the way to highly-militarized peasant and Lumad communities in Southern Mindanao, Northern Mindanao and the Caraga region, members of the three-team mission were subjected to different forms of harassment and intimidation. Suspected soldiers took pictures of the Caraga team members and "welcomed' them with a banner that read, "Just do it right" upon their arrival at the airport in Butuan City. The Southern Mindanao team members saw streamers in Tagum City that read, "OUT NOW IFFSM; WE WANT PEACE." Anakpawis Rep. Ariel Casilao said the military was behind the streamers. "The AFP has no credibility in talking peace. We thus revise the slogan; instead it should read: AFP OUT NOW; WE WANT PEACE," he said. The Northern Mindanao mission team, meanwhile, was blocked three times by police and military forces from the airport in Lagindingan to Cagayan de Oro. From the city to the mission site in Patpat village in Malaybalay, the team was blocked eight more times. Rafael Mariano, former Agrarian Reform secretary and head of the Northern Mindanao team, said, "We came here for a very urgent reason, we came here to verify mounting reports of rights abuse against peasant and Lumad communities perpetrated allegedly by military elements. No wonder the military people do not want us here." President Rodrigo Duterte placed the whole island under martial law on May 24, 2017 after an attack in Marawi. Citing "continued threat of terrorism and rebellion," Duterte asked the Congress to extend martial law until December this year. Duterte's supporters in Congress railroaded the extension. Seventy-one full battalions of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) are operating in Mindanao, of which 41 are focused on counterinsurgency operations. The Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) said at least 65 percent of the AFP's combat troops are concentrated in Mindanao, where large-scale foreign plantations and mining concessions are to be found. Human rights alliance Karapatan documented 126 victims of political killings as of December 2017, of whom 110 were farmers mostly coming from Mindanao. Mariano. In Southern Mindanao alone, 63 cases of extrajudicial killings have been recorded. "The unabated militarization and Martial Law itself in Mindanao must be understood as a means for government, big landlords, oligarchs and multinational corporations to further bulldoze their way into the vast lands and resources of the island," Mariano said. "This is not the way to address the roots of the armed conflict. This is not the way to a just and lasting peace." The teams also reported to have been closely tailed by several vehicles from the airport to the orientation sites and to the villages where interviews with victims victims were to be held. Undeterred, the teams were able to finally proceed to their respective mission areas. "We managed to get past all the checkpoints so far after seemingly endless negotiations with the state forces but this is only the first day and the day is still long and so we must remain vigilant throughout the rest of the day and the entire duration of the three-day mission," Mariano said. Former congressmen Satur Ocampo and Fernando Hicap, and incumbent representatives of the Makabayan bloc, are among the delegates of the International Fact-Finding Mission to Defend Filipino Peasants' Land and Human Rights Against Militarism and Plunder in Mindanao organized by KMP and the Mindanao for Civil Liberties. Also joining the mission are the Asian Peasant Coalition, Pesticide Action Network - Asia Pacific, People's Coalition for Food Sovereignty, Rural Missionaries of the Philippines, International League of Peoples Struggles (ILPS) Commission 6, Youth for Food Sovereignty (YFS), Karapatan, and Tanggol Magsasaka
- Impact of Event
- 3
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats, Judicial Harassment, Reprisal as Result of Communication
- Rights Concerned
- Right to information
- HRD
- Indigenous peoples' rights defender, Land rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Government, Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Apr 24, 2018
- Event Description
BAGUIO CITY - As many as 300 indigenous Filipinos were blocked by 40 policemen from marching towards the gates of the summer courthouse of the Supreme Court on Monday morning (April 24). The group participated in this year's Cordillera Day activities, and assembled to join calls for the Court to dismiss a quo warranto petition filed to oust Chief Justice-on-leave Maria Lourdes Sereno. Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate and former Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casino took part in the rally. The group performed a prayer ritual in front of the barricade. Windel Bolinget, chair of the Cordillera People's Alliance (CPA), said the elders prayed for a successful protest and the junking of the quo warranto plea and cursed all the forces obstructing justice. This was the fourth rally staged at the SC Baguio compound since the High Court held this year's summer sessions here. The indigenous people (IP) came from various provinces in the Cordillera, central Luzon, southern Luzon and Mindanao to participate in the Cordillera Day program. Cordillera Day commemorates the April 24 murder of Macliing Dulag, a Kalinga village leader who led the opposition against a hydroelectric dam project for Chico River during Martial Law. He became a symbol for the fight to assert Cordillera rights.
- Impact of Event
- 300
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Administrative Harassment, Restrictions on Movement
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Land rights, Minority Rights, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Indigenous peoples' rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Government, Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Apr 21, 2018
- Event Description
BAGUIO CITY-Flyers labelling activist groups in Ifugao province as creations of the "terrorist communist rebels" were found scattered in the streets of the capital town, Lagawe, on Saturday morning (April 21). Lagawe residents out for their morning walk found the flyers at 5:45 a.m., according to Brandon Lee of the Ifugao Peasant Movement (IPM). Some flyers were signed by a group called Kaagapay ng Maralitang Ifugao and list Ifugao women's groups and farmer's associations as "organized by the terrorist New People's Army." Another flyer bearing the acronym Makamasa says, "The Ifugao Resource and Development Center (IRDC) in Poblacion South, Lagawe is housing the terrorist NPA! Obliterate it!" A third type of flyer names Lee and five other Ifugao residents as "accomplices of the terrorist NPA in Ifugao," signed simply as "Para sa Masang Ifugao." In 2015, Lee was among the Ifugao activists who received flyers bearing a photograph of the "gamong," the Ifugao fabric used for the dead, with the words "Gray-May, June-Gloom, No Sky-July." On March 2, Ricardo Mayumi, an IPM member and vocal objector to the Quad River hydro project in Tinoc town, also in Ifugao, was murdered in Kiangan town. He also received the death cloth flyer. On March 25, 2014, IPM member and IRDC leader William Bugatti was gunned down along the provincial road in Kiangan.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats, Vilification
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- NGO, NGO staff
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Non-state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Apr 16, 2018
- Event Description
An Australian nun arrested in the Philippines for engaging in "illegal political activities" has been released pending further investigation after authorities became aware she held a valid missionary visa. Key points: Sister Fox says she was arrested by six immigration officials The Australian nun has been working in the Philippines for 27 years MPs are calling for her release Her detention came a day after Giacomo Filibeck, a Socialist Party official from the European Union who had criticised Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's brutal anti-drugs crackdown, was deported. Sister Patricia Fox, 71, was reportedly taken from her house and brought to the immigration bureau in Manila, said Renato Reyes, secretary-general of the leftist Bayan (Nation) movement. She had taken part in a human rights fact-finding mission in the country's south, according to Mr Reyes, who also said the immigration department informed her about deportation proceedings against her. "We condemn her unjust detention and the deportation proceedings initiated against her," Mr Reyes said "She is no criminal or undesirable alien. Sister Fox is the superior of the Notre Dame de Sion in the Philippines, a congregation of Catholic nuns. In a statement, the Philippines Bureau of Immigration said the department's legal division had recommended releasing Sister Fox, and that her missionary visa was valid until September 9 this year. The bureau said she was detained "due to reports that she violated the conditions of her stay by engaging in political activities and anti-government demonstrations." "While Fox was alleged to have taken part in protest actions by farmers in the past, she was not doing so at the time when[Bureau of Immigration] operatives served her the mission order yesterday," the statement said. "Fox should undergo preliminary investigation to determine if deportation charges should be filed against her before the bureau's board of commissioners." Sister Fox had been involved with human rights missions on the southern island of Mindanao, where Mr Duterte has declared martial law. The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said she had been working in the Philippines for 27 years. In a series of tweets, CBCP quoted Sister Fox as saying she was arrested by six immigration officials at a mission house in Quezon City at about 2:15pm on Monday (local time). The CBCP said she was detained at the Intelligence Division of the Bureau of Immigration in Intramuros. Sister Fox's attorney Jobert Pahilga said the fiscal in charge of the inquest recommended Sister Fox be released once she was able to produce her passport, which she had given to a travel agency arranging her trip back to Australia next month, according to CBCP. The immigration bureau confirmed Sister Fox's arrest but declined to issue any statement until after the investigation is complete. Sister Fox was unavailable for comment. Leftist MPs have vowed to hold a congressional inquiry into the deportation of foreign human rights advocates. UPDATE: On 18 April 2018, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said he ordered the investigation into a 71-year-old Australian nun for "disorderly conduct," justifying it as a legal move against "undesirable" foreigners. "I ordered her to be investigated, not deported at once, not arrested, but to invite her to an investigation for a disorderly conduct," Duterte said during the change of command ceremony of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said there was "probably" a need to apologize for the detention of Fox because she was not engaged in any political activity when she was taken from her home by immigration authorities. UPDATE: On April 25 2018, In a one-page order, immigration bureau head Jaime Morente asked Fox to leave the Philippines after "she was found to have engaged in activities that are not allowed under the terms and conditions of her visa." Fox, who has been in the country for more than 27 years, has 30 days to exit the Philippines after receipt of the order. Her renewable missionary visa, which was due to expire in September 2018, was cancelled on Monday, but an immigration spokeswoman said she can still return to the mainly Catholic Southeast Asian country as a tourist, not as a missionary. She has decided to challenge this order by filing for a motion for reconsideration.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Right to political participation
- HRD
- Social activist ~, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Government
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Mar 30, 2018
- Event Description
Karapatan claimed that on March 30, 2018, suspected military agents attempted to enter the home of Audrey Beltran, member of the Karapatan National Council and Vice Chairperson of the Cordillera Human Rights Alliance (CHRA), a regional chapter of Karapatan. In a Facebook post, Beltran said her family "heard loud thuds that alarmed us." "I was still awake at that time so I went to check whether some things fell in our kitchen where the sound came from. I was shocked to see that the kitchen door was open and that two locks have already been destroyed. Someone was pushing the door from the outside. I hurriedly took my phone and called up Station 5 of the Baguio City Police Office and also took effort to close the door without allowing whoever it was outside to get hold of me. After I was able to close the door, I heard faint footsteps of a person hurrying away from the door," Beltran said. "The attempt to break in to our house seemed planned and precise by the pieces of information we were able to gather. We could not discount it as just a mere case of burglary as it coincided with the harassment against our office, the Cordillera Human Rights Alliance and the Cordillera Peoples Alliance at #55 Ferguson Road, a day before the attempted break-in to our house," she added. On top of handling other cases of human rights violations in the Cordillera, CHRA is also assisting human rights defenders named in the Justice Department petition proscribing the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People's Army as terrorist organizations. Karapatan noted that the names of at least 60 human rights defenders were listed in the petition, including that of Karapatan National Executive Committee member Elisa Tita Lubi, two other officers of the Batangas Human Rights Alliance-Karapatan, and UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Victoria Tauli-Corpuz. On April 2, flyers containing false and dangerous propaganda that incite and justify violence against ten human rights defenders in Cagayan Valley, including Karapatan staff and officers, were purportedly distributed by the military and its agents in Isabela. Cristina Palabay Karapatan secretary-general, said the rights activists were tagged as "minions of godless communists" and "terrorists." "The more insidious motives of all this red-tagging and demonizing is to prevent the intelligent discussion of issues, and worse, to justify witch-hunting and physical attacks against activists and the communities they work with," Palabay said. "This incident also comes with the repeated public pronouncements of President Rodrigo Duterte inciting state-sponsored violence against Karapatan and other people's organizations," she added. She claimed that since October 2017, Duterte has threatened to "go after" Karapatan and other progressive organizations at least six times, prompting the human rights alliance to file a complaint to UN independent experts on March 1, 2018. The organization conducts monitoring and documentation work on human rights violations in the Philippines and provides services for victims of rights violations and their kin as part of their advocacy for human and people's rights. Palabay said Karapatan's human rights workers in Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Southern Tagalog, Negros, Panay, Central Visayas, Caraga, Socsksargends, and the Southern Mindanao region have been reporting several cases of surveillance, harassment and threats by state security forces since last year. She said they also face fabricated charges filed by the military and police. Palabay added the organization's Negros Oriental coordinator, Elisa Badayos, was killed on November 28, 2017 during a fact finding mission. s Since 2001, there have been at least 40 human rights workers of Karapatan killed by state forces. "Instead of addressing complaints of human rights violations, the Armed Forces of the Philippines shoots and harasses the messengers in its sorry attempts to silence and deter the work of the organization. These cowardly acts have reached new lows under the Duterte administration." Palabay said. "As Elisa Tita Lubi said in a statement, human rights attackers should back off and they should keep their hands off human rights defenders, their families and communities," Palabay concluded.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Suspected state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Mar 20, 2018
- Event Description
DAVAO CITY, Philippines - A peasant leader was shot dead in Compostela Valley Tuesday evening, human rights group Karapatan reported. Jay Apiag, spokesperson of Karapatan Southern Mindanao, has identified the victim as Agudo Quillio, 52, a resident of Purok Gemilina, Sitio Lawaan Barangay Kingking Pantukan town in Compostela Valley province. Quillo was preparing dinner when three unidentified armed men forcibly entered his house and shot him. According to the report, he sustained multiple gunshot wounds on his chest that resulted to his immediate death. Apiag accused the Army of being responsible for Quillo's death. Apiag said Quillo was killed because of his active participation in the peasant movement calling for land reform and due to his strong opposition to the large-scale mining operation of St. Augustine Mining Limited and Kingking Pantukan Mining. Quillo was the chairperson of Hugpong sa mga Mag-uuma sa Pantukan (HUMAPAN), a municipal-wide peasant organization. Apiag added, "peasant organizations like HUMAPAN, became a target of attack by the intensified militarization against various peasant and indigenous people's organizations." According to Karapatan, Quillio is the 70th victim of extrajudicial killing in Southern Mindanao. The group also holds the Duterte administration accountable for the crimes against those who are notably active in asserting their legitimate demands to the government.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Death, Killing
- Rights Concerned
- Land rights, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to life
- HRD
- Environmental rights defender, Land rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Suspected state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Feb 21, 2018
- Event Description
A human rights group condemned on Friday the petition of the Department of Justice (DOJ) that seeks to declare over 600 individuals as "terrorists" for supposedly being members of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed wing, New People's Army (NPA). Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay said the list targets government critics and human rights defenders, and aims to sow fear among them. "There is no doubt that the filing of the petition is an effort to sow fear and panic among Duterte's detractors, subjectively prepare the public for more intense political repression, and be the front act of a crackdown against the dictator wannabe's critics," Palabay said in a statement. In a 55-page petition for proscription filed on February 21, the DOJ urged Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 19 to declare the CPP-NPA as terrorist organizations. The petition has also enumerated a list of individuals, who are alleged leaders of the CPP-NPA's various committees. The list included CPP founder Jose Maria Sison, alleged ranking CPP leaders Benito and Wilma Tiamzon, and National Democratic Front (NDF) peace negotiators Luis Jalandoni, Coni Ledesma, Randall Echanis, and Rafael Baylosis, who is currently detained at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City. It likewise tagged UN special rapporteur for the rights of indigenous people Victoria Tauli-Corpuz as a member of the CPP's Ilocos-Cordillera Regional Committee (ICRC). The list further named former Bayan Muna Party-list Rep. Satur Ocampo, and Ilocos environmental activist Sherwin de Vera, who was likewise tagged as a member of the ICRC. According to Palabay, the list submitted by the DOJ in court suspiciously included several others who were already dead and missing. Palabay also said the list included seven other members of paramilitary units accused of killing Lumads in Mindanao, including four from the New Indigenous Peoples' Army (NIPAR), led by Alde "Butchoy" Salusad, who have standing warrants for the killing of Lumad leader Datu Jimmy Liguyon. "They also have been presented and paid as surrenderees, consistent to their being all-purpose pawns in the military's repressive schemes," Palabay said. Rights activists The DOJ petition also named Elisa Tita Lubi, who is apparently Karapatan National Executive Committee member and former interim regional coordinator of the Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development. Moreover, named in the list were Joan Carling, past Secretary General of the Asian Indigenous Peoples' Pact and former member of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues; Atty. Jose Molintas, former member of the UN Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples; Beverly Longid, Global Coordinator of the International Indigenous Peoples Movement for Self-Determination and Liberation; Sandugo Co-Chairperson Joanna Cari_o; Cordillera People's Alliance Chairperson Windel Bolinget; and at least 10 Lumad datu/leaders in Northern and Southern Mindanao. "Even more unbelievable is the inclusion in the list of the names of the nine-member Karapatan quick reaction team arrested in November 2017 and HR defenders in Negros," Palabay said. She said that the list is "severely defective as it contains scores of aliases, John and Jane Does so any person can be added later." Names of activists affected (that can be identified): Victoria Tauli-Corpuz Sherwin de Vera Elisa Tita Lubi Joan Carling Atty. Jose Molintas Beverly Longid Joanna Cari_o Jose Maria Sison Benito and Wilma Tiamzon, Luis Jalandoni, Coni Ledesma, Randall Echanis, and Rafael Baylosis Rep. Satur Ocampo�_
- Impact of Event
- 15
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment, Vilification
- Rights Concerned
- Right to liberty and security, Right to political participation
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Indigenous peoples' rights defender, NGO staff, Social activist ~, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Government
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Mar 2, 2018
- Event Description
BAGUIO CITY - The group leader of Ifugao Peasant Movement, activist (IPM) Ricardo Mayumi, was fatally shot in his home in Kiangan, Ifugao last Friday night. According to Chief Inspector Carolina Lacuata, Cordillera police information officer, witnesses saw two men running away from Mayumi's residence after the incident. "Dalawang kalalakihan yung nakita na bumaril sa kaniya. Yung isa naka-suot ng black na jacket, yung isa naman ay naka-suot ng brown na jacket na naka-suot din ng helmet. Sila ay sinundan ng mga kapulisan pero wala silang nakita," Lacuata said. The motive behind the killing is still unknown. But human rights advocate group, KARAPATAN, claimed that Mayumi's killing is part of the military's efforts to attack activists involved in campaigns for people's rights and welfare. KARAPATAN said Mayumi and other members of the IPM have been receiving death threats since 2012. The group also said Mayumi was included in the 86th Infantry Battalion's (86th IB) target list last December 2014. The military claimed he was part of the New People's Army (NPA) leadership in the province. A leader of the 86th IB, however, said they have nothing to do with the killing. Mayumi was one of the environmental activists who opposed the proposed Quadriver mini-hydro dam in Tinoc, Ifugao. Mayumi's group, IPM, said he had been actively communicating with different government agencies to oppose the project of Santa Clara Power Corporation.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Death, Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Land rights, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to life
- HRD
- Environmental rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Suspected state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Feb 23, 2018
- Event Description
ROGER GONZALES, farmer and council member of the Nagkahiusang Mag-uuma sa Agusan del Sur-Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (NAMASUR-KMP) was arrested by about 30 combined SWAT and Provincial Public Safety Battalion (PPSB) personnel at around 4 o'clock in the morning of February 23, 2018 in his home in Purok 9, Del Monte, Talacogon, Agusan del Sur. The arresting officers claimed that he was in possession of a caliber .357 gun. Prior to his arrest, at around 3 o'clock in the morning of the same day, Gonzales and his family were awakened when 10 combined SWAT and PPSB officers arrived and entered their home. Without showing a search warrant, the team began searching the house. A 10 year old child, witnessed one of the officers put a gun in the kitchen before the 10 officers left. When the 30 SWAT and PPSB officers came back at around 4 o'clock in the morning they showed a search warrant and immediately went to where the gun was planted. They then arrested Gonzales and brought him to the Talacogon Police Station.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment, Raid
- Rights Concerned
- Land rights
- HRD
- Land rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military, Government
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Feb 22, 2018
- Event Description
KORONADAL CITY-Authorities stopped at a checkpoint a group of foreign activists who were on a mission to look into the recently reported massacre of nine civilians in Lake Sebu town in South Cotabato province. South Cotabato Gov. Daisy Avance-Fuentes told reporters Thursday that the foreign activists, Julie Jamora, Dina Anderson, Jamy Drapeza, Adam Shaw and Tawanda Chandiwana, all members of the Gabriela Network USA Chapter, were on board a truck when they were stopped by police around 8 a.m. at a checkpoint in BArangay (village) Palian in Tupi town, South Cotabato due to alleged lack of identification and travel documents. Fuentes said they came from Lake Sebu and were held briefly for questioning. "Some of them were not able to present identification cards and passports so they were brought to the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Bureau of Immigration," Fuentes said. The said offices were in General Santos City. Citing a report from South Cotabato police commander Senior Supt. Nestor Salcedo, Fuentes said the foreigners even claimed to be journalists but their affiliations were not immediately known. She said the foreigners were released after their papers had been verified by Immigration officials. Arlyn Perez, coordinator of the Kalumahin Federation of Indigenous Peoples, protested the brief detention of the members of the fact-finding mission, saying there was an alleged connivance between military and provincial officials, an allegation denied by the governor. Perez said the team were investigating the deaths of nine indigenous people in December last year in Lake Sebu. "They (police) were just doing their job. If they have proper identification and travel documents, they will not be held," Fuentes said. On December 3 last year, soldiers reportedly encountered about 25 members of the New People's Army in the village of Ned in Lake Sebu, leaving two soldiers and nine alleged NPA members dead. This was what the fact-finding mission was investigating. The governor said they expected the fact-finding mission report to be "biased" as they only focus on their own version. Jerome Aba, spokesperson of Suara Bangsamoro, said the foreign delegation was told they were being held on suspicion of being Islamic State members. "The three Filipino-Americans, one American and one Zimbabwe national are among the delegates invited by the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines investigating the impact of Duterte's Martial Law in Mindanao. The contingent went to Lake Sebu to probe the December 3 massacre of Dulangan Manobos, including tribal leader Victor Danyan, who defended their ancestral land from Consunji and Nestle plantation collaboration project," Aba said
- Impact of Event
- 5
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Right to information, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Social activist ~
- Perpetrator-State
- Government
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Not active
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Dec 13, 2017
- Event Description
A community newspaper columnist and human rights advocate was arrested by the Philippine National Police (PNP) on Tuesday while on board a bus in Bantay, Ilocos Sur. Sherwin de Vera, a columnist for Northern Dispatch, an Ilocos Sur weekly newspaper, was arrested in Barangay Bulag on his way home from Candon City, the Karapatan Alliance for the Advancement of People's Rights (Karapatan) said in a statement. De Vera, also a coordinator of Defend Ilocos, a network of environmental advocates in Ilocos Region, is facing charges of rebellion filed in Abra in September 2014. He said the charges were all fabricated. Police said de Vera was detained on Tuesday night at Camp Elpidio Quirino in the town of Bantay and was transferred on Wednesday to the Provincial Jail in Bangued, Abra. De Vera's Defend Ilocos played a key role in leading the Save the Abra River Movement opposing the continued operations of Lepanto Mining Company, which was reportedly affecting downstream communities in Ilocos Sur. Karapatan said the police asked de Vera for his identification card and invited him to the police station. "They claim that my case was "rebellion.' They dragged me down the bus and handcuffed me. I let them search inside my bag in front of other people and they didn't see anything," de Vera reportedly said. At the police station, the lawmen showed him a supposed copy of the rebellion case. They allegedly took all his personal belongings. Meanwhile, the Kalikasan People's Network for the Environment (Kalikasan-PNE), also in a statement, demanded the immediate release of de Vera as it expressed indignation over his "illegal arrest." Leon Dulce, campaign coordinator of Kalikasan-PNE, said this is not de Vera's "first brush with the fascistic authorities" and prior to his arrest, he was already receiving threats and intimidation from the military in connection with his work. Defend Ilocos also opposes the presence of a coal-fired power plant in Luna, La Union. Similarly, the Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA), an independent federation of grassroots organizations among indigenous communities in the Cordillera also denounced the arrest of de Vera. "The unwarranted arrest of Sherwin de Vera and the intensified attack on peoples' democratic rights nationwide strongly manifest the tyranny prevailing over our lands and the people must unite to fight," it said in another statement. with LEANDER DOMINGO
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment, Vilification
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Media Worker, Social activist ~
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Dec 15, 2017
- Event Description
DAVAO CITY, Philippines - A missing woman was found dead in a funeral parlor in Nabunturan town, Compostela Valley Province two days after she was reported missing by her son. Human rights group Karapatan in Southern Mindanao said Jeanni Rose Porras, a member of the Compostela Farmers Association (CFA), was found dead by her son in a funeral parlor on December 15. "Jeanni's son narrated that on December 14, his mother went out to talk to someone. He started worrying when after a day, Jeanni has still not returned home," Karapatan said in a Facebook post Sunday, December 17, adding that the son has decided to report the incident to the police. "He tried calling through her mobile phone but it was out of reach," the group added. "It was only this morning that they discovered her body at the funeral parlor," it added. Davao Today tried to get a copy of the police report from the Police Regional Office 11, but there was no report available as of press time. Meanwhile, Karapatan said Porras was a staunch anti-mining activist and a peasant organizer in the area. "Her organization has long been the target of killings, illegal arrests, and harassment due to their anti-militarization, anti-mining, and agrarian reform campaigns," the group said. (davaotoday.com)
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- Death, Killing
- Rights Concerned
- Land rights, Right to life
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Land rights defender, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Oct 30, 2017
- Event Description
PISTON National President George San Mateo posted bail on Tuesday afternoon for his case before a Quezon City court. Before this, San Mateo had been picked up by several policemen as he was on his way to post bail at the Quezon City Hall of Justice. Police then brought him to Station 10 of the Quezon City Police District for booking. Afterwards, the police escorted San Mateo back to the Hall of Justice, where he eventually posted bail. In the December 1 arrest warrant released to the media, Judge Don Ace Alagar of the Quezon City Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 43 found probable cause to order San Mateo's arrest for violating Commonwealth Act No. 146 or the Public Service Law. Alagar set bail at P4,000. On October 30, Quezon City Assistant City Prosecutor Marvelous Madamba charged San Mateo in court for violating Section 20(k) of the said law, recommending bail at P4,000. The charge sheet read San Mateo knowingly and willfully instructed members of PISTON to conduct a nationwide strike. The case stemmed from the nationwide strike that PISTON and other transport groups conducted in February 2017 to protest the PUV Modernization Program. Read: Transport groups hold nationwide transport strike to protest government's PUV modernization program No to Jeepney Phaseout Coalition Spokesperson Misael Melinas told CNN Philippines on Tuesday that the group condemned the arrest order. "Ang layunin lang po niyan ay pananakot upang pigilan kaming mga driver at operator na ipaglaban ang aming kabuhayan," he said. [Translation: The only objective of that warrant is to stop us drivers and operators from fighting for our livelihood.] Melinas added that the group will continue to fight for a "more inclusive" PUV Modernization Program. Meanwhile, PISTON members and supporters marched to the Quezon City Hall of Justice on December 5 to protest the "trumped-up charges" against San Mateo. On Tuesday, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque denied that the charges were a form of harassment. "I think he was warned that as a holder of a franchise, a certificate of public convenience...it is criminal and it is illegal for them to participate in any tigil-pasada[halting of service]," Roque said. "He defied. He now has to face the consequences." He said the purpose of the certificate is to render a service necessary to the public. "But if you will be a tool to inconvenience the public, then that's a violation of the trust repose in you by the state because that certificate of a public convenience is not a right. It's a privilege reserved only for those who can meet the obligations of franchise holders," he added. Poe: 'Let's hear them out' Sen. Grace Poe said on Tuesday that the timing of the warrant's release is "suspect and casts doubt on the intent of the complainant in filing such charges." "Everyone has the right to peaceably assemble," she said in statement. "It is unclear based on the cited section of the Public Service Act what exactly San Mateo violated. If holding a strike is tantamount to a violation under any memorandum of the LTFRB, then the proper penalty should have been a fine or suspension or cancellation of their franchise, not threatening their leader with incarceration." Poe added that the Public Service Act should be revisited to better balance public service and the right to assemble. The senator on Monday that the groups are set to meet transport officials at the Senate on December 11 to discuss their concerns. Read: Transport group cancels nationwide strike on Dec. 4-5 "With their entire livelihood at stake, the least we can do is hear them out," Poe said. "Moving forward, let us give them and other stakeholders a chance to explain so that we can resolve their issues together." Melinas said despite the warrant issued against San Mateo, the coalition will still attend the hearing. The PUV Modernization Program, which was revealed in June 2017, aims to phase out PUVs over 15 years old and replace these with vehicles with "low-carbon and low-emission technology." Read: Jeepney modernization program kicks off next month Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board Spokesperson Aileen Lizada told CNN Philippines in June 2017 that there are around 204,000 jeepneys operating nationwide, with an estimated 75 percent of these over 15 years old. PISTON and other transport groups are against the program, saying that hundreds of thousands of jeepney drivers and operators could lose their business.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Labour rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
CNN Philippines#.WiY72AbvXy0.facebook)
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Dec 4, 2017
- Event Description
A Catholic priest was gunned down by unidentified men in Jaen, Nueva Ecjia on Monday evening. Fr. Marcelito "Tito" Paez, a priest of the Diocese of San Jose, was shot while driving his vehicle at around 8pm. The 72-year-old priest was immediately rushed to the Gonzales General Hospital in the nearby town of San Leonardo but he succumbed to two bullet wounds on his body at around 10pm. Paez was a former parish priest of in Guimba town and currently the coordinator of the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines in Central Luzon. In the 1980s, he was also a leader of the Central Luzon Alliance for a Sovereign Philippines, which campaigned for the removal of the US military bases in Central Luzon and other parts of the country. He was also known to lead church service for communities and victims of human rights violations in Nueva Ecija and Central Luzon. Earlier in the day, Paez assisted in facilitating the release of political prisoner Rommel Tucay who was detained at a hail in Cabanatuan City. No group has claimed responsibility for the killing
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Death, Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of Religion and Belief
- HRD
- Freedom of religion/belief activist, Pro-democracy activist
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Nov 28, 2017
- Event Description
Suspected state security forces along with goons of a local official in Negros Oriental shot and killed two members of a team investigating human rights violations in the province this afternoon, Nov. 28. A youth activist was also injured. Killed were Elisa Badayos of Karapatan-Central Visayas, and Elioterio Moises, a village guard and member of the local peasant organization, Mantapi Ebwan Farmers Association. They were pronounced dead-on-arrival at a hospital in Bayawan town. CJ Matarlo, a 23-year-old Kabataan Partylist member remains in critical condition as of press time. The fact-finding team, composed of 30 people, was investigating reported human rights abuses committed by soldiers who are encamped in communities in the cities of Bayawan and Sta. Catalina. Earlier, the team was blocked and harassed by armed men identified with Bayawan City Mayor Ismael Martinez. Armed men also questioned the team, but they were eventually allowed to pass. At 2:40 PM, Badayos, Moises and the KPL activist companion were in San Ramon village, Bayawan and were headed to the police station to file a blotter report on the blocking incident, when armed men opened fire. Badayos and her family has long suffered from injustice perpetrated by the state forces. Her husband, Jimmy, a labor leader in Cebu, was abducted by the military in 1990, and has since disappeared. In 2012, a police and military team abducted her daughter, Jimmylisa, and a companion. She was later found illegally detained in Cebu. In 2015, Badayos was among the leaders of progressive groups in Dumaguete City who were slapped with trumped-up criminal charges filed by soldiers of the 79th Infantry Battalion. Cases including murder, rebellion, and illegal possession of firearms were then filed against leaders. "We condemn in the strongest terms this recent attack on human rights workers. Even as human rights workers conducting fact-finding missions in Batangas, Negros, Mindanao and elsewhere are being subjected to attacks by state forces, we will never relent in struggling alongside with the Filipino people in contending against this murderous Duterte regime," said Cristina Palabay, secretary general of Karapatan Alliance for the Advancement of People's Rights (Karapatan). In 2008, the Negros Oriental local government unit issued Ordinance No. 5, s. 2008 entitled "An Ordinance Regulating Outreach Activities Through Medical and Fact-Finding Missions in the Countryside of Negros Oriental and for Other Purposes." As a result, non-government organizations and other cause-based organizations are prohibited from conducting humanitarian missions without permission from the governor, municipal government, and the municipal police. Yesterday, Nov. 27, the fact-finding team went to the Sta. Catalina City hall, where they had asked for an appointment with the local government unit, but no official came to face them. Palabay said the Negros ordinance contravenes the purpose of fact-finding missions, which are conducted to confirm reports of abuses, especially those committed by the military and other officers and agents of the state. "The attacks on human rights defenders are becoming more rampant, more brutal, more fearless. The perpetrators know they will be dealt with impunity, as human rights have lost force and meaning especially under this regime. Fact-finding missions are a mechanism for human rights organizations to confirm reports of abuses, and this incident has only proven how fascism works to kill outright those who dare to question," Palabay said in a statement. (This article was updated to add the name of CJ Matarlo, who was not identified in the earlier report.)
- Impact of Event
- 3
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Death, Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to information
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Land rights defender, NGO staff, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Suspected state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Nov 20, 2017
- Event Description
Human rights group Karapatan has accused the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines of arresting and detaining 11 human rights workers "illegally". In a press release, Karapatan secretary general Cristina Palabay linked the arrest of Peping Sacdalan, 67; Carlos Sanoza, 62; Josefino Castillano, 50; Senando Jacutin, 47; Rosario Tabanao, 47; Jocelyn Cabadin, 44; Leonardo Delos Reyes, 43; Jennelyn Bayani, 30; Orlan Cabadin, 19; Robert Hernandez; and Anthony Ba_aga to President Rodrigo Duterte's "threat" on Saturday to crack down on progressive organizations. Those arrested had been tagged as members of the New People's Army. But Palabay said it was "a lie relegated as among the oldest tricks in the PNP and AFP's "how to get away with illegal arrest and human rights violations' rulebook." "Mass arrest of members of an organization is fast becoming a trend in the PNP and AFP's conduct of illegal arrests. It has become as brazen and as arbitrary," she added. She accused the Duterte administration of allegedly conducting a "systematic attack against human rights workers." Ba_aga, Bayani, Orlan Cabadin, Jocelyn Cabadin, Castillano, Delos Reyes, Hernandez, Sacdalan, and Sanoza were arrested on Monday by members of the PNP and the Philippine Air Force 730th Combat Group in Nasugbu, Batangas. According to Karapatan, eight of these nine persons were actually members of farmers groups, while the ninth was a jeepney driver. They were on their way to Brgy. Utod in Nasugbu to "monitor human rights violations against civilians amid the ongoing military operations of the PAF against members of the NPA in Nasugbu." Karapatan said the group would be brought to a regional trial court in Batangas to undergo inquest proceedings. On Saturday, meanwhile, Jacutin and Tabanao were arrested by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group Region 9 and the 1st Infantry Tabak Division of the AFP in Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur. According to Karapatan, Jacutin is a peasant organizer of Kilusang Mambubukid ng Pilipinas, while Tabanao is a staff member of Karapatan Western Mindanao. Karapatan alleged that firearms and explosives were planted on the two, who are detained at the Pagadian City police station and are set to undergo inquest proceedings Tuesday. "Karapatan condemns this blatant attack on the people's right to monitor human rights violations and the brazen arbitrariness and illegality of the recent series of arrests," Palabay said. She continued, "How then can human rights and humanitarian organizations function and aid civilians amidst armed conflict when rights of human rights workers are being curtailed? Human rights workers, in the conduct of their work, have already one foot in the grave." Palabay also criticized the creation of the Inter-agency Committee on Legal Action (IAOCOLA), which supposedly intensified "political persecution and illegal arrests" against human rights groups and other progressive organizations. "More increasingly in the Duterte regime, legal processes are subverted and instead directed against the people," she said. According to the PNP website, the IACOLA establishes "stronger coordination of ongoing and future efforts of the government in addressing these cases" against threat groups. The joint resolution creating IACOLA was signed in October by PNP Chief Police Director General Ronald Dela Rosa and then AFP Chief of Staff General Eduardo A_o in the hopes of strengthening "the intelligence gathering and cooperation, investigation, prosecution, and monitoring of cases against threat groups." On Saturday, Duterte told reporters in Davao City that the government "may take steps" against activists, and added that he believed groups like Bayan were in league with the communist rebels. "We will study and maybe we will have a crackdown here somewhere," Duterte said. In the same press conference, he called the armed wing of the National Democratic Front, the New People's Army, terrorists. "Before, we recognized them as legitimate rebels. But with their continued depredations, killing innocent people even an infant four months old, I'll be issuing a proclamation. I will remove them from the category of a legal entity... placing them - same as America -[in the category of] terrorists." Recently, an infant was among eight civilians in a Toyota Fortuner caught in the crossfire when NPA rebels ambushed a police vehicle in Bukidnon. The NPA admitted killing the infant, and even apologized in a statement. "So beginning from now, wala nang[there'll be no more charges called] rebellion-rebellion. We will fight terrorism, murder, arson na[now]... because we will consider them criminal already," the President added.
- Impact of Event
- 11
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of association, Land rights
- HRD
- Land rights defender, NGO staff
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Nov 20, 2017
- Event Description
The Tarlac police detained an activist on Wednesday after militant farmers stormed a contested property inside the former sugar estate on the eve of the so-called Hacienda Luisita massacre in 2004. Florita Sibayan, chair of the militant Alyansa ng mga Manggagawang Bukid sa Asyenda Luisita (Ambala), was taken to the Tarlac provincial police headquarters in Camp Macabulos here. Supt. Bayani Razalan, Tarlac City police chief, said Sibayan and other Ambala members were facing charges of malicious mischief and physical injuries for destroying the concrete fence of the Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. compound in the Tarlac City side of Luisita. On April 24, the same group forcibly occupied the RCBC compound, after they petitioned then Agrarian Reform Secretary Rafael Mariano to use the 500-hectare property for agrarian land distribution. The RCBC lot is what remains of the Luisita estate most of which have been distributed to farmers by the Department of Agrarian Reform. The lot was acquired from the family of former President Corazon Aquino and her son, former President Benigno Aquino III, in 1996. On Wednesday, around 500 Ambala members staged the rally at 9 a.m. in front of the RCBC lot before they broke through the fence an hour later. Following Sibayan's detention, 200 Ambala members held a protest rally at Camp Macabulos. Some of them spray-painted the police compound. Reached by telephone, Sibayan said a police officer in plainclothes dragged her into a police vehicle parked inside the RCBC lot. "They said they would kill me," Sibayan said in Filipino. The group was scheduled to hold on Thursday a memorial of the massacre where seven farmers were killed during a clash between policemen and strikers. Cases filed against government officials, including Aquino when he was Tarlac representative, in connection with the killings had been dismissed.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Land rights, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Land rights defender, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Nov 9, 2017
- Event Description
Human rights groups decried the illegal arrests and abduction by police of a total of seven activists and supporters in the past five days, before and during the visit by US President Donald Trump and the start of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit. These happened from Nov. 9 to 12 in separate incidents in the provinces of Cebu, Samar, Oriental Mindoro and Metro Manila. Among those arrested is a nursing mother who was tending to her two-month-old baby when arrested in a hospital in Oriental Mindoro. Human rights alliance Karapatan riled at the Duterte administration, for "unleashing its fascist and militarist policies" in fitting tribute to the visiting US president, who also faced growing protests in his own country. Groups like Karapatan had criticized the Asean for evading the issue of human rights violations, which hound all its member-states. President Duterte, who is this year's Asean chairman and host of the summit, has been lambasted for his bloody war on drugs and continued political killings. The seven arrested are: former peace negotiator Rustico Tan, Lopito Paquigbao and Eddie Cullamat, who were arrested Nov. 9 in Cebu; health worker and former political detainee Emilia Marquez, who was arrested with Jess Carlo Poblador on Nov. 10 in Oriental Mindoro; peasant leader Carlito Badillo, arrested also on Nov. 10; and Neil Legaspi, who was arrested during the anti-Trump protest in Manila on Nov. 12. Legaspi, a Karapatan staff who was detained by the Manila Police District, was released this afternoon, Nov. 14. Poblador was also immediately released shortly after arrested. The five others remain in detention. Former "Morong 43' detainee abducted in hospital The group Buhay na Alay para sa Nagkakaisang Isla ng Mindoro (BAYANI Mo) is calling for the release of Emilia Marquez, 29, who was abducted while tending to her critically-ill two-month-old baby at the Medical Mission Group Hospital in Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro. On Nov. 10, at 11 PM, four soldiers in plainclothes led by Corporal Marcos Padilla Magnaye of the Philippine Army's 203rd infantry brigade nabbed Marquez and Jess Carlo Poblador, 27, who was assisting Marquez in the hospital. The soldiers refused to identify themselves when Marquez asked for their identification and arrest warrant. Marquez refused to come with the soldiers, who then forcibly took her and Poblador, in full view of the shocked hospital staff. Marquez, a native of San Jose, Occidental Mindoro, is a former political detainee and was one of the "Morong 43," the 43 health workers arrested in February 2010. They were released in December 2010 after prosecutors withdrew the charges of illegal possession of firearms and explosives. A team of human rights workers searched for Marquez and Poblador in various detention facilities of police, military and the National Bureau of Investigation, which all denied they have the two. The group also learned that the Army corporal Magnaye asked to have the recording of the closed-circuit television erased, but the hospital staff refused. After 24 hours, Marquez was able to call and inform her parents that she was detained in at the 203rd IB headquarters in Bansud, but was being brought to Calapan City. She is currently detained in Pinamalayan, Oriental Mindoro. The group said Poblador was already released, but gave no detail. BayaniMo said Marquez was charged with two trumped-up charges: a murder case at branch 44 of Regional Trial Court (RTC) of Mamburao, Occidental Mindoro, and frustrated murder at branch 41 of RTC Pinamalayan, Oriental Mindoro. "Emilia Marquez, hails from a poor family, and is passionate in serving the underprivileged and managed to continue her work as a community-based health worker for the indigenous Mangyans and farmers of Mindoro. Since then she was followed by suspected state agents and consistently harassed thru vilification and pressuring her aging parents to submit him to authorities though no cases were filed against her," BayaniMo said in its statement. Former NDFP peace negotiator, peasant leader arrested in the Visayas In its statement, Karapatan said that Paquigbao and Cullamat were first to be nabbed by a joint team of police and military men who came looking for Rustico Tan at his farm in Palaminya village, Oslob, Cebu on Nov. 9, at 5 PM. Failing to find Tan, the government troops took the two men who are both farm workers of Tan. Karapatan said they later learned from the Philippine National Police in Oslob that Tan has also been arrested and he and the two other men are detained at the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Central Command in Camp Lapu-Lapu, Cebu City. The group later learned that Tan was transferred detention to another island, in Camp Dagohoy in Tagbilaran City, Bohol province. The group, however, is yet to confirm if Paquigbao and Cullamat are detained at the AFP CenCom in Cebu city. Tan, 76, is a former Catholic priest belonging to the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (MSC). He was a peace consultant of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) and was one of the negotiators in the peace talks with government during the Corazon Aquino administration. Tan is engaged in sustainable agriculture in his hometown in Oslob. On Nov. 10, at 7 AM, peasant leader Carlito Badillo had just brought his children to school in Tag-alag village, Marabut town in Samar province when he was abducted by a group of men. Later, the 87th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army admitted that they have Badillo in their custody. Badillo, a leader of Tag-alag Farmers and Fisherfolk Association, is being detained at the Marabut Municipal Police Station. Karapatan said trumped-up charges of rebellion and illegal possession of explosives were filed against Badillo. Karapatan deputy secretary general Roneo Clamor said the arrests come after the formation of the Inter-Agency Committee on Legal Action (IACLA), which "will further legitimize and systematize the political persecution, illegal arrest, and detention of vocal critics of the Duterte regime's anti-people policies." As of Sept. 30, Karapatan had documented 28 political prisoners in the Eastern Visayas region, 13 of whom are ailing. The group has documented 435 political prisoners, with 94 arrested and detained under President Duterte. "Instead of heeding the demands of peasant organizations, the Duterte administration is blatantly disregarding the plight of farmers and have continued to violate their political, economic, and social rights," Clamor said. Along with the Selda, the group of former political detainees, Karapatan has called on the Duterte administration to release all political prisoners and "stop the arrests, harassment and criminalization of the work of political activists." "The Duterte administration must also junk Oplan Kapayapaan, a counterinsurgency program patterned under the US counterinsurgency guide, which seeks to curtail dissent and forego people's rights to protect the interest of the few," Clamor said. Aside from arresting Karapatan staff, police took van, staff belongings "Who do we expect to guard a human rights violator, fascist, and bigot like US President Donald Trump? None other than his fellow fascists, personified by our own police force. In true militarist and fascist fashion that their masters -Trump and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte - would no doubt be proud of, the police arrested Karapatan's staff who was then driving the van and injured at least 20 protesters, including Anakbayan Chairperson Vencer Crisostomo," said Karapatan secretary general Tinay Palabay. Karapatan lambasted the Manila Police District for the arrest of their staff Neil Legaspi, as well as for taking the group's van and the belongings of the paralegal team. On Nov. 12, at 2:30 PM, Legaspi was driving the van along Mabini street, following the main body of protesters as part of the paralegal team, when he was accosted by members of the Task Force ASEAN and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG). "He was forced out of the vehicle, his hands tightly handcuffed, and his head forced down by two policemen identified as PO1 Agcamanan and PO2 Bigcas of the Regional Public Safety Battalion, under the leadership of Task Force ASEAN," said Palabay in a statement. The men also punched him in the back. "The paralegal van was also taken by the police, allegedly by police operatives identified as O. Silla, E. Ocampo, R. Siochi, J. Florendo, Padua of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group of the Philippine National Police," Palabay said. Legaspi was brought to the CIDG bus along UN avenue, where he saw the Karapatan van being driven by a police man. Later, he saw CIDG operatives also went in and out of the van where the paralegal team's personal belongings were kept. Legaspi was released at 1:30 PM today, but will still undergo further preliminary investigation before the Manila prosecutor, on charges of violation of the public assembly act, assault upon agent of person in authority, and resistance and disobedience. The Karapatan van remains in custody of the police. "We personally witnessed how the CIDG scampered around to consolidate a script for the entire unit. The tag "scriptwriters' is a perfect fit, as these operatives busied to stage a convincing narrative. They first planned to file a case of reckless imprudence resulting to physical injury against Legaspi, but later changed the charges," Palabay said. She added that some personal belongings of were missing, the staff's bags were searched, with wallets left open. She said they are looking into charging the police with illegal search and carnapping.
- Impact of Event
- 7
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention
- Rights Concerned
- Right to liberty and security, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Pro-democracy activist
- Perpetrator-State
- Government, Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Oct 27, 2017
- Event Description
We condemn the arrest of Rural Missionaries of the Philippines-Northern Mindanao Region (RMP-NMR) staff and lay worker Julito Otacan, and five other Banwaon human rights defenders (HRDs), on Oct. 27 in Balit, San Luis, Agusan del Sur. Otacan is a field worker under the Protect and Promote Indigenous Human Rights in the Philippines, a project funded by the European Union and implemented by the RMP-NMR and Relief International. Otacan, in his work under the project, had been going around the Banwaon communities in Agusan del Sur, to organize and facilitate the training of community members in their capacity as HRDs. Under martial law, attacks against HRDs had been heightened, with community organizers and legitimate community meetings put under surveillance of state forces. We are demanding their immediate release and for the government to ensure their protection while they are doing their legitimate work for indigenous peoples' rights.
- Impact of Event
- 6
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of Religion and Belief, Right to work
- HRD
- Freedom of religion/belief activist, Indigenous peoples' rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military, Government
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Oct 24, 2017
- Event Description
DAVAO CITY, Philippines (UPDATED) - A 29-year-old broadcaster died in Bislig City in Surigao del Sur on Tuesday night, October 24, after unidentified men opened fire at his vehicle. The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) alerted the media of the death of Christopher Iban Lozada on Wednesday morning, October 25. The NUJP said that Lozada was driving home with his girlfriend, Faith Tuyco Indog, when the incident happened. Indog was injured. Lozada was killed immediately while Indog was rushed to the Andres Soriano Hospital for treatment," the NUJP said. The ambush came after Lozada received multiple death threats, some of which could be found on his own Facebook acount, said NUJP. "I'm not an activist; I don't look for controversy. I'm not a political person, but I'm a person with compassion," Lozada said in a live Facebook video on October 15. Lozada was the operations manager and anchor of DXBF Prime Broadcasting Network, where he was known as "Chris Rapido." He was also called "Dok Chris" as he had health-related radio programs. According to the NUJP, Lozado was reportedly involved in filing charges against Bislig Mayor Librado Navarro and other Bislig officials before the Office of the Ombudsman over their involvement in a questionable hydraulic excavator deal. Navarro and the officials were found guilty of grave misconduct. In another Facebook post, Lozada posted a text message theatening him. "Another grave threat. I received this while I was hosting a program on air. I'm slightly worried by this incident because I was told that my days are numbered and that I would die soon. I'm just doing all these for the people. Now they're telling me this; I think they're getting used to this kind of act," he said. The Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) condemned the death of Lozada. Lozada earlier filed a complaint against Navarro with the PTFoMS, citing the death threats he had been receiving. PTFoMS issued a "red-flag" letter to Navarro on October 24 but it was too late, as he was killed that morning. "Lozada was killed even before the letter-warning could reach the mayor," PTFoMs said in a statement, adding that it suspected the mayor to be behind the threats to Lozada's life because of the graft case before the Ombudsman. In his complaint, Lozada cited threatening text messages that he reportedly received form Navarro. "Leave Bislig if you do not want to die," the alleged text message read. Police Superintendent Eder Collantes of Task Force Usig has been instructed to "immediately" investigate the killing.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats, Killing, Online Attack and Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Media freedom, Right to information
- HRD
- Media Worker, RTI activist
- Perpetrator-State
- Suspected state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jul 18, 2017
- Event Description
Sherwin De Vera is a the coordinator of Defend Ilocos, a regional environmental network in north western Philippines affiliated with Kalikasan People's Network for the Environment. The organisation is currently leading a campaign against large-scale mining projects in the region that would be detrimental to local communities' right to a safe and healthy environment. The human rights defender is also a former human rights worker of Karapatan. On 18 July 2017, Sherwin De Vera was tailed by men in military uniforms when he visited Vigan City. On 19 July, the defender was informed by friends from the University of Northern Philippines that suspected military intelligence personnel had visited the university the previous day to ask the campus security department about Sherwin De Vera's recent visit to the university.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats, Surveillance
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to work
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Environmental rights defender, NGO staff
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jul 20, 2017
- Event Description
According to the information received, on 20 July 2017, at around 10:20 p.m., Ms. Cristina "Tinay" Palabay received a phone call from a man who repeatedly asked her if she was "Tinay Palabay" and refused to tell her his name. He told Ms. Palabay that she should stop what she was doing, referring to her human rights work, because she was on a "list" of people whom they considered as "courageous," and that he called because she was within his "AOR" (interpreted as "area of responsibility"). He accused Ms. Palabay of being involved in the alleged ambush of June 19, 2017, of the Presidential Security Group by members of the New People's Army (NPA) in Mindanao. Ms. Palabay denied knowledge of and involvement in the reported incident, as she was at that time in Manila leading the preparations for peaceful protests ahead of President Rodrigo Duterte's State of the Nation Address and his request for an extension of martial law in Mindanao. The caller also repeatedly asked about Ms. Palabay's whereabouts, and warned her to be careful because he would soon meet her. Ms. Palabay immediately recounted on Facebook the incident and made public the threats she received. After searching the caller's cellphone number (+639260779448 ), it appeared that the number belongs to a member of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Safety Battalion. On August 16, 2017, a complaint to the Philippine Commission on Human Rights was submitted by Karapatan. Ms. Palabay is an independent observer in the Joint Monitoring Committee of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) on the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL). She is also a member of the organizing committee of the Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD), an advisor to the Urgent Action Fund for Women's Rights (UAF). In April 2017, Ms. Palabay and three other Filipino activists conducted a speaking tour in the US on the human rights situation in the Philippines and the GRP-NDFP peace talks. She also participated in the May 2017 Carter Center Human Rights Defenders Forum, organized by former US President Jimmy Carter in Atlanta, US.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats, Surveillance
- Rights Concerned
- Online, Right to work
- HRD
- NGO staff, Social activist ~, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military, Suspected state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Aug 7, 2017
- Event Description
SULTAN KUDARAT - Two men on a motorcycle shot dead early Monday in President Quirino town a volunteer radio reporter and columnist of a local weekly newspaper. Senior Supt. Raul Supiter, director of the Sultan Kudarat provincial police, said Leodoro Diaz died on the spot from multiple gunshot wounds sustained in the attack. Diaz was a volunteer reporter of a broadcast outfit in Cotabato City, the station dxMY of the Radio Mindanao Network. He was also a columnist of the Sapol tabloid published weekly in General Santos City, about three hours away via overland travel from President Quirino, his hometown. Diaz was on his way to Tacurong City from his home in Barangay Katiku, President Quirino when two bikers trailing behind overtook, block his path and shot him with pistols, killing him on the spot. Benjie Caballero, a broadcast journalist based in Tacurong City, said Diaz was a hard-hitting tabloid columnist. "We are urging the police to investigate on his murder in broad daylight at a time when Mindanao is under martial law that prohibits non-military and police personnel from carrying guns outside of houses," Caballero, a long time friend of Diaz, told The STAR. Diaz was the third journalist killed in Sultan Kudarat province in about 15 years. Marlene Esperat, also a columnist of a local newspaper, and radio reporter Amy Corpuz were also killed by hired killers. Supiter said personnel of the President Quirino municipal police are still trying to determine the identities of the two men behind the murder of Diaz and their real motive for the attack. "Let's give them enough time to identify the perpetrators of this crime for them to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of law," Supiter said.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Killing
- Rights Concerned
- Media freedom
- HRD
- Media Worker
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- 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
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jun 10, 2017
- Event Description
A warrant of arrest was issued against the peace and human rights activist Temogen "Cocoy" Tulawie by the Regional Trial Court in Sulu on 10 May, 2017. Tulawie is accused of being involved in the case of the kidnapped German journalist Andreas Lorenz from the Spiegel-magazine. In 2000, Lorenz had been covering the story of the kidnapping of the German Wallert family on the Malaysian island of Sipadan, when he himself was abducted by the Abu Sayyaf Group. Tulawie played a crucial role in providing the hostage with basic necessities and advocating for his release. Investigating Prosecutor Annie Marie Pierreangeli P. Ledesma filed the formal charges against Tulawie for kidnapping and serious illegal detention with ransom at the Regional Trial Court in Jolo, Sulu on 8th May 2017. The initial complaint against Tulawie was filed on 10th February 2017 only one month after Tulawie had filed a petition at the Office of the President to remove Ledesma from office on grounds of dishonesty, betrayal of public trust and grave misconduct. Then foreign correspondent Olaf Ihlau, who reported about the kidnapping for the Spiegel, testified that "the accusation that Cocoy kidnapped Lorenz is absurd". The American photo-journalist David McIntyre in addition attested that "Cocoy was there to help us verify information, facilitate contact with the hostages and help us bring in goods and messages to and from the hostages". "It is too easy to misuse the Philippine judiciary to silence political opposition. People like Tulawie should be awarded for their work; instead they're being put behind bars", says Dominik Hammann, country coordinator for the German human rights organization International Peace Observers Network (IPON). IPON expresses its deep concerns over the continuing criminalization of HRD in the Philippines and calls on Philippine state authorities to immediately drop the charge against Tulawie!
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment, Vilification
- Rights Concerned
- Right to fair trial
- HRD
- Community-based HRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary, Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Apr 6, 2017
- Event Description
TAGUM CITY - Unidentified assailants gunned down a 60-year old farmer inside his house in San Isidro, Davao del Norte on Thursday night. According to tights group Karapatan, the farmer, identified as Elias Pureza, became the latest victim in the spate of killings of activists and farmers in Southern Mindanao. Jay Apiag, Karapatan spokesperson, said Pureza had become the 23 victim of such attack in the region since President Rodrigo Duterte came to power. Apiag described Pureza as a member of the Farmers' Association of San Isidro (Fasi). The victim, he said, was inside his house in Purok Palmera in Barangay Mamangan when six men on motorcycles arrived at around 8:00 p.m. "When his wife opened the door, the assailants forced their way in and shot Elias in front of his family immediately killing him," he said. As in previous killings that targeted farmers and rights activists, Apiag said Pureza's murder might have been carried out by soldiers. Maj. Michael Candole, executive officer of the Army's 60th Infantry Battalion, which is based in Asuncion, Davao del Norte, said Karapatan's claims "were baseless and mere propaganda." He challenged the rights group to also look into the possible involvement of the New People's Army (NPA) in the killings. "We are mandated to protect innocent civilians," Candole said. "We do not kill hapless farmers and activists."
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Death, Killing
- Rights Concerned
- Land rights, Right to life
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Land rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Suspected state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Feb 23, 2017
- Event Description
MANILA: An arrest warrant was issued Thursday for the highest-profile opponent of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's deadly war on drugs, but she dodged police and sought refuge in the Senate. The planned arrest of Senator Leila de Lima outraged her supporters and human rights activists, who said the government had manufactured drug trafficking charges to silence her criticism of Duterte and intimidate others. The 57-year-old lawyer, who has spent nearly a decade trying to link Duterte to death squads that have allegedly killed thousands of people, could be jailed for life if she is found guilty of drug trafficking. "I have no plans of fleeing and I have no plans to go in hiding. I will face all these charges," a tearful De Lima told reporters at the Senate in the early evening after a Manila court issued the arrest warrant. De Lima then went to her home in another part of the capital after believing she had secured an agreement with authorities to surrender on Friday morning. But, after police were seen on national television driving to her home to arrest her, De Lima quickly left and returned to the perceived safety of the Senate building. De Lima appealed late on Thursday night for police not to arrest her overnight, and committed to surrendering on Friday. "If they respect the Senate as an institution, they should not force an arrest tonight," she told reporters at the Senate. Police followed her to the Senate. But, signalling an apparent pause to a night of intense drama, the head of security at the Senate and De Lima's aides said police had committed to waiting until Friday morning to arrest her. Political persecution De Lima is accused of orchestrating a drug trafficking ring when she was justice secretary in the previous administration of Benigno Aquino. But De Lima and her supporters insist she is innocent, and that Duterte wants to crush one of his most vocal and enduring critics. De Lima this week branded Duterte a "sociopathic serial killer" as she called for ordinary Filipinos to stand up in opposition to his drug war, which has seen more than 6,500 people killed since he took office eight months ago. De Lima's Liberal Party, which ruled for six years under Aquino, voiced deep anger on Thursday at her imminent arrest. "This arrest is purely political vendetta and has no place in (a) justice system that upholds the rule of law. This is condemnable. We reiterate that an arrest based on trumped-up charges is illegal," it said in a statement. Safety fears The party also said it feared for De Lima's life once she was arrested, citing the police killing of another politician, Rolando Espinosa, inside a jail cell in November last year after he was arrested on drug charges. The National Bureau of Investigation said the police who raided the jail murdered him and that he was defenceless. But Duterte defended the police and vowed they would not be jailed. Duterte, 71, won the presidential election last year after promising during the campaign to eradicate drugs in society by killing tens of thousands of people. He immediately launched the crackdown after taking office in June and police have reported killing 2,555 drug suspects since then, with about 4,000 other people murdered in unexplained circumstances. Amnesty International has warned that police actions in the drug war may amount to crimes against humanity. Amnesty said Thursday that, if De Lima was arrested, it would regard her as a prisoner of conscience. "The arrest of de Lima is a blatant attempt by the Philippine government to silence criticism of President Duterte and divert attention away from serious human rights violations in the "war on drugs'," it said. But Duterte's aides said De Lima's imminent arrest showed even the most powerful people would be brought to justice if they broke the law. "The war on illegal drugs targets all who are involved and the arrest of an incumbent senator demonstrates the President's strong resolve to fight pushers, peddlers and their protectors," presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Right to political participation
- HRD
- Pro-democracy activist
- Perpetrator-State
- Government, Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Feb 19, 2017
- Event Description
On February 19, 2017, WILERME AGORDE, was stabbed and gunned down in North Cotabato. Ka Wiling is a pastoral worker of the Diocese of Kidapawan, and a project officer of agrarian justice program of NASSA (National Secretariat for Social Action) on "Empowering Farming Communities Through Advocacy on Agrarian Reform, Social Enterprise and Practice of Sustainable Agriculture." Ka Wiling was actively involved in leading the campaign to implement agrarian reform in government school reservation. The 5,000-hectare property is owned by University of Southern Mindanao (USM) but the 1,000-hectare portion was allocated to CFCST (Cotabato Foundation College of Science and Technology). The disputed land had been occupied by the farmers for several decades. Recent development indicates that the farmers are winning in the agrarian campaign. And the killing of Ka Wiling is interpreted by the community as a way to silence the leaders in defending their land rights. We join Bishop Colin Bagaforo and the Diocese of Kidapawan in vehemently condemning the heinous murder of one of our dedicated human rights workers. We demand that justice be served and that impartial investigation be conducted to determine who are behind this atrocious crime
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Killing
- Rights Concerned
- Land rights, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Community-based HRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Suspected state
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Suspected non-state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Feb 17, 2017
- Event Description
MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) - A Philippine lawyer who specialized in investigating crimes against the environment has been ambushed and shot dead, police said Friday, February 17. The murder on Wednesday of Mia Manuelita Mascarinas-Green deepened concerns that the Philippines is one of the world's most dangerous places for environmental campaigners, with more than 100 killed over the past 15 years. Four motorcycle-riding gunmen opened fire after surrounding a van being driven by Mascarinas-Green -- with her children and nanny in the vehicle -- near her home on the central island of Bohol, the authorities said. Mascarinas-Green was pronounced dead at a hospital but her children were unharmed, regional police spokesman Senior Inspector Reslin Abella told AFP. "The victim is a known environmental lawyer. Investigators are checking whether the attack had any link to the cases she had handled in relation to environmental issues," Abella told the Agence France-Presse by telephone. "They now have the identity of at least one of the perpetrators and a hot pursuit operation is ongoing," she said without naming the suspect. Abella said police were at the moment unaware if Mascarinas-Green had been threatened previously in relation to her work. Her children are twins, aged two, and a 10-year-old daughter, according to local media reports. Her death brings to 112 the number of environmental campaigners murdered in the Philippines over the past 15 years, according to Filipino environment monitor Kalikasan. This includes 12 since President Rodrigo Duterte took office 7 months ago, Kalikasan said. "Most of these cases remain unresolved as the government continues to ignore the threat against environmental defenders," Clemente Bautista, its national coordinator told AFP. "What this means is that the perpetrators are emboldened to do it again and again because no one ever gets caught." Condemning the killings In a statement, Alternative Law Groups (ALG) condemned the killing of Mascarinas-Green, saying society "simply has no place for lawless killings." ALG added Mascarinas-Green "has been working as a dedicated environmental lawyer, an alternative lawyer in pursuit of public interest, respect for human rights, and promotion of social justice for more than 10 years. Her untimely death is a clear example of why we all should strive as alternative lawyers and advocates of human rights and social development." Greenpeace Southeast Asia executive director Yeb Sano also said the killing highlighted the culture of impunity in the Philippines, where powerful figures abuse a corrupt political and justice system to literally get away with murder. "Those who cause environmental destruction are resorting to savage measures and deplorable acts to stop communities and people who are standing up to protect our imperilled environment," Sano said. Environmental monitor Global Witness separately lists 88 killings of environmental activists and workers in the Philippines between 2010 and 2015. The attacks spiked with 33 dead in 2015, ranking the Philippines as the second most dangerous country in the world for environmental campaigners behind Brazil.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- Killing
- Rights Concerned
- Land rights, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Lawyer, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Suspected state
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Suspected non-state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Sep 17, 2016
- Event Description
The Sentro ng Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa (SENTRO) strongly condemns the assassination of Orlando "Ka Lando" Abangan. SENTRO calls for a swift and thorough investigation of this cowardly act, and to arrest and prosecute the perpetrators and their masterminds. Ka Lando, 35 years old, was assassinated a few meters outside his home last 17th of September 2016 at around 7:00am. Witnesses said that a lone assassin waited for him, pumped seven bullets into his body, and drove away on a motorcycle. Initial investigations to the motivation of his killing points to Ka Lando's vocal criticism against the ongoing war on drugs and the extrajudicial killings (EJKs) in the community. Ka Lando has spent half his life organizing the downtrodden under the banner of Partido ng Manggagawa (PM). Recently, Ka Lando helped SENTRO organize a union in the power industry as well as the urban poor in Cebu. Ka Lando was also involved in helping organize an organization of persons with disabilities (PWDs) that advanced the rights of PWDs for social protection and social services. SENTRO also calls on the Duterte administration to stop the terrible wave of extra judicial killings that has plagued the country. The war of drugs has promoted a culture that is blind to human rights. Clearly, it is now taking its toll on human rights defenders. It has to stop immediately. SENTRO commiserates with the families and friends of Ka Lando. His long history of service and militancy in the face of impunity is admirable. His death, unfortunately, is another nail in the coffin against the struggle to uphold human rights.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Death, Extrajudicial Killing
- Rights Concerned
- Labour rights
- HRD
- Labour rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Apr 1, 2016
- Event Description
RAPPLER: MANILA, Philippines (7th UPDATE) - At least one farmer was killed and 13 others were wounded Friday, April 1, when police dispersed a farmers' protest action in Kidapawan City, reports said. Two policemen are also "under critical condition" due to head trauma while 40 cops were hurt in the incident, the Philippine National Police (PNP) and Malaca_ang said in separate statements. The identity of the slain farmer was not immediately known. But the PNP said they arrested a number of protesters, including "an individual reported to be an NPA[New People's Army] Commander from Brgy Basak, Magpet, North Cotabato." Police said about 3,000 protesters blocked the Davao-Cotabato Highway starting Wednesday, March 30, to demand government assistance in the wake of the effects of drought in the area. (Organizers put the number of protesters at 5,000.) The Kidapawan City police dispersed the protest shortly before 11 am Friday and shot at the farmers, according to Kilab Multimedia on its Facebook page. The Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas said soldiers joined the disperal. "Shots from M-16 rifles were allegedly fired," it added in a statement. Kidapawan City Mayor Joseph Evangelista said the farmers were demanding that North Cotabato Governor Emmylou Tali_o-Mendoza release 15,000 sacks of rice to them, but Mendoza reportedly refused to talk to them. The protesters said the money can be sourced from the province's calamity fund, adding they have been severely affected by drought in the past several months. MindaNews reported that "North Cotabato's Crop Damage Report Summary as of Febuary 17 listed 36,915 farmers affected by the drought, mostly corn, rice, rubber and coconut farmers." The province has been under a state of calamity since January 19, MindaNews added. Mendoza is running for reelection unopposed. Mayor Evangelista held a crisis meeting with the police and local authorities after the dispersal. Governor's orders? PNP spokesman Chief Supt Wilben Mayor said they are investigating the incident and will hold "anyone responsible for this tragic incident accountable." In a chronology of events, the PNP said the permit to rally lapsed Friday morning. The highway protest that began 6 am on March 30 brought together farmers, members of indigenous groups, and other cause-oriented groups. "Their presence continued to disrupt public movement in one of the major transportation arteries of Mindanao," the PNP said in a statement. Upon "guidance" from the governor, the local police moved to disperse the crowd past 10 am Friday and coordinated with the Department of Social Welfare and Development "to rescue minors who were part of the picketline," the PNP added. "Before the PNP could start their operation, however, protesters attacked them with poles and pieces of wood. Large rocks were also thrown at the policemen, and at the stationary fire truck deployed to the area," according to the PNP. Presidential candidates condemned the incident in separate statements. The New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) also asked government to investigate what happened especially how the police acted during the dispersal. Government must "hold accountable anyone found responsible regardless of rank or affiliation," HRW said.
- Impact of Event
- 14
- Violation
- Death, Killing, Violence (physical), Wounds and Injuries
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Right to food, Right to information
- HRD
- Community-based HRD
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Sep 20, 2016
- Event Description
Public Statement: PANAWAGAN SA DEPARTAMENTO NG AGRIKULTURA AT KAY PRESIDENTE RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE: KATARUNGAN SA PAGPASLANG KAY ARNEL FIGUEROA, KATARUNGAN SA CARP PETITIONERS NG CORON, PALAWAN!! The Climate Change Congress of the Philippines (CCCP) and the Pesante-Pilipinas condemn in the strongest possible terms the senseless and cold-blooded murder of Arnel Figueroa, 44 years old and Pesante-Palawan chairman, in Yulo King Ranch, Coron, Palawan! Last Tuesday, September 20, 2016, seven (7) members of Pesante-Palawan, a provincial farmers' federation, were peacefully cultivating their farm in Barangay Decalachao, within the Yulo King Ranch (YKR), a government property, in Coron, Palawan. At around 4:00PM, a contingent of four (4) blue guards of the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) of the Department of Agriculture (DA), two (2) Forest Management Bureau (FMB) staff and four (4) Philippine Marine soldiers arrived and ordered the farmers to stop the farming activities and leave the area. At around 4:30PM, amidst the heated arguments, BAI blue guards Dan Nelson Mayo, Ronald Paguntalan, and Bong Manlabao started pulling the plants and proceeded to destroy the house of Bert Gole, a member of the organization. Without any provocation the BAI security guard, Dan Nelson Mayo, aimed his shotgun and killed Arnel Figueroa, while the latter was talking with the FMB personnel. Paguntalan also fired his gun, a calibre .38 revolver seriously wounding another farmer, Levy Embanisido. After the cold-blooded murder, Mayo and the Philippine Marine soldiers fled and sought refuge inside the Philippine Marine detachment near the airport. At around 6:30PM, a police patrol arrived to investigate the murd er and proceeded to the detachment. Until 3:00APM, the cadaver of the peasant leader remained in the spot where he was killed and the police have not come out of the barracks with the security guard. Hundreds of farmers barricaded the streets to prevent the escape of the murderer and his cohorts. BACKGROUND OF THE CASE: YULO KING RANCH CASE, CORON, PALAWAN. In 1975, President Ferdinand Marcos issued Presidential Proclamation (PP) 1387, declaring 39,238.93 hectares of lands in Coron, Busuanga as pasture lands. It was owned by Luis Yulo and Peter Sabido, known cronies of President Ferdinand Marcos. In 1986, it was sequestered by the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) and the management of the ranch was placed under the Bureau of Animal Industries (BAI). In March 2010, the Supreme Court lifted the sequestration order and transferred the management of the YKR to the Philippine Forest Corp. In 2013 President Aquino signed PP 663 transferring its administration to the Forest Management Bureau (FMB) of the DENR. YKR is recognized as the biggest ranch in Asia, and yet, the number of cattle in the land has decreased to a mere 1,000 cattle. Around 12,000 has of the 40,000 has land has been declared as Alienable and Disposable (A&D) and 1,000 has already been distributed. PESANTE-Palawan has been tilling the land since 2009 and filed petitions for CARP coverage. Many dialogs have been conducted with President Benigno Aquino III, DAR, DENR and DA for the distribution of 2,000 has of the A& D lands to Pesante members. Around 700 hectares have been covered by CARP and distributed to Pesante members and other farmers groups. PP 1387 is already superseded by EO 407 s of 1990, RA 6657 (Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program) and RA 9700 s of 2009 (CARP Extension with Reforms). These laws provide that the DENR should already turn over to the DAR all sequestered lands by the PCGG for distribution to qualified farmer beneficiaries. BAI and PESANTE are both petitioning for the distribution of the same area by the DENR. BAI is claiming 2,000 has for its Pasteur land operations. On a ratio of 1:1 ratio of cow and land, they would just need around 1,000 has. The farmers previously filed cases against the blue guards for violence and harassments. The CENRO of Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the BAI filed false charges against the farmers. The BAI also confiscated two (2) hand tractors of the farmers. Secretary Alcala previously ordered for the return of these hand tractors. The violence and agrarian related cases persist until the gruesome murder happened! We cry for justice. The farmers are not pigs, they are human beings, they are CARP petitioners! We call on the DOJ, CHR and PNP to render swift justice for farmer leader Arnel Figueroa and bring to the bar of justice all who conspired in the murder and physical violence against the farmers. They should also provide assistance and compensation to the families and victims of violence from these perpetrators; We call on the DAR and the DENR to distribute the 2,000 hectares agricultural lands to Pesante CARP petitioners and distribute all A and D lands in the Yulo King Ranch to qualified farmer beneficiaries; We call on the BAI, DENR and DOJ to drop all cases against the farmers and curb the violence against the CARP petitioners who are in active dialog with the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Department of Agriculture; We call on the DAR and the PNP to protect the peaceful cultivation and the human rights of the farmers!
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Death, Extrajudicial Killing
- Rights Concerned
- Right to life
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Labour rights defender
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Event Description
BAGUIO CITY: Indigenous peoples (IPs) have expressed alarm over continuing killings among their ranks, including the death of a farmer in Kalinga allegedly by members of the Army's 50th Infantry Battalion. Rei Paulin, of the Indigenous Peoples Human Rights Defenders (IPHRD) Philippines, said the recent victim was Joaquin Cadagcan, who was reportedly shot by a soldier from the 50th Infantry Battalion on July 9 while on his way back to his village coming from a night watch for wild pigs destroying their crops. Also on July 12, Remar Mayantao, Rogen Suminao and Senon Nacaytuna, all members of Sitio Inalsahan Indigenous People Organization, who have been asserting their right to their ancestral land, were reportedly killed by guards from Tagbani Security Agency. Tagbani Security Agency, according to Katribu party-list, was hired by RamCar Inc., which is located at the ancestral land of the Higaonon tribe in Barangay Lupiagan, Sumilao, Bukidnon. On July 15, the Parent-Teacher-Community Association president of Salugpungan school, Hermie Alegre, and tribal chief Danny Diarog were reportedly shot while heading home to Sitio Kahusayan, Barangay Guianga, Tugbok District, Davao City. Both came from a meeting with officials of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples. Alegre was declared dead at the hospital while Diarog was in critical condition. Paulin called on the Duterte administration to fully implement the Comprehensive Agreement on Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law. While IP groups and advocates expressed high hopes with resumption of peace talks, "true peace can only be achieved if the perpetrators of these inhuman acts are stopped and brought to justice," Pastor Irma Balaba of the National Council of Churches of the Philippines and convenor of Stop the Killings of Indigenous Peoples Network (SKIPNet) said. The IP groups and advocates sought President Rodrigo Duterte's help on immediate dismissal of trumped-up charges against their leaders, among them Genasque Enriquez, secretary general of Kasalo lumad (indigenous peoples) organization in Caraga region. The Department of Justice recently dismissed the case of the Haran 15 who accused of "kidnapping and detaining the Lumad refugees" in United Church of Christ in the Philippines Haran, Davao City.
- Impact of Event
- 6
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Death, Killing
- Rights Concerned
- Land rights, Minority Rights
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Indigenous peoples' rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jul 1, 2016
- Event Description
On July 1, 2016, at around 7:30 p.m., human rights defender, environmental advocate and president of the people's organization Samahan ng Nagkakaisang Mamamayan ng Lucanin (SNML), Gloria Capitan, was gunned down by two unidentified men inside her business establishment in Purok 2, Barangay Lucanin, Mariveles, Bataan. She died of multiple gunshot wounds shortly before arriving at the hospital. Present on the night of Capitan's death was her cousin Hermina Jordan, a waitress named "Grace", and her two grandchildren, Angel Capitan, and Jerson Capitan. According to the witnesses, Capitan had just opened her videoke business and was cutting recycled foil wrappers for a project when two unidentified men riding a motorcycle parked near the door. One of them entered the establishment and shot her four times. Jordan, who was helping with the foil wrappers, was sitting directly in front of Capitan while Angel and Jerson were singing at the videoke about three yards from where Capitan was sitting. "Grace" was standing next to Capitan and, thinking that they were customers, had asked the men for their orders. According to the four, one of the men went directly to Capitan who was sitting on a plastic chair with her back to the entryway of the establishment. The man then allegedly wrapped his left arm around Capitan's shoulder and shot her. According to Angel and Jerson, the first shot did not fire but was immediately followed by three more shots. The second hit Capitan on the neck; the third shot, which Capitan tried to block hit her arm, and the fourth was fired as the gunman was exiting and its slug hit Jerson Capitan on the right arm. According to Jordan, none of them were able to shout for help since the incident happened very fast (less than 5 minutes estimate). It was only after the men left that she was able to stand and catch Capitan before she fell off her chair. Jordan also shouted for Capitan's family, the two grandchildren began to scream and "Grace" allegedly went into shock. According to Capitan's grandchildren, the gunman was wearing a yellow handkerchief with "x" patterns around his face, a black cap with the visor to the back of his head, a dark jacket and maong pants, while the other man who drove the motorcycle was wearing a black helmet, dark sweater and pants as well. This was later verified by Ernesto Hatol and Sandra Cabuso, neighbors who both allegedly saw the men pass by the road on the way to the videoke business. Efren Capitan, Gloria's widower, and Mark Capitan, Gloria's son was watching the news in an open hut in the family's compound when the shooting happened. The two, including other family members inside their respective houses allegedly heard three gunshots followed by Jordan and the children's screams. According to Efren, he instinctively told Mark to check on Gloria. Efren, who suffered from stroke a few years back, was not able to run to the establishment. According to Mark, since the family's business establishment is very near the compound, he still saw the tail lights of the gunmen's motorcycle speeding towards Balanga. Jeron, another son of Capitan who was cooking at the time of the shooting immediately followed his brother. Jeron also saw the gunmen, took his own motorcycle and the two brothers chased the gunmen but lost them near an area called "Housing" after the perpetrators turned off their vehicle's lights. The Capitan brothers went to the Police Cluster, about ten minutes ride away from their home, to ask for help. Jeron stayed with the police, who allegedly failed to respond quickly and set up a checkpoint while Mark went back to his mother. According to Jeron, while waiting for the policemen, he saw a black motorcycle pass by with two men on board. The back ride who was allegedly wearing a yellow handkerchief around his face was staring at him as they passed. It was only later when he arrived home and asked Angel what happened that he found out that the man who stared at him was the gunman. Gloria was first taken to medics, a small clinic in Lucanin, by Hatol, Jordan and Ann, the eldest daughter of Gloria Capitan, but was later transferred to MAHESECO Multipurpose Cooperative Hospital in Mariveles, Bataan, which had the needed facilities for Gloria's injuries. Mark drove their jeep-type vehicle to MAHESECO but Gloria passed away shortly before arriving at the hospital. Capitan was previously documented on March 25, 2015, because of alleged intimidation through threats and bribery to discourage her and SNML in their resistance to Seafront Shipyard and Port Terminal Services Inc.'s open coal storage owned by Boy and Carlo Ignacio in Lucanin, Bataan.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- Death, Extrajudicial Killing
- Rights Concerned
- Land rights, Right to life
- HRD
- Environmental rights defender, Land rights defender
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Suspected non-state, Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Active
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Event Description
URGENT APPEAL CASE DETAILS: Rolando Martinez is the incumbent Barangay Captain of Barangay Sumalo, Hermosa, Bataan. Since 2009, Martinez has been leading the fight against Riverforest Development Corporation whose personnel have allegedly been harassing residents and farmers in relation to the Litton Estate land dispute. Martinez has been helping the residents of his barangay, particularly on legal matters, both as a barangay captain and as a farmer and resident himself. Martinez has also been the target of harassments. In 2010 and again in 2013, trumped-up charges were filed against him: grave threat, two counts of grave coercion, grave misconduct, falsification, damages, ejectment, injunction, reinvigatoria, and estafa. Martinez has also received threats to his life which started also in 2009 at the height of the land dispute. He frequently received ambiguous text messages sent from different numbers. He was also visited a couple of times by an unidentified who was said to have been the Litton family's hired assassin. (This alleged hired assassin was ambushed and killed on the same year). Just recently around August (cannot remember exact date), while Martinez was travelling to Quezon City from Hermosa, Bataan to follow up the complaints they filed at the Commission of Human Rights (CHR), he noticed that at least two men were following him. Martinez took the Genesis bus to the SM North jeepney terminal where the men also alighted. He was also surprised when the men followed him to the restroom and stood by the door. When Martinez came out of the restroom, the men followed him until Philcoa, riding the same jeep. Martinez decided to cancel his trip to CHR and just returned home to Hermosa, Bataan. CASE BACKGROUND: �_ According to the members of Samahan ng Nagkakaisang Mamamayan ng Barangay Sumalo (SANAMABASU), they have been experiencing harassment from the Litton Family since 1991 when the Littons decided to withdraw their Voluntary Offer to Sell (VOS) and opted to apply for conversion of the land to industrial, commercial and residential use. �_ The farmers are the supposed beneficiaries of the land through the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP). �_ Rolando Martinez is a member of SANAMABASU, a resident and also a farmer of Sumalo, Hermosa Bataan.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Land rights
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Land rights defender
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Non-state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Aug 13, 2015
- Event Description
URGENT APPEAL Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP) writes to inform you about the harassment of Shirley Lape, farmer beneficiary under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) and member of Samahan ng Magsasaka sa Barangay Tala at Camflora in Sitio Cabulihan, Barangay Tala, San Andres, Quezon. CASE DETAILS: On August 13, 2015, Shirley Lape, an agrarian reform beneficiary, active member and farmer - leader of Samahan ng Magsasaka sa Barangay Tala at Camflora, and resident of Sitio Cabulihan, Barangay Tala, San Andres, Quezon, was preparing breakfast when Edwin Ausa arrived. Ausa claims that he is the owner of the land that Lape grows and harvests copra from. Ausa shouted at Lape and asked her why she is not giving him a portion of her income. Lape asked him why she needed to give him a portion of her income when the land is considered as timberland. Ausa asserted that he owns the land, but Lape countered him. Ausa then threatened her and said that she might suffer the same fate as Elisa Tulid's if she refused to pay him. Ausa even added that if Lape did not do what was asked of her, Ausa himself would take away their share of coconuts. On 1999, Lape filed for possession of land in DENR, until the present, Lape and other farmers are still fighting for their claim. Sometime on October 2013, a week after the killing of Elisa Tulid, Lape with Nelson Fuentes and a certain Severino was also allegedly harassed and threatened by the same Edwin Ausa. Ausa's alleged threat was in relation to the killing of Elisa Tulid on October 19, 2013 that was the result of an ongoing land dispute in the said area. Like Lape, Tulid was an active member of Samahan ng Magsasaka sa Barangay Tala at Camflora, and was one of those who actively spoke in defense of the residents' and farmers' claim to the land. She was shot multiple times and killed on the spot in front of her husband and then four year old daughter. There is a persistent agrarian conflict in Bondoc Peninsula where San Andres, Quezon is located, where almost 80 percent of households depend on subsistence farming mainly banana and coconut mono cropping as well as fishing. Domingo Reyes, one of the main landholders in Bondoc Peninsula currently owns 12,000-16,000 hectares of land in three municipalities. Farmers have been in a 60-40 contract with the Reyes, with 60% of total harvest going to Reyes, while the 40% goes to the tenants, who also have to cover the production expenses. In 2004, farmers and tenants finally petitioned the government for coverage under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP). The farmers working on Reyes' lands started boycotting the 60-40 agreement share after they learned from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) that portion of the lands claimed by Reyes are declared public and certified timberland. It has been alleged by some testimonies that Edwin Ausa and Rannie Bugnot are supporters of Reyes' clan and have been trying to instill fear in the communities to prevent them from claiming their land rights.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats
- Rights Concerned
- Land rights
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Land rights defender
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Non-state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Aug 21, 2015
- Event Description
Malaca_ang condemned on Friday the killing of a broadcaster-activist in Sorsogon, the second media practitioner slain this week. The Palace vowed justice for 56-year-old Teodoro Escanilla, a radio dzMS blocktimer who was gunned down at his home in Barangay Tagdon in Barcelona town on Wednesday. "Kinokondena ang pagpaslang kay Teodoro Escanilla; tutugisin ang mga pinaghihinalaang salarin at papanagutin," Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said in a text message. Initial investigation showed that Escanilla was entertaining an unidentified guest inside his family's residential compound when another man arrived and started shooting. Reports said a caliber .45 pistol and an M-16 rifle were used in the killing. Escanilla, who anchored the "Pamana ng Lahi" program every Saturday, was also chairman of the Anakpawis Party-list and spokesman for the human rights group Karapatan in Sorsogon. Headlines ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 Escanilla's killing came a day after the murder of Gregorio Ybanez, publisher of Kabuhayan News Services and president of a media club in Davao del Norte. "The Philippine National Police is tasked with pursuing the suspects and bringing them to the bar of justcie," Coloma said in a separate text message.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Death, Killing
- Rights Concerned
- Media freedom, Right to life
- HRD
- Media Worker
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- May 19, 2015
- Event Description
The Center for Trade Union and Human Rights expressed support to the Tanduay workers who have been on strike since May 18 following the unjust dismissal of contract workers who have organized into an association. "We express our support to Tanduay workers who despite harassment remain staunch in fighting for regular employment. Like many workers in the country, the 397 contractual workers in Tanduay deserve to be given regular status and all benefits accorded to regular employees," Daisy Arago, executive director of the labor NGO said. On May 15, Friday, most contract workers of Tanduay organized under the banner Tanggulan, Ugnayan, Daluyan ng Lakas ng Anakpawis ng Tanduay Distillers Inc. (TUDLA) were not given work schedule which, based on previous practice of HD Manpower Service Cooperative (HD) and Global Pro-Workers Multipurpose Cooperative (Global), both labor contractors of Tanduay, is equivalent to dismissal from work. On May 18, Monday, TUDLA launched a strike and put up a picket line in front of the gates of the Asia Brewery Complex and the Tanduay compound which can be found inside the said industrial complex in Cabuyao, Laguna. Workers under TUDLA believe that their "dismissal" from work is connected to their effort at organizing themselves into an association and their pending complaint questioning the legitimacy of the two labor contractors. Meanwhile, CTUHR also condemned the brute force used by the security personnel of Asia Brewery Inc. to disperse the striking Tanduay workers. On May 19, at least 50 individuals from the picketline in Tanduay were reportedly injured as security personnel and hired goons of the ABI trained water cannons and threw stones at the striking workers and beat them with big cudgels and truncheons to disperse the strikers and dismantle the picket line in front of the Tanduay compound. "Indeed, big capitalists like Lucio Tan will do anything in order to protect their business even if it leads to violence and injuries to workers. And what is even more appalling is that the government and police stay mum, even side with the management when the workers are holding peaceful protests with legitimate demands," Arago added. Arago added that the violent dispersal in Tanduay further expose the Aquino government's anti-worker and anti-poor attitude. Only 40 workers, or less than 10 percent Tanduay's workforce, are regular employees while the remaining 397 are employed through labor contractors, HD and Global. Early this year, workers under TUDLA signed a Special Power of Attorney questioning the status of HD and Global as legitimate job contractors. "The case of Tanduay workers demonstrates how companies have widely exploited contract labor, both through legitimate and illegal contractors, in order to amass more profit. Indeed, contractualization should be banned altogether as such kind of working arrangement only promotes insecurity and poverty wages," Arago added. The group added that the fight of the Tanduay workers is an inspiration to all contractual workers in the country. "We urge the public to show their support to the Tanduay workers because theirs is the plight and struggle of many of Filipino workers today," Arago said.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of association, Labour rights
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Feb 12, 2015
- Event Description
A former priest and human rights defender of indigenous people and farmers was killed by unknown assailants on a motorcycle at Dionisio Micayabas Street, North Poblacion, Maramag, Bukidnon last February 12, 2015, around 7:45 in the morning. Teresito Mula Labastilla, also known as Fr. Sito, 46 years old, dropped his son at Maramag Central School on the morning of the day of the incident. While Labastilla was about to leave the school premise, he was peppered with bullets by the two motorcycle-riding men. His son Tristan Matthew, who just got down from the vehicle, heard a series of gun shots and heard his father calling him. He saw their Isuzu Samurai vehicle accelerate toward the concrete wall, skidded and overturned with his father still inside. Shocked onlookers ran towards the overturned vehicle and helped Labastilla get out. The men aboard the motorcycle sped off. The victim was bloodied and unconscious. The onlookers helped lay him down on the concrete road while they waited for a vehicle to bring Labastilla to the Bukidnon Provincial Hospital in Maramag. He was declared dead on arrival. He sustained three gunshot wounds in his neck, face and chest. The attending physician said that all the bullets went through his body. The police investigated the crime scene and recovered four empty cartridges of a .45 caliber gun. Arline Amigo, Labastilla's live-in partner, learned about what happened when someone went to their house in Barangay Base Camp, Maramag to fetch her and accompany her to the hospital. But at that time, she thought that Labastilla was only injured. When she arrived at the hospital, she was directed to the morgue. Amigo was distressed and disoriented. She and Labastilla were soon to be married. Witnesses recounted to her that the two assailants rode a white or blue XRM motorcycle that had no plate number. Both men were wearing masks. The victim was about to leave the area after he brought his son to school when the back rider of the motorcycle shot the back tire of Labastilla's vehicle. The victim was then shot three times. Tristan Matthew was almost hit by the motorcycle. He told his mother that he already noticed the motorcycle-riding men since December 2014. The suspects usually stood by the front of his school and he saw them every time his father dropped him off at school. Labastilla was a well-known environmental activist in the province. He was a priest for 14 years and was assigned in Malaybalay City, Lantapan, and San Fernando, Bukidnon diocese. He left the priesthood in 2000 and had his own family. He ran for mayor in Lantapan, Bukidnon in 2010, but lost. The current mayor filed a case of Oral Defamation against Labastilla. A day before he was killed, he was convicted and had the penalty of imprisonment for ten days and was ordered to pay ten thousand pesos (P10,000). During his campaign, Labastilla said that he desired for honest and sincere services to be given to the people of the municipality. His main advocacy was for the issues of land and water to be resolved for the farmers and indigenous people in his area. He is also the spiritual adviser and consultant of the local organization called Bukidnon Agrarian Reform and Agri-Business Multipurpose Association (BARAMA). The organization was established last February 3, 2008. It promotes organic farming among the IPs and farmers in the province. Agrarian reform beneficiaries in Barangay Base Camp, Maramag were having difficulties in occupying the awarded 34 hectares of land after a former owner sent private armies to the area and harassed them. The beneficiaries solicited advice from Labastilla and he accommodated them. He used his vehicle and drove for the farmers when they needed to make follow ups regarding their case. Amigo and the other people close to Labastilla think that this might be the reason why he was killed. Maramag Police Chief Jose Sevillero recently visited Amigo and showed her a cartographic sketch of one of the suspects. She said that she hopes that the case will be resolved soon and that justice will be served. Amigo now fears for her life and her children's. They have noticed motorcycle-riding men going around their residence. UPDATE: Maramag Police Chief Jose Sevillero was replaced by Police Inspector Donnald Cordero. SPO4 Fernando Razalo, the investigator of the case, together with Police Inspector Cordero said that the cartographic sketch was made by the previous chief of police with the help of an unknown witness. The new chief of police also stated that they are waiting of Police Inspector Sevillero's cooperation for them to resolve the case.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Violation
- Killing
- Rights Concerned
- Right to life, Right to property
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Oct 29, 2013
- Event Description
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) regrets to inform you that the husband and daughter of a murdered land rights activist, Elisa Tulid, are suffering trauma as a result of her death. Elisa's husband Danny Boy, and daughter, have been observed "staring into space", "quiet and uncommunicative," after witnessing the murder of the victim in front of them. Previously, we reported that a female land rights activist was killed in front of her husband and daughter. Her husband, Danny Boy, was able to report the incident at a nearby military camp that led to the arrest of the suspect. The accused, Rannie Bugnot, was subsequently arrested and is presently detained at Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), Gumaca District Jail, Quezon. The case is pending at the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 62 in Gumaca, Quezon. For more details, please read: AHRC-FUA-004-2013. After Elisa Tulid's death, we have learned that her husband, Danny Boy, was observed staring into a space "tulala", quiet and uncommunicative. He developed poor sleep, such that his daughter would talk to him at night, to help comfort him. During such talks, she would notice her father crying easily. He has poor appetite, low energy, and expressed hopelessness, as well as fear that the people behind Rannie Bugnot might also kill him. Danny Boy admitted he suffers from an extremely poor attention span and has problem concentrating. His mind is disturbed or "gulong gulo ang isip", such that he could not understand what other people are telling him. He developed palpitations and trembling, which occur almost daily, throughout the day. Two or three months after his wife's death, the symptoms decreased in intensity; however, his thoughts and memories of his wife's violent death remain easily triggered. Mr. Tulid claimed he had improved a lot since his wife's death. At the time of his interview, Mr. Tulid mentioned he still experiences these symptoms about four to five times a week, an improvement from daily in the past. However, he still has difficulty sleeping. Mr. Tulid constantly wonders why such things-the death of his wife-happened to him ("bakit nangyari? Walang kinalaman") Mr. Tulid said his daughter helps him recover. Apart from him, his younger daughter Belinda (alias), also suffers trauma, having witnessed her mother being murdered in front of her. Like her father, Belinda has also become uncommunicative and quiet. Mr. Tulid's oldest daughter, Clarita (alias), decided to drop out of school and get married early after her mother's death. As head of the family, Tulid was advised by his relatives to be strong for his children, and tries to show that he is in control of his emotions. The AHRC urges the government to ensure Mr. Tulid and his daughter are afforded adequate treatment for the trauma they are suffering, and that just compensation is given to them.
- Impact of Event
- 3
- Violation
- Killing, Sexual Violence
- Rights Concerned
- Right to life, Right to property
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Apr 1, 2014
- Event Description
MANILA, Philippines - The military will probe the alleged harassment of a human rights lawyer who claimed that government forces had intimidated her and placed her under surveillance. Armed Forces public affairs chief Lt. Col. Harold Cabunoc said military units have been ordered to ensure the security of Maria Catherine Dannug-Salucon and her family. "There will be an investigation that will be conducted to determine the truth behind the alleged harassment by soldiers," Cabunoc said in a statement. "The AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) has also instructed all its subordinate units to ensure the life, liberty and security of Atty. Maria Catherine Dannug-Salucon and her immediate family members," he added. Cabunoc assured the public that the military would continue to uphold the rule of law in the country. "We respect the human rights of every individual while we perform our mandated tasks," he said. Headlines ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 Earlier, the Court of Appeals granted Salucon's application for Writs of Amparo and Habeas Data and ordered the government to look into her allegations including her supposed inclusion in the list of "red lawyers." Salucon is a founding member of the National Union of Peoples' Lawyer (NUPL) and is its incumbent national auditor. She has been handling cases involving alleged human rights violations. "Atty. Salucon's name is reportedly included in the military's watch list of so-called communist terrorist supporters rendering legal services," the NUPL said in a statement. The respondents in Salucon's application were President Aquino, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, former Armed Forces chief Emmanuel Bautista; former Philippine National Police chief Alan Purisima, Army chief Lt. Gen. Hernando Iriberri, former military intelligence chief Maj. Gen. Eduardo Ano, 5th Infantry Division chief Maj. Gen. Benito de Leon, and Isabela Provincial Police Office chief C/Supt. Miguel de Mayo Laurel. The NUPL said Salucon filed the Petition for Writ of Amparo and Writ of Habeas Date in April 2014 after she had experienced "intensified surveillance."
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats, Surveillance
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Nov 29, 2014
- Event Description
Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP) writes to inform you about the extra-judicial killing of Rolando Panggo who was an organizer of Partido Manggagawa (PM), an organization who helped Hacienda Salud Farm Workers Association (HASAFAWA) in their petition for Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) coverage. Rolando Panggo was shot to death by unidentified gun men on November 29, 2014 at around 9:00 p.m. at the crossing of Hacienda Garrason in Barangay San Jose, Binalbagan, Negros Occidental. He was 47 years old, married, and a resident of Barangay Payao, Binalbagan, Negros Occidental. On November 29, 2014 at around 9:00 p.m., the Partido Manggagawa (PM) had a meeting with farm worker members in preparation for the Bonifacio Day activities in Binalbagan, Negros Occidental. According to Nemsie, Panggo's wife, at around 9:00 p.m., after the meeting, her husband and his cousin, Rolly Herollo decided to go home aboard Herollo's Honda XRM single motorcycle with plate number 2805 QT. Upon arriving at the crossing of Hacienda Garrason, Barangay San Jose, Binalbagan, Negros Occidental, an unidentified automobile loaded with five (5) unidentified men overtook them and blocked their way. Two (2) unidentified armed men disembarked from the car and immediately accosted them. Panggo was dragged away a few distance and shot to death. His cousin was ordered to drop to the ground and his head was pushed by the feet of the unidentified armed men. According to the victim's wife, her husband sustained eight gunshot wounds, one in the left side of his head, the others in his right shoulder and back. Nemsie added that Herollo heard the armed men say, "Kasabad sa imo, pati duta ginahilabtan mo pa." ("You're a nuisance, you're intervening, even with the land.")
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Violation
- Death, Killing, Reprisal as Result of Communication, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to life
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Nov 25, 2014
- Event Description
Atty. Jose Aaron Pedrosa, Jr., 29, a Board Member of the human rights organization Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP) and leader of the multi-sectoral organization SANLAKAS, was arrested in Sitio Mahayag, Barangay Subang Daku, Mandaue City on November 25, 2014 at around 1:45pm. He was arrested by more or less twenty (20) police officers headed by a certain Miguel Andiza while pleading to the police to stop harassing the residents over yet another case of forced eviction against them. According to Pedrosa, the police attempted to drag the residents, most of whom were women, into the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) vehicle. Atty. Pedrosa was brought to Police Station 2, Mandaue and charged with Obstruction of Justice. Aside from Atty. Pedrosa, a community leader named Jessica A. Zuniga, 22 years old, was also arrested. We now urge government authorities for the immediate release of Atty. Jose Aaron Pedrosa and Jessica A. Zuniga, since the main reason for their arbitrary detention is to suppress their activities in defense of human rights. Guarantee in all circumstances the physical and psychological integrity of both Atty. Pedrosa, and Ms. Zuniga, as well as of all human rights defenders in the Philippines. And, put an end to all acts of harassment, including at the judicial level, against Atty. Aaron Pedrosa, Ms. Zuniga and all human rights defenders to ensure in all circumstances that they are able to carry out their work without any hindrance and fear of reprisals.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Intimidation and Threats, Reprisal as Result of Communication
- Rights Concerned
- Right to housing
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Oct 26, 2014
- Event Description
The Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP) writes to inform you about the arrest of Antonio T. Cuizon, president of the Panaghiusa sa Mamumuo sa Carmen Copper (PMCC), an organized union of Carmen Copper Incorporated since 1985. CASE DETAILS: The Panaghiusa sa Mamumuo sa Carmen Copper (PMCC) president was arrested by members of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) on October 26, 2014 at around 7:00 a.m. in Terrasa II, Camella Subdivision, Imus, Cavite. The victim was identified as Antonio Triambolo Cuizon, 58 years old, married, and a labor union president. On the day of the incident, Cuizon was driving his Nissan Urvan vehicle. He and his wife Nanita and cousin Virgilio Restauro were about to go to the market to buy food. After passing the gate of their subdivision, ten (10) CIDG members in civilian clothes and full battle gear stopped them. According to Cuizon, the CIDG team pointed their guns at them. A certain Bundal, the operation head, approached him and asked if he is Antonio Triambolo Cuizon. Bundal showed him the warrant and said, "We were looking for you since last week." Immediately, he was handcuffed. He was transferred to a black Toyota with five unidentified CIDG men, including the driver. They arrived at the CIDG Provincial Office in Imus at around 7:30 a.m. According to Cuizon, his blood pressure shot up to 200/100 which forced the CIDG personnel to bring him to Medical Center of Imus (MCI). After three hours, he was brought back to the CIDG detention center where he stayed for two days. On October 28, 2014 at around 3:00 a.m., he was made to board the CIDG mobile car and was brought to Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) with two unidentified CIDG personnel as escorts. They arrived at the NAIA at around 5:00 a.m. At 5:30 a.m., he was boarded in the Cebu Pacific flight 5J585 bound for Cebu. At around 6:40 a.m., they arrived at Mactan International Airport, Mactan, Cebu City. He was made to ride a CIDG mobile patrol car and was brought to the CIDG Office inside Camp Sotero Cabahug, Gorordo Avenue, Cebu City. According to Cuizon, at around 11:00 a.m., Col. Posadas interrogated him and told him to locate the union treasurer since they had the same case. At around 2:00 p.m., he was again boarded to a police mobile patrol car and brought to Toledo City. They arrived at around 4:00 p.m. at the Toledo City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 29 for his commitment order. He was then brought to Toledo City Jail in Sitio Kabutongan, Barangay Landahan, Toledo City, where he is currently detained. He is being charged with illegal possession of firearms and explosives. CASE BACKGROUND: On March 22, 2013 at around 12:30 a.m., Cuizon's house and PMCC union office was raided by members of the Philippine National Police (PNP). According to Mark Anthony, Cuizon's son, he was awakened on that day with their helper's knocks on his door. When he went out of his room, he saw three unidentified police officers who were inside their house and 12 others who were outside. A certain George Ilanan, team leader, approached him and showed a search warrant. Mark Anthony immediately called their lawyer, Atty. Milagros Piol. At around 1:00 a.m., Atty. Piol arrived and the police went on to search the house. According to Mark Anthony, he accompanied the police officer in searching the house. They searched the office of his father, the cooperative office, and the union office where a .45 caliber gun and grenade were allegedly found. Mark Anthony said that one of the policemen directly went inside the union office and immediately went to a corner where he allegedly found the gun and the grenade. Mark Anthony talked to the police officer and asked why he did not coordinate with his companion who will also conduct a search in the said area. Mark said that the evidences found were planted. According to the elder Cuizon, his arrest came after the decertification of PMCC as the sole and exclusive bargaining union at the mine, and the formation of a management-backed yellow union called Carmen Copper Workers Labor Organization (CCWLO). On October 10, 2014, the management conducted an election to determine which of the two unions will remain at the Carmen Copper, Inc. The PMCC union lost in the election.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Labour rights
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Apr 23, 2013
- Event Description
On 23 April 2013, land rights activist - Pablito "Abling" Egildo, was gunned down by a lone unidentified gunman whilst at home. Pablito "Abling" Egildo, 61, the leader of the Kaisahan at Samahan ng mga Mamamayan sa Canlubang (Kasamaka),a group opposing the conversion of a former sugar estate. Calamba City police Chief Supt. Marvin Saro said they were still conducting a followup investigation, but mentioned Egildo's involvement in a land dispute in Hacienda Yulo. Hacienda Yulo is a 7,000-hectare sugar estate formerly owned by the Yulo clan before the property was sold to the Ayala Land Inc. The Calamba Multi-Sectoral Council for Sustainable Development (Calambeno), an alliance of people's organizations to which Kasamaka is a member, alleged that the land developer was forcing the Egildos and about 600 other families of the former sugar estate workers out of the property to give way for the construction of a shopping mall. In its primer, Calambeno claimed the developer cut the power lines and water supply in the area three years ago and has threatened to demolish the residents' homes.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Violation
- Death, Killing
- Rights Concerned
- Right to property
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Nov 29, 2012
- Event Description
On 29 November 2012 at 3pm, Marites Bacolod was inside the Barangay Hall of Corazon de Jesus, San Juan City, to collect her Barangay (village) Clearance Certificate when the policemen "invited her for an interview" to their police station. Here, Marites learned that she and nine other residents of Corazon de Jesus were subject to arrest for charges of "simple disobedience to an agent of a person in authority." The clearance she was to collect had evidentiary value on Marites and villagers to claim the land where their property had been demolished. The arrest orders were issued after Marites and her companions failed to appear in a court hearing in 24 May 2012. Marites, however, was not aware about any court hearing and did not receive any notice or documents about her case and the arrest warrant. When Marites, a person with disability who uses crutches due to an accident, questioned the legality of her arrest, the police placed her in handcuffs, harassed her and repeatedly pushed her to force her to ride inside the tricycle going to the police station. Many residents witnessed the incident. Marites argued that she would only go with the policemen if they could explain why were arresting her. She told her fellow villagers not to be afraid and to fight for their rights. Four other members of the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) were also involved in her arrest. Despite the actions of the policemen being illegal those who had witnessed the arrest were too frightened to help because the policemen in civilian uniform had warned them that that "anyone who will help Marites Bacolod, shall also be arrested and detained." Also, when Marites was at the police station where she was detained, an intelligence officer approached her and told her that they were in pursuit of her other colleagues from Sandigan ng Maralitang Nagkakaisa - Corazon de Jesus (SAMANA). Prior to her arrest, Marites and other villagers had conducted a series of meetings in the community and filed complaints with the United Nations (UN) complaint mechanism, notably with Ms. Raquel Rolnik, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living, and on the right to non-discrimination in this context.. The largest meeting was on 17 November 2012 beside the newly built city hall of San Juan and within the Corazon De Jesus community. It was attended by the majority of the families victimized by the forced eviction. They complained about the violent eviction of their community in 11 January 2012. Marites and nine other leaders and residents of Corazon de Jesus had also been charged earlier with illegal assembly for opposing the demolition; but, the case had already been dismissed. Marites and other residents have refused to accept the relocation site for them in Montalban Rizal because it removes them from their source of livelihood. On May 2012, Ruel Sumaguingsing, the chairperson of their village, had already refused to issue Marites her Barangay (village) Clearance Certificate and to ten other young residents of Corazon de Jesus for reasons that their houses had already been demolished. Ruel's refusal to issue certification that Marites and her fellow villagers would legally deny them the right to continue their claim on the land in the community. Also, more recently on 27 November 2012, a Truth Cinema was held by Tudla Productions and SAMANA showing videos of condition and struggle of Filipino people, which reportedly angered the Mayor Guia Gomez and scolded Ruel. It is clear that the arrest of Marites, the charges filed on her and other residents, were a result of their demand to reclaim the land they had lived in for many years.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment, Reprisal as Result of Communication
- Rights Concerned
- Right to housing
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Not active
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Oct 18, 2012
- Event Description
Indigenous human rights defender Ms Erita Capion Dialang has been under threat since the killing of her sister-in-law on 18 October 2012, during an attack by a battalion of the Philippine armed forces. Erita Capion Dialang is the chairperson of the indigenous peoples' organisation KALGAD, which is active in South Cotabato province and part of a large alliance of indigenous peoples of Southern Mindanao. While there have been reports of members of the community using force, Erita Capion Dialang has continued to peacefully denounce crimes by the military and oppose Sagittarius Mines Inc. (SMI), a multinational mining corporation that wants to start exploiting the ancestral lands of her tribe. Around 6am on 18 October 2012, members of the Philippine Armed Forced 27th Infantry Battalion, commanded by Lt. Col. Noel Alexis Bravo, entered the village of Fayahlob, South Cotabato province, and proceeded to attack the Capion family's house with a machine gun. The attack killed Erita Capion Dialang's sister-in-law, Juvy Capion as well as two of Juvy Capion's children. The attack has been described by the military as a "legitimate encounter" despite the results of fact-finding missions by non-governmental organisations in the area. It is reported that the military tampered with the scene, washing blood away from the house and moving the bodies of the deceased, before the arrival of the forensic investigation team. Days before the deadly attack, the human rights defender had travelled to Manila in order to be interviewed by ABS-CBN news company for its programme Failon Ngayon, which focuses on social issues. In the interview, she drew attention to the harassment, intimidation and other violations of human rights frequently suffered by the Blaan people at the hands of the mining corporation and the military. The exposure she has given to violations on their part has contributed to her status as one of the leading indigenous voices in the region. Erita Capion Dialang has been under threat for a long time due to her high profile and vocal criticism of the actions by the mining corporation and the 27th infantry battalion of the armed forces. The threats mention that the military forces are looking to liquidate her, and that she is being kept under surveillance. In addition to this, she is in a vulnerable position due to the remote location of her village of Bong Mal, Tampakan, South Cotabato province, where lines of communication are unstable. KALGAD is a regional indigenous organisation currently involved in a campaign against the mining corporation Sagittarius Mines Inc. (SMI) that has started exploiting large-scale open-pit copper and gold mines in the boundary area of South Cotabato, Davao del Sur, Sultan Kudarat and Sarangani provinces, on the ancestral lands of the Blaan people, who are represented by KALGAD. They are members of the regional alliance of indigenous peoples' organisations KALUHHAMIN, which covers southern Mindanao island.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats, Killing
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Active
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Oct 29, 2012
- Event Description
On 29 October 2012 around 3pm, Dr. Isidro Olan, executive director of Lovers of Nature Foundation, Inc. (LNFI) and environmentalist, was ambushed by men suspected hired killers. He has earlier accused officials of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources of conniving with illegal loggers Dr. Isidro Olan was hit in the chest when the gunmen fired on him on a road some 200 meters from his house in Barangay Puyat, Carmen, Surigao del Sur. Doctors at a local hospital declared Olan out of danger but said he needed to be moved to a better-equipped hospital for further treatment. Olan's wife, who was also in their Toyota Fortuner when the attack occurred, was not hurt. Dr. Olan's group, is vocal against illegal logging and mining activities in the province. Olan was declared safe by physicians in a hospital in the town of Madrid but may be transferred to Surigao City or Butuan anytime to get proper treatment. The ambush appeared to be carefully planned noting that the assailants blocked the road leading to Olan's house apparently to make him get out of the vehicle. As soon as Olan got out of the vehicle, the gunmen opened fire on him. Police found one empty shell each from a .45-caliber pistol, and a .22 caliber pistol, and three empty shells from a shotgun. Roel Aguillon, an official of the Surigao Development Corp. (Sudecor) who was among the first to respond to the shooting, said that Olan, already wounded, managed to fire back at the assailants with his .45-caliber pistol, forcing them to withdraw. Olan's pro-environment stance and his group's active participation in thwarting the transport of illegally cut logs particularly in the CarCanMadCarLan would be taken into account in determining possible motives for the attack, said Senior Insp. Dominador Plaza, Carmen's police chief. According to a colleague of Olan, there was no doubt the ambush was the handiwork of "big-time illegal logging financiers. Olan was offered security detail by the town police after receiving death threats some weeks ago. Dr. Olan declined the offer of police escorts because he would not want to bother anyone about his security. A colleague blamed the attack on the "Boboy Loyola group," which he claimed was composed of former communist rebels turned hired killers. The group's members, he said, were from upland village of Gacub, a hotspot for illegal loggers who are often caught poaching hardwood timber from the forest concession of Sudecor. In a Philippine Daily Inquirer story published last September, Olan alleged that illegal loggers flourished in Surigao del Sur because they were vabetted by corrupt officials from local government units and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources."Illegal logging prevails because they are able to acquire falsified documents and table surveys facilitated by crooks within the DENR," a Social Action Center press release quoted him as saying. "The reason why illegal loggers are difficult to stop is due to their established connection with high ranking officials of enforcement agencies, politicians, and members of Task Force Kalikasan."In the Inquirer report, the Social Action Center named Rolando Seblario as a major player in the illegal logging business in Surigao del Sur. Days later, on 25 September 2012, police raided Seblario's warehouse in Butuan City and discovered thousands of illegally cut Lauan flitches. Seblario, who denied any impropriety, was invited by police for questioning. Police in Carmen also attributed to Seblario the 8,000 board feet of bandsaw-milled lauan lumber they seized in an October 13 on a house near the barangay hall of Hinapuyan.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats, Violence (physical)
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Not active
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Oct 29, 2012
- Event Description
On 29 October 2012 around 3pm, Dr. Isidro Olan, executive director of Lovers of Nature Foundation, Inc. (LNFI) and environmentalist, was ambushed by men suspected hired killers. He has earlier accused officials of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources of conniving with illegal loggers Dr. Isidro Olan was hit in the chest when the gunmen fired on him on a road some 200 meters from his house in Barangay Puyat, Carmen, Surigao del Sur. Doctors at a local hospital declared Olan out of danger but said he needed to be moved to a better-equipped hospital for further treatment. Olan's wife, who was also in their Toyota Fortuner when the attack occurred, was not hurt. Dr. Olan's group, is vocal against illegal logging and mining activities in the province. Olan was declared safe by physicians in a hospital in the town of Madrid but may be transferred to Surigao City or Butuan anytime to get proper treatment. The ambush appeared to be carefully planned noting that the assailants blocked the road leading to Olan's house apparently to make him get out of the vehicle. As soon as Olan got out of the vehicle, the gunmen opened fire on him. Police found one empty shell each from a .45-caliber pistol, and a .22 caliber pistol, and three empty shells from a shotgun. Roel Aguillon, an official of the Surigao Development Corp. (Sudecor) who was among the first to respond to the shooting, said that Olan, already wounded, managed to fire back at the assailants with his .45-caliber pistol, forcing them to withdraw. Olan's pro-environment stance and his group's active participation in thwarting the transport of illegally cut logs particularly in the CarCanMadCarLan would be taken into account in determining possible motives for the attack, said Senior Insp. Dominador Plaza, Carmen's police chief. According to a colleague of Olan, there was no doubt the ambush was the handiwork of "big-time illegal logging financiers. Olan was offered security detail by the town police after receiving death threats some weeks ago. Dr. Olan declined the offer of police escorts because he would not want to bother anyone about his security. A colleague blamed the attack on the "Boboy Loyola group," which he claimed was composed of former communist rebels turned hired killers. The group's members, he said, were from upland village of Gacub, a hotspot for illegal loggers who are often caught poaching hardwood timber from the forest concession of Sudecor. In a Philippine Daily Inquirer story published last September, Olan alleged that illegal loggers flourished in Surigao del Sur because they were vabetted by corrupt officials from local government units and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources."Illegal logging prevails because they are able to acquire falsified documents and table surveys facilitated by crooks within the DENR," a Social Action Center press release quoted him as saying. "The reason why illegal loggers are difficult to stop is due to their established connection with high ranking officials of enforcement agencies, politicians, and members of Task Force Kalikasan."In the Inquirer report, the Social Action Center named Rolando Seblario as a major player in the illegal logging business in Surigao del Sur. Days later, on 25 September 2012, police raided Seblario's warehouse in Butuan City and discovered thousands of illegally cut Lauan flitches. Seblario, who denied any impropriety, was invited by police for questioning. Police in Carmen also attributed to Seblario the 8,000 board feet of bandsaw-milled lauan lumber they seized in an October 13 on a house near the barangay hall of Hinapuyan.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Oct 18, 2012
- Event Description
On 18 October 2012, at 6.30am, Juvy Capion (27 years old) and her two sons Jordan (13 years old) and John (8 years old) were killed in Fayahlob, Barangay Datal Aliong, Kiblawan, Davao del Sur, Mindanao after military members strafed their hut. Her daughter suffered wounds from the gunshots. Juvy was three months pregnant. Based on reports, members of the Philippine Army's 27th Infantry Battalion led by 1Lt. Dante Jimenez trooped towards the scene and allegedly strafed the house of the victims using their automatic rifles. Juvy sustained gunshot wounds at left leg and left upper portion of the chest. Jordan sustained gunshot wounds at his forehead and John was found with gunshot wounds at the right portion of his head. Juvy's daughter Vicky (4 years old) was wounded while a close relative Ressa Piang (11 years old) escaped unhurt but suffered a severe trauma. The military claimed that the victims were caught between crossfire when they pursued their attempt to serve an arrest warrant and capture Daguil Capion, the husband of Juvy, and his supposed companions which allegedly resulted to exchanges of gunshots. Daguil is a staunch critic of mining in their area. Authorities said that Daguil is currently facing multiple murder charges in relation to 2010 ambush of three construction workers of Sagittarius Mines, Inc. (SMI). But according to witnesses, no traces of Daguil and companions during the alleged firefight. The victims were the only persons inside the house when the army started to fire gunshots indiscriminately. After the strafing of the house, the soldier allegedly poked their rifles towards the survivors Vicky and Ressa and threatened to kill them too. Juvy almost single-handedly tends a five-hectare land when her husband, Daguil Capion, went into hiding after waging pangayaw or tribal warfare against Sagittarius Mines Inc. which has mining explorations in Tampakan in South Cotabato, Kiblawan and Sultan Kudarat. With fellow B'laan farmers helping her, they planted corn, potato, bananas and yam. Aside from farming, Juvy herself is an active member of Kalgad, a local organization they formed against the aggression by SMI in their areas. Kalgad is a B'laan term loosely translated in Bisaya as "kakugi" or to "perservere". Kalgad represents the B'laan's "kakugi nga pagdepensa sa yutang kabilin' (perseverance to defend ancestral lands).The organization was formed after members of the B'laan community turned down the SMI's offers such as relocation and money. Juvy opposed the presence of SMI because it has caused division among the community and would destroy the B'laan ancestral lands.
- Impact of Event
- 5
- Violation
- Killing
- Rights Concerned
- Right to property
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Oct 3, 2012
- Event Description
On 3 October 2012, human rights defender Mr Gilbert Paborada was killed by two gunmen in Cagayan de Oro. Gilbert Paborada was chairperson of the community-based indigenous organisation Pangalasag (Indigenous Shield) which resists the expansion of oil palm plantations in Opol, Misamis Oriental province. On 3 October, Gilbert Paborada had just returned from his native village Bagocboc to San Nicolas, Puntod in Cagayan de Oro city. After getting out of a motorela (public tricycle) near his house, around 3pm, two heavy-set men on a white motorcross-type motorcycle approached him and fired several shots at him. Witnesses report that one of the men subsequently approached the human rights defender and shot him again, this time in the head. From the five bullet wounds Gilbert Paborada sustained, it has been concluded the shots were fired from a .45 caliber pistol. The human rights defender died instantly. Gilbert Paborada was a member of the Higaonon tribespeople and worked leading the local indigenous, community-based organisation Pangalasag, which resists land grabbing practices and the expansion of oil palm plantations in nearby Opol, Misamis Oriental province. Throughout the last few years, armed groups have threatened local farmers at gunpoint and driven them from their farming lands in the Opol area, practices reportedly sanctioned by the company involved. Local authorities and the Philippines Department of the Environment and Natural Resources are vocal supporters of the palm oil company, having assisted its establishment in the area. In March 2011, Gilbert Paborada was already forced to relocate away from his native village of Bagocboc because of growing security concerns due to death threats he had received. These came after he was threatened by the palm oil company's security guards at gunpoint in February 2011. From Puntod, he continued visiting Bagocboc to lead Pangalasag's peaceful efforts against land grabbing in defence of the indigenous community's civil and political rights.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Violation
- Death, Intimidation and Threats
- Rights Concerned
- Right to property
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Active
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jun 30, 2011
- Event Description
On 30 June 2011, it is reported that Mr. Arpe Belayong, the director of the human rights organisation Linundigan , and his nephew Mr. Solte San-ogan, were killed allegedly at the hands of the paramilitary group, Salakawan. It is alleged that two of Mr. Belayong's minor children were also injured after the attack and currently they are being treated for their bullet wounds. Recently, Mr. Belayong had reportedly been particularly active in opposing the entry of logging and mining operations in the land of the Higaonon. On 11 October 2011, it is reported that members of the organisation Linundigan allegedly went into hiding as they faced imminent risks of being attacked by the paramilitary forces following the killing of Mr. Belayong. It is further reported that in the last week of August 2011, about 23 individuals from the area, including the family members of the aforementioned human rights defenders, left their homes and went into hiding as they feared for their safety at the hands of the paramilitary group. It is alleged that the paramilitary group remains in the community creating fear amongst the local people.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Violation
- Death
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Mar 9, 2011
- Event Description
On 9 March 2011, Mr. Bonifacio Labasan, the vice-chairperson of the Isabela branch of the Danggayan Dagiti Mannalon iti Cagayan Valley (Union of Peasants in Cagayan Valley - DAGAMI) was killed. At around 10:30am, Mr. Labasan and his daughter were travelling by motorcycle to Baranggay Victoria, Municipality of San Mateo, Isabela Province. During the journey they noticed that they were being followed by two men on a motorcycle. As Mr. Labasan and his daughter arrived to Baranggay San Roque, the two men on the motorcycle forced them to stop.It is alleged that one of the men approached Mr. Labasan and demanded that he accompany them. Mr. Labasan reportedly refused to do so at which point the man shot him in his right side. Mr. Labasan allegedly fell to the ground. The man then fired again at Mr. Labasan hitting him in the head. Mr. Labasan died immediately as a result of the gunshot wounds. The two men immediately fled the scene by motorcycle. According to the information received, the police arrived approximately one hour after the incident took place. They reportedly questioned Mr. Labasan's daughter about the incident and accompanied her to her home. A complaint regarding the incident was reportedly lodged with the local police; however to date it is alleged that no one has been arrested with regards to the killing. Last year DAGAMI launched a campaign against a project which encouraged the use of bio-ethanol in Isabela Province. Mr Labasan was actively involved in campaigning against the conversion of crop lands for the production of bio-ethanol, a move which would displace farmers from their lands in Isabela Province. He was also involved in disseminating information regarding the DAGAMI campaign to other farmers in the area.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Violation
- Death
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Feb 14, 2011
- Event Description
Since 14 February 2011, Messrs Solano, Villagonzalo, Paglinawan, and Bentillo have been based in the municipality of Sta. Catalina where they have been documenting alleged human rights violations in militarised communities in the region, volunteering for Alliance for the Advancement of People's Rights (KARAPATAN), an alliance of individuals, groups and organisations working for the promotion and protection of human rights in the Philippines. They are also members of the human rights monitoring team in Sta. Catalina, Negros Oriental. On 17 March 2011, Messrs Solano, Villagonzalo, Paglinawan, and Bentillo travelled to the village of Barangay Nagbinlod, Sta. Catalina, in Negros Oriental in order to observe and document human rights violations allegedly carried out by the security forces, against members of the local community. It is alleged that there was a clash between the security forces and the New People's Army (NPA). According to the information received, a group of local farmers informed the aforementioned human rights defenders that Mr. Marvin Villegas, a local resident, had allegedly been shot by members of the 1st Scout Rangers Battalion of the Army while he was taking the family's cattle to the fields. It is reported that Messrs Solano, Villagonzalo, Paglinawan, and Bentillo along with local village residents were organising medical assistance for Mr. Villegas when members of the Alpha Company of the 79th Infantry Brigade of the Philippines Army approached them. The aforementioned human rights defenders, along with the local residents were arrested, held by soldiers on the roadside and questioned. It is alleged that nine of the local residents were released, while the rest of the group, including the human rights defenders, was taken to a police station in the Sta. Catalina municipality. It is reported that while in detention, Messrs Solano, Villagonzalo, Paglinawan, and Bentillo were accused by soldiers of being members of the New People's Army. It was later alleged that Mr. Villegas and his mother were taken away by soldiers to Dumaguete City.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Mar 5, 2012
- Event Description
On 5 March 2012, at approximately 6 p.m. Jimmy Liguyon, was shot at close range outside his home in Barangay Dao, San Fernando, Bukidon. Witnesses have testified that he was shot by Aldy "Butsoy" Salusad, whose father, Ben Salusad, is head of the armed defence group of the SANMATRIDA (San Fernando Matigsalug Tribal Datus), a group which holds a Certificate of Ancestral Domain and have been enticing mining companies into their domain since 2009. The perpetrator reportedly arrived at the home of Jimmy Liguyon accompanied by 15 other individuals where the human rights defender was sitting on a bench with his two brothers. Witnesses stated that Aldy "Butsoy" Sausad ordered him to move to another bench and as he did so Aldy "Butsoy" Sausad shot and killed him. It is reported that he shouted that he had killed the human rights defender because he had refused to sign any agreements with SANMATRIDA and he warned that anyone else who went against them would also be killed. As of 14 March, the local police had made no arrest nor charged any individual with the killing. In his capacity as Barangay captain of Dao, Jimmy Liguyon had refused to sign agreements with mining companies allowing them access to operate on the ancestral lands of Indigenous Peoples. He also refused to recognise ancestral domain claims over the lands by SANMATRIDA's. Jimmy Liguyon had been subjected to threats since he became Barangay Captain and death threats against him had increased over the past year. On 28 October 2011, he and his wife were coming home from a human rights rally in Cagayan de Oro City, Dal-anay, when they were stopped by armed men. They were brought to a vacant house where the human rights defender was ordered by Angge Dal-anay, a leader of a local armed group, to stop joining rallies and to allow mining in Baran. On 16 October, members of SANMATRIDA visited the home of the human rights defender however, he was not in at the time. Following the visit, his family moved out of Dao. On 13 October Ben Salusad called Jimmy Liguyon, who was then attending a seminar in Cagayan de Oro, and threatened him saying he would be killed if he returned to Dao. On 30 April 2012, Presiding Judge of Branch 10 of Malaybalay City Regional Trial Court, Josefina Gentiles Bacal, issued an arrest warrant. The arrest warrant was issued for Alde Salusad alias "Butchoy", who remains at large. Bail