- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Apr 16, 2024
- Event Description
At least 60 armed personnel have been reportedly building fences in the farmlands of barangay Tartaria, Silang, Cavite since April 16, prompting farmers to defend their community.
Regional peasant group Katipunan ng mga Samahang Magbubukid sa Timog Katagalugan (Kasama TK) said that the armed personnel came from Jarton Security, which it claimed was hired by the Ayala and Aguinaldo clans. Both families have been trying to seize the land for years, despite the pending decision of the Supreme Court (SC) and the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) on land ownership.
Kasama TK said that the Philippine National Police (PNP) intervened, but only to assist Jarton Security.
In response to the persistence of security personnel, the Tartaria farmers built a fence to protect their farm, only to be demolished by the armed personnel. At least one farmer was injured in the incident.
The local group of farmers and residents Samahan ng Magsasaka at Mamamayan ng Tartaria (Samata) said that they tried to ask the armed personnel through a document to leave in peace. However, they refused to sign.
“Ito ay nangangahulugan lamang na hindi sila seryoso at patuloy pa rin yung gagawin nila na pagbabakod sa mga hindi surrender. Kaya nagkampohan na kami sa lupa, andito pa rin yung mga tao, at ang tindig namin ay hindi kami aalis dito at patuloy kaming magbabantay,” a representative from SAMATA said.
(This means that they are not serious and they will be persistent in fencing off our lands. So we are camping here and we continue to stand our ground that we will not leave. We continue to watch them.)
This incident is not new to the farmers of Tartaria. In a 2021 report by Bulatlat, farmers and residents were struggling against land-grabbing for decades. They have also successfully formed barricades and resisted the attempts to demolish their homes.
Both Kasama TK and SAMATA recorded a separate incident of harassment by Jarton Security on April 3. They also reported that there were incidents of illegal intrusion into their homes.
Human rights group Karapatan Laguna said that the ongoing harassment and planned change in land use are blatant violations of the human rights of Tartaria farmers and residents.
Initially, the DAR approved 137 farmer-beneficiaries of Tartaria under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) of former President Corazon Aquino. However, the Aguinaldo family contested the approval and later submitted appeals which were denied. It was only during the time of President Fidel V. Ramos that the decision was reversed, declaring the land as exempted from distribution.
“The slow action of the DAR in processing such cases of farmer struggles has also been condemned, allowing numerous incidents of harassment, intimidation, and threats against residents and farmers. The involvement of the PNP in harassment is unwarranted as it falls outside their jurisdiction,” Karapatan Laguna added.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Raid
- Rights Concerned
- Land rights, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to property
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Land rights defender
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Suspected non-state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Apr 28, 2024
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Apr 20, 2024
- Event Description
Karapatan denounces the violent demolitions of stores, farms and protest centers in Barangay Tartaria, Silang, Cavite by hired goons of Ayala Land Inc. and the Aguinaldo clan.
The disputed area in Barangay Tartaria is part of a 200-hectare landholding settled by farmers since the late 19th century and known for its fertile soil planted to crops such as coconut, coffee, pineapple and banana. The landholding is being claimed by the Aguinaldos, who, however, failed to produce any proof of ownership.
Initially approved as a land reform area under the government’s Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program, the National Housing Authority in collusion with the Aguinaldos succeeded in having the landholding exempted from CARP by having it reclassified as residential land. Since then, violent demolitions have been perpetrated by security guards hired by Ayala Land Inc. in cahoots with local police forces to make way for the construction of commercial establishments and a private subdivision in the area.
The latest attack was the burning at 2 a.m. of April 20, 2024 of the protest camp set up by the Samahan ng Magsasaka at Mamamayan ng Tartaria (SAMATA). The perpetrators were some 60 armed security goons from the notorious Jarton Security, the same agency hired by Ayala Land to demolish peasant communities in Hacienda Yulo in Canlubang, Calamba, Laguna.
Karapatan stands in solidarity with the peasant communities of Tartaria in their continuing struggle to defend their land and livelihoods from landgrabbers led by Ayala Land and the Aguinaldo clan.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Raid, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of association, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to property, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Land rights defender
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Suspected non-state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Apr 28, 2024
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Apr 4, 2024
- Event Description
During a barangay session in Barangay Ibo, Toledo City on April 4, 2024, Barangay Councilor Primo Lamela, 49, was allegedly confronted by members of the Philippine Army (PA). Lamela was allegedly told by the PA team leader that he was a target of their intelligence gathering for his alleged connections with the New People’s Army (NPA). The PA team leader also alleged that Lamela and his organization posed a potential threat to the peace and order situation in their barangay. Lamela is the current Executive Director of Kapunongan Alang sa Kauswagan sa Kasadpang Sugbo (KAKASAKA), a local non-governmental organization. Lamela is also an active member of Akbayan-Cebu and an active supporter of Limpyong Hangin Alang sa Tanan (LAHAT), a local environmental organization actively engaged in opposing a coal-fired power plant in Toledo City.
In March 2024, Lamela met the PA team by chance. The team was seeking permission to stay in the barangay for intelligence purposes. Lamela escorted them to a possible site for their camp. After that, he went to his office, while the troops returned to the barangay hall. Later, when he returned, he found the troops talking to the barangay captain. After they left, the barangay captain allegedly confronted Lamela and asked about KAKASAKA’s operations. Lamela had already become suspicious about the PA’s intentions.
According to Lamela, during a formal courtesy call to the council, the PA sat in on one of their sessions. The PA explained that they would be staying in their barangay for several months. However, during the presentation, Lamela felt like the PA was attacking him. The PA brought up Lamela's affiliation and support for Akbayan Party-list and Senator Risa Hontiveros, as well as his connection to a local organization whose members were arrested during a rally in the nearby town of Aluguinsan. The PA also hinted that Lamela was linked to an alleged NPA sighting in Barangay Ibo, following a recent military encounter in Escalante City, Negros Occidental. There were reports that after the encounter, NPA members allegedly went to Barangay Ibo.
According to Lamela, after their initial meeting, the PA visited his office multiple times. The PA allegedly demanded that Lamela hand over all the legal documents about KAKASAKA. Additionally, the PA ordered Lamela to disclose all their contacts and funders. Lamela grew tired of being asked for the same documents repeatedly and requested the PA to write a formal letter for their request. On each visit, a different member of the PA arrived, but none of them introduced themselves. Lamela became concerned about the true motive behind the PA's repeated requests.
Background:
During the early 2000s, Lamela was actively opposing the construction of a power plant. The power plant's administration allegedly ordered military men to visit his office and persuade him to stop his opposition. Despite this, Lamela persisted and eventually ran for office, winning the position of barangay councilor during the 2022 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections. Currently, Lamela serves as the chairperson of two committees in the barangay - the committee on environment and the committee on fisheries and agriculture. He is also the vice-chairperson of the committee on women.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats, Vilification
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to protect reputation
- HRD
- Environmental rights defender, NGO staff
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military
- Source
Case shared by FORUM-ASIA member TFDP
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Apr 25, 2024
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Feb 24, 2024
- Event Description
The para-teachers of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente’s (IFI) Eskwelayan project denounced the harassment of its community organization Samahan ng Maralita sa Temporary Housing (SMTH). They have been subjected to surveillance by the Philippine military.
The first incident happened in March 2023 when soldiers visited them daily at the daycare center, taking photographs of their operations and asking for their personal information.
“Those military personnel, we [welcomed] them, we also included them in our clean-up drives. Unfortunately, they had a different motive,” Teacher Mariafe Hulipaz, president of Samahan ng Maralita sa Temporary Housing (SMTH), told Bulatlat.
The organization is a key partner of the IFI in the Eskwelayan Project, an alternative school program that offers a rights-based education to children in Aroma, Tondo.
“The harassment faced by the leaders of SMTH deeply troubles us. It prompts us to reflect on why the military is targeting this community-based, cause-oriented group that is simply advocating for their fundamental rights to housing and livelihood,” The Rt. Rev’d Dindo Ranojo, IFI general secretary, said in a statement.
Continued harassment
The SMTH was established in 2016 due to threats of demolition in the community. It advocates for the rights of the residents in housing and livelihood.
“Our families are affected by demolition since they will displace us far from our livelihood here and that’s what we are fighting against,” Hulipaz said.
The state forces also profiled the organization as affiliated with progressive groups.
According to SMTH, they only asked for help from Rep. Arlene Brosas of Gabriela Women’s Partylist regarding the housing opportunities of the government to also help those affected by the demolitions. They said that the SMTH is not affiliated with Gabriela.
“The military always imposed on us the question on how SMTH survives or became progressive if we are not affiliated with any organization,” Delia Gatela, vice president of SMTH, said.
In February 2024, several incidents of red-tagging were documented involving the 11th Civil Military Operations Kaugnayan Battalion’s Facebook post. Some residents are tagged as members of SMTH under the pretext of “fake surrenders.” Another post indicated that they would later sign a commitment of support to the NTF-ELCAC.
“Not all of the 284 are SMTH members, and some of the SMTH members simply received aid [ayuda], but they didn’t know that they would be labeled as surrenderers by the military. Two of our former members allied with the military, when the military found out that there was a problem between SMTH and our former comrades, the soldier got the idea to use them to create a new community organization because the military couldn’t enter the community of SMTH,” Hulipaz said.
Complaints
The teachers filed a barangay blotter and a formal complaint with the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) against the military personnel. However, only high-ranking officers faced the organization.
“We want to face the military personnel who red-tagged us in the community because they are the ones who did bad things to our organization,” SMTH said.
The IFI expressed solidarity with SMTH and with the residents of Brgy. Aroma. The IFI also supports their quest for a better situation and wholeheartedly believes that their aspirations are justified and morally right.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Surveillance , Vilification
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to privacy, Right to protect reputation
- HRD
- NGO
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Apr 8, 2024
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Mar 24, 2024
- Event Description
Two Pangasinan-based environmental defenders and organizers were violently mauled and dragged into an SUV at about 8 p.m. on March 24 in Barangay Polo, San Carlos, Pangasinan, according to human rights group Karapatan-Central Luzon
Karapatan – Central Luzon said the abduction of Francisco “Eco” Dangla III and Axielle “Jak” Tiong is the seventh and eighth abduction in Central Luzon.
“Similar to all other incidents of abductions and enforced disappearances, the two were victims of terror-tagging and vilification despite being genuine champions of the environment and the people of Pangasinan,” said Karapatan-Central Luzon in a statement.
Both Dangla and Tiong were actively raising awareness on the impact of coal-fired power plants and offshore mining. They campaigned against the revival of the faulty Bataan Nuclear Power Plant and the proposed entry of small modular nuclear reactors, according to scientists’ group Agham – Advocates of Science and Technology for the People.
They are also both co-convenors of the Pangasinan People’s Strike for the Environment, a member organization of the EcoWaste Coalition and the Ecology Ministry of the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan.
Dangla is a leader of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) Pangasinan and coordinator of Makabayan, while Tiong is national coordinator for Kabataan Partylist (KPL).
“It reflects the worsening state of human rights under the government of Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr, which continues to silence criticisms against its anti-people programs and policies,” Bayan said in a statement, calling for both activists to be surfaced.
This incident contradicts the claim of Marcos Jr. of “decreased” human rights violations in the Philippines in his recent speeches inside and outside the country. He claims that incidents of human rights violations were “down by half in 2023 as compared to 2022.”
Karapatan noted that the biggest hike in human rights violations is in the number of victims of enforced disappearances: from four in 2022 to 11 in 2023. This is followed by a 58-percent increase in the number of frustrated extra-judicial killings and 46-percent in the extra-judicial killings.
“These figures are enough to dispel Marcos Jr.’s false claims that things are looking better on the human rights front. The only thing that distinguishes Marcos Jr. from Duterte is his conscious cultivation of a more ‘presidential’ image compared to his predecessor’s crassness,” said Karapatan.
The abduction of human rights defenders continuously paints the worsening human rights situation in the country, despite presidential pronouncements. Several local and national organizations are searching for the whereabouts of the two activists.
“We call on the people to provide any relevant information about this case. We enjoin all advocates of civil liberties to denounce this latest attack on the human rights community and to put pressure on authorities to immediately release Eco and Axielle,” Bayan said, holding the government accountable for any harm done to the activists.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Abduction/Kidnapping, Vilification
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to protect reputation
- HRD
- Environmental rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Suspected state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Apr 8, 2024
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Mar 7, 2024
- Event Description
Yesterday, March 7, 2024, KARAPATAN, through its legal counsel, was notified by the Office of the Solicitor General that it intends to appeal the decision of Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 84 Judge Luisito Cortez upholding the acquittal of ten human rights defenders of Karapatan, the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines and Gabriela on charges of perjury. Notably, the OSG’s appeal will be handled by members of the NTF-ELCAC’s (National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict) Legal Cooperation Cluster.
KARAPATAN views this as part of the sick, deluded and obsessive form of judicial harassment by the NTF-ELCAC and former National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. against its officers and fellow human rights defenders. This case, which dates back to 2019, went through preliminary investigation and trial hearings, resulting in our acquittal by Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 139 Judge Aimee Alcera in 2023, and Judge Cortez’s dismissal of the government’s petition for certiorari that same year. Yet, the saga continues to this day.
Such frivolous yet retaliatory charges pursued by government counsels also show how public funds are being wastefully utilized to go after those who defend and uphold human rights. Instead of pursuing cases against corrupt public officials or against police and military officers responsible for the killings of drug suspects or activists, our government lawyers are wasting the people’s money for its campaign against human rights watchdogs.
This, however, is no surprise, considering the NTF-ELCAC’s policy to undertake legal offensives against those whom they perceive as enemies of the State. From the Duterte to the Marcos-Duterte regime, this is the same task force that filed cases of perjury against young environmental activists Jonila Castro and Jhed Tamano. This is the same task force that lauded police and military officers responsible for the Bloody Sunday killings and arrests. This is the same task force that is notorious for red- and terrorist-tagging in the Philippines. This is the same task force that has justified the killings and other human rights violations against peasants, indigenous people, workers and development workers.
As we strongly denounce this continuing harassment against human rights defenders, we reiterate the persistent call for the abolition of the NTF-ELCAC and for an end to the attacks perpetrated under the Marcos-Duterte regime. We shall continue to challenge these attacks and demand justice for all victims of human rights violations.
- Impact of Event
- 10
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- NGO staff, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Mar 17, 2024
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Mar 12, 2024
- Event Description
Armed men threatened to shoot Rappler Luzon reporter Joann Manabat and K5 News Olongapo reporter Rowena “Weng” Quejada while covering a violent demolition in Barangay Anunas in Angeles City, Pampanga on Tuesday, March 12.
Some 2,000 residents are fighting to stay in a 73-hectare of land being claimed by Clarkhills Properties Corporation. Demolitions have happened in the area several times, with some turning into violent encounters.
Manabat said men dressed in red and white shirts barred her from entering the area and immediately called her out when they saw her taking videos of the demolition.
“Those in red shirts, from a distance, told me to stop taking videos or else babarilin ako at kukunin yung photos ko (they would shoot me and take my photos),” the reporter said.
After acknowledging the threat, the Rappler reporter left the area with the help of residents who accompanied her away from the armed men.
“I stayed at a house near Balubad Street owned by the relative of the resident I was looking for. I left as soon as it was safe to leave the area,” Manabat added.
Before this, Quejada reportedly went missing during the demolition.
Angeles City Mayor Carmelo Lazatin Jr. confirmed in a statement on Tuesday evening that armed men harassed Quejada and held her at gunpoint.
“Quejada was covering the ongoing demolition at Sitio Balubad, Barangay Anunas, Angeles City, when accosted by armed men who allegedly questioned her and took her belongings,” the statement read.
According to reports gathered by the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, one of the armed men at the demolition pointed a gun at Quejada, telling her to stop taking videos.
“The man also hurled invective, calling the media demonyo (devil) for reporting about the ongoing land dispute,” the NUJP said.
A Japanese national assisted Quejada by hiding her inside of his residence. She was able to leave after tensions in the area subsided.
Lazatin and members of the NUJP have condemned the threats that were made against the journalists.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Media Worker, WHRD
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Non-state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Mar 17, 2024
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Mar 12, 2024
- Event Description
KARAPATAN condemns the violent demolition of a peasant community in Sitio Balubad, Barangay Anunas, Angeles City. At least seven persons have reportedly been injured after combined elements of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and goons hired by Clarkhills Properties Corporation opened fire on the protesting farmers. Even reporters covering the demolition were reportedly harassed and threatened by the raiding team.
Clarkhills Properties has been trying since October 2023 to gain control of a 72-hectare landholding that had already been awarded to the farmers under the government’s agrarian reform program after they had completed paying the required amortization. The Department of Agrarian Reform, however, later voided the Certificate of Land Ownership Award granted to the farmers, leading to a series of violent attempts by Clarkhills Properties to seize the land from the residents.
The area is populated by at least 535 households with some 2,000 families. Before this violent demolition, the residents had been resisting Clarkhills Properties’ demolition teams which have been conducting monthly demolitions since October.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Land rights, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to property, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Land rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Corporation Corporation (others)
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Mar 17, 2024
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Mar 7, 2024
- Event Description
Marikit Saturay, a Dutch-Filipino activist and musician, was detained, red-tagged, and deported after trying to visit her family and friends in the Philippines.
International Filipino rights groups Migrante-Netherlands, Linangan-Willem Geertman Art and Culture Network, and Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan)-Europe condemned the recent attacks against Saturay, stressing that it is not the first time that this happened.
Saturay arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on the evening of March 7. She was supposed to visit her relatives and friends, especially her grandmother who will be celebrating her 100th birthday on March 10.
However, a Filipino immigration officer accused her of engaging in “anti-government activities.” She said that she is part of Migrante-Netherlands, an organization of Filipino migrant workers, families, and refugees.
Despite this, the Philippine Bureau of Immigration (BI) continued to disregard her concern and included her in the blacklist order.
“At that point, she was not allowed to exit beyond the Immigration checkpoint. She has been detained at the airport’s immigration holding area since then,” Migrante Netherlands said in a statement, adding that she was detained for three nights without proper sleeping arrangement.
Saturay was also denied access to legal services before she was deported back to the Netherlands.
“She was not allowed to talk to her lawyers, nor was she allowed to receive any family members who wanted to see her to make sure that she was alright. A uniformed agent was also assigned to guard her during the entire detention period,” Migrante – Netherlands said.
A similar incident happened in December 2023 where Anakbayan – Switzerland Chairperson Edna Becher was detained and deported after she arrived in Manila. She was also accused of engaging in “anti-government activities.”
“This pattern of political repression is akin to the Marcos regime’s fascist campaign to criminalize dissent and deserves the condemnation of the international community. Further, this targeted campaign against Filipino migrant activists exposes the Marcos regime’s hypocrisy in milking profit from OFW remittances while at the same time barring migrants from returning to their homeland,” Bayan-Europe said.
Saturay came to the Netherlands in 2006 with her mother, sisters, and brother to join their father who had sought asylum in the country in 2003. This is because of the terror campaign led by Col. Jovito Palparan in the Mindoro region, where her father was based as an environmental activist and human rights worker.
Praised for her sharp and critical lyrics, Saturay used music and songwriting to advocate for the rights of Filipino migrant workers, immigrants, and refugees. She was known for songs “What Did I Do Wrong?” and “Geboren Om Te Strijden” (Born to Struggle).
“Filipino migrant workers will not be cowed into fear by these coercive attacks. We have endured wars, natural disasters, economic hardship, and discrimination of all forms. Wherever we are, we continue to fight for the genuine interests of the Filipino people, even in the face of political repression,” Migrante Netherlands said.
Meanwhile, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. arrived in Europe. His schedule includes a visit to Germany on March 12 and 13. He is expected to go to Prague, Czech Republic for a state visit until March 15. The agenda includes maritime security agreements, bilateral trade, and economic ties.
“This would already be Marcos’ 6th international trip just in 2024, revealing his utter disregard for using taxpayer’s money to finance his junket trips abroad. Instead of deporting and prohibiting the entry of activists and government critics to Manila, Marcos himself should be declared persona non-grata in Europe!” Bayan-Europe said.
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Administrative Harassment, Denial Fair Trial, Deportation, Restrictions on Movement
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of movement, Right to fair trial, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to protect reputation
- HRD
- Artist, NGO staff, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Mar 17, 2024
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jan 25, 2024
- Event Description
KARAPATAN condemns the forced disappearance of activist-writer Nelson Bautista and the illegal arrest of his companion Ademar Etol on trumped-up charges.
Bautista, 45 and Etol, 64, were arrested in Barangay Balingasan, Siay, Zamboanga Sibugay by police forces who barged into the house they were staying at around 2 a.m. of January 25, 2024.
Bautista has not been heard of since the arrest and remains missing to date. He is the 14th victim of enforced disappearance under the Marcos Jr. regime. Etol, who faces multiple trumped-up charges, including one for illegal possession of firearms and ammunition based on evidence planted by the police, is currently detained at the Siay Municipal Police Station.
Bautista was a campus journalist at the Notre Dame College in Kidapawan City and chaired the College Editors Guild of the Philippines in North Cotabato in 2004. He was also a convenor of Kalampag, an alliance of church people and civic groups in the same province. He later became a campaign officer and writer in Davao City for the Kilusang Mayo Uno. Since 2009, he has been a peasant and Lumad organizer, helping farmers, settlers and indigenous people cope with, and resist, the destruction of their environment due to climate crisis-induced disasters and large-scale mining operations.
KARAPATAN joins Bautista’s family, colleagues and friends in their urgent call to surface him. We further call on the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to investigate Bautista’s abduction and disappearance and Etol’s illegal arrest and detention, ensuring that the victims attain justice and the perpetrators are held to account.
Unless the persistent climate of impunity is shattered, Bautista and Etol will not be the last victims of state-perpetuated violence under the Marcos Jr. regime. KARAPATAN demands a stop to these relentless attacks on activists and on the people’s human rights.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Abduction/Kidnapping, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Community-based HRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Mar 13, 2024
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Feb 25, 2024
- Event Description
Barangay Councilor Eddie Berania, 58, was found dead hours after elements of 22nd Infantry Battalion (IB) of the Philippine Army (PA) visited him in barangay San Juan Daan, Bulan, Sorsogon, February 25, according to Karapatan Sorsogon report.
Eddie’s family told Karapatan Sorsogon that they found the victim around 7:00 in the morning already dead inside his hut located in his farm. Eddie allegedly committed suicide.
Before the incident, Karapatan Sorsogon explained that Eddie’s family witnessed when a certain Ronnie ‘Tatang’ Albao went to talk to Eddie with the elements of the 22nd IB PA on the same day, February 25 around 6:00 in the morning.
“After the conversation, they saw this group left but Eddie was still standing on his farm,” Karapatan Sorsogon stated in its report.
Defend Bicol Stop the Attacks Network (Defend Bicol) and Karapatan Sorsogon strongly condemned the non-stop intimidation and threats by the soldiers to the victim.
“Eddie’s daughter believed it was suicide, triggered by the non-stop threats against his father. Eddie often tells his family why the soldiers are harassing him despite being a barangay official and he knows nothing about the allegations and what the soldiers are looking for in the area,” said Karapatan Sorsogon.
According to the rights group in the province, the threats to Eddie’s life started in 2022, led by Tatang Albao, a civilian and resident of the neighboring barangay, Brgy. Beguin, Bulan.
“Tatang Albao is also a farmer who was forced to surrender to the AFP and now serves as an accomplice in military operations. The military was forcing Eddie to surrender as an NPA even though he is a civilian and actively serves the barangay as an officer,” the rights group added.
Eddie is the head of the Barangay’s Peace and Order Committee and it is also his second term as barangay councilor. He is also an active member of Manghod Organization, a Civil Society Organization (CSO) in Bulan municipality based in Brgy. San Juan Daan.
Defend Bicol and Karapatan Sorsogon also expressed their condolences to the bereaved family of the victim especially to his wife Luz Gonzales and their seven children.
“Just like the courage shown by the Filipinos during EDSA Uno, Eddie stood up for his rights as a civilian until his death,” the progressive groups stated.
The headquarters of the 22nd IB is based in Brgy. Calomagon, Bulan which is around 16 kilometers away from Eddie’s barangay. Since Feb. 6, 2024 until now, there are approximately 12 soldiers who are stationed in the barangay halls of Brgy. San Juan Daan and Brgy. Beguin, according to Karapatan Sorsogon.
“This new incident in the Bicol region clearly shows that Marcos Jr. administration is not after genuine peace in the country. The peace and order head of the barangay was completely silenced by his soldiers so that they could freely sow terror and threats to other residents in the area,” Karapatan Sorsogon expressed.
Defend Bicol insists on resuming the peace talks in order to address the roots of the armed conflict.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Death, Intimidation and Threats
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to life
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, NGO staff, Public Servant
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Mar 13, 2024
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Feb 13, 2024
- Event Description
“The arbitrary arrests and unjust detention of Filipinos under the Ferdinand Marcos Jr. regime show that the same forms of injustice that the Filipino people rose up against 38 years ago continue,” said KARAPATAN Secretary General Cristina Palabay, as the group condemned the unjust arrests and detention of persons ahead of the People Power 1 commemoration.
KARAPATAN condemned the arbitrary arrest of Pertinisa Charita, 55, a farmer, who was with her children to visit her husband, detained sugarcane worker unionist Leon Charita, in San Carlos City District Jail, San Carlos, Negros Occidental. It was Leon’s birthday when Pertinisa and her children visited him on February 13.
During the search of Pertinisa and her children’s belongings and the items they brought for Leon, a jail officer of the San Carlos City District Jail opened Pertinisa’s bag and showed a caliber .22 pistol in his hand, implying that the gun was found inside Pertinisa’s bag. Jail officers immediately apprehended Pertinisa and brought her to PNP San Carlos City station. She remains under police custody as of this writing.
“It is highly improbable that an ordinary person will bring a firearm to jail, knowing his or her belongings will be searched. It is appalling that they did this to a wife of a political prisoner, who is already suffering in jail due to planted evidence. We condemn how the state has victimized the Charita family twice over, with Pertinisa actively calling for her husband’s freedom,” said Palabay.
Pertinisa was among those who met UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression Irene Khan in her Visayas visit in January to provide information on the case of her husband.
Leon was the auditor of the National Federation of Sugar Workers when he was arrested on September 18, 2019, along with seven other activists while they were preparing and inviting people to join the commemoration activity on the Escalante massacre. Elements of the 79th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army, Escalante City PNP, and 3rd Platoon, 1st Negros Occidental Provincial Mobile Force Company (NOCPMFC), arbitrarily arrested Leon and his colleagues and planted various firearms and explosives.
KARAPATAN also deplored the arrest and continued detention of filmmaker and director Jade Castro, who was arrested along with three others in Mulanay, Quezon on February 1 for allegedly burning a modernized jeepney the night before. The human rights group also decried the harassment of radio commentator and human rights activist Vince Casilihan by men who introduced themselves as soldiers on February 8.
“We stand with Castro’s fellow artists and colleagues that they are innocent, and they are victims of warrantless arrests. We support Casilihan’s efforts to expose the various forms of harassment against journalists like him in the Bicol region. Castro and his companions should be released soon, while State forces should keep their hands off Casilihan and other press freedom advocates. These incidents in the heels of UN Special Rapporteur Khan’s investigation on the state of freedom of expression and opinion in the Philippines further reaffirm the sordid human rights situation in the Philippines,” Palabay said.
As KARAPATAN prepares to join commemoration activities on the 38th year after the People Power 1 uprising, Palabay said they will also continue to call for the release of the 800 political prisoners in the country.
“There is no holiday for the Marcos Jr. regime in employing the martial law practice of warrantless arrests, trumped up charges and unjust detention. In the upcoming People Power anniversary commemoration, we shall continue to demand for the release of political prisoners, and in holding the Marcos Jr. regime accountable for the spate of rights violations under its watch. Justice and genuine freedom can only be attained with people’s action. Let us live up to the lessons of People Power,” Palabay ended.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Family of HRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Mar 12, 2024
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Feb 1, 2024
- Event Description
Art organizations cried foul over what they considered the baseless arrest on Thursday, February 1 of filmmaker Jade Castro and three other men for allegedly burning down a modern jeepney in Catanauan, Quezon. The Directors’ Guild of the Philippines Inc. (DGPI), the Philippine Center of International PEN (PEN Philippines), and DAKILA released statements of concern on their respective social media accounts on Saturday, February 3.
“Castro declared his innocence and stated he was on vacation with friends when personalities of the Philippine National Polce (PNP) arrested them for a crime that occurred in Catanauan, Quezon,” filmmakers group DGPI detailed.
“Castro shared more disturbing information: the arrest was warrantless. Jade Castro is a vetted DGPI member and an important voice of the Philippine Independent Cinema. We stand by his innocence and testify to his good character. We urge clarity on the matter from the authorities involved, and the immediate release of Jade Castro from detention,” the DGPI concluded. “Jade, known for his socially-relevant films like Endo and Zombadings, has significantly influenced the creative sensibilities of emerging filmmakers through numerous workshops and mentorships, making profound contributions to the film industry,” said progressive artist-activist group DAKILA.
“As an advocate for justice, we urge an immediate, fair, and transparent investigation by Philippine authorities, trusting in our legal system to protect the rights of those in custody,” it urged.
“We call on the Philippine National Police, the Department of Justice, and all relevant authorities to conduct a quick, thorough, and transparent investigation into this and uphold the rule of law, protecting the rights of individuals under their custody,” literary group PEN Philippines said.
‘INOSENTE KAMI!’ According to reports by the Manila Bulletin, on Wednesday, January 31, a modern jeepney owned by the Gumaca Transport Service Cooperative had been burned to the ground, with police and witnesses saying that the perpetrators had worn bonnets and had been armed.
The driver, Carl Villanueva, said they were instructed by the suspects to get off the vehicle, and then the armed group set it on fire.
In turn, management of the said cooperative claimed the culprits were operators of traditional jeepneys, who’ve had beef with the cooperative since the latter filed for franchise consolidation under the government’s PUV Modernization Program.
Police then traced the suspects to Mi Casa Resort in Barangay Butanyog, Mulanay, Quezon. On Thursday, February 1, filmmaker Castro and his friends – sales manager Ernesto Orcine, civil engineer Noel Mariano, and civil engineer Dominic Ramos – who were staying at the said resort, were apprehended and brought to the Catanauan Municipal Police Station. They were then accused by the driver, conductor, and two passengers of the burned jeepney as the culprits.
On February 2, authorities filed a complaint for arson against Castro and his three companions before the local prosecutor’s office.
Colonel Ledon Monte, PNP-Quezon director, said investigators have yet to determine the motive behind the arson.
Relatives of Castro and his peers claimed they were wrongfully arrested.
“The witness said naka-bonnet yung apat; paano matuturo iyon (The witness said the four culprits wore bonnets, so how could they have identified them)?” one of the suspects’ relatives said in a TV Patrol interview.
Moira Lang, a film producer and playwright, said several witnesses stated Castro and his companions were taking part in the revelry at the public plaza of Mulanay on the night the vehicle was burned in Catanauan.
Castro himself, in a series of X posts, claimed innocence and said they were arrested without a warrant.
“INOSENTE KAMI!” Castro wrote in a February 2 post. “Nagbabakasyon lang kaming magkakaibigan sa Mulanay, Quezon, pero inaresto kami sa krimen na nangyari sa Catanauan.”
(WE’RE INNOCENT! My friends and I were just vacationing in Mulanay, Quezon, but were arrested for a crime that happened in Catanauan.)
Later on February 3, Castro wrote, “Guys, sorry, ‘di maka-reply, bawal cellphone. Opo, warrantless arrest, arson.”
(Guys, sorry, I can’t reply to your messages; I’m not allowed to use a cellphone. Yes, this was a warrantless arrest for arson.)
As of writing, Castro and his peers remain detained at the said station.
Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption President Boy Arsenio Evangelista told Rappler that the investigation was “hastily done” and police filed the case without following case build-up processes.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Denial Fair Trial
- Rights Concerned
- Right to fair trial, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Artist
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Feb 12, 2024
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jan 17, 2024
- Event Description
KARAPATAN condemns the escalating attacks against peasant activists and leaders perpetrated by State security forces.
On January 17, 2024, two peasant activists were gunned down in Negros Occidental by elements of the 62nd Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army. According to reports reaching Karapatan, Dionisio Baloy, 67, a member of the Kaisahan sa Gamay’ng Mag-uuma sa Oriental Negros (KAUGMAON-Guihulngan Chapter) and fellow farmer Bernard Torres Sr., who also works as a habal-habal driver and is a member of UNDOC/PISTON – Guihulngan Chapter, were dragged out of the house they were staying at Hacienda Gomez, Barangay Sag-ang, La Castellana, Negros Occidental by operating troops of the 62nd IBPA, interrogated and tortured before being shot.
To justify the cold-blooded killing of the two farmers, the 62nd IBPA later released a statement claiming that the Baloy and Torres were killed in a so-called armed encounter between the soldiers and the New People’s Army.
Baloy and Torres had both been red-tagged and harassed by the military in their communities in Guihulngan, Negros Oriental, forcing them and their families to transfer residence. Like many other victims of red-tagging and harassment, they ended up becoming victims of graver human rights violations.
These latest killings of peasant activists have prompted KARAPATAN to sound the alarm on two monitored incidents of harassment and terrorist-tagging against Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas chairperson Danilo “Ka Daning” Ramos. KMP reported that on January 3 and 15 this year, motorcycle-riding men were inquiring on the whereabouts and residence of Ramos in Malolos City. In one incident, one of the intelligence agents reportedly said: “Taga-saan ba si Danilo Ramos? Matagal na namin siyang hinahanap kasi terorista siya. (Where is Danilo Ramos? We have been looking for him because he is a terrorist.)
Ramos had also reported being subjected to surveillance last August 2023. These cases of harassment and terrorist-tagging pose a direct threat to the lives of Ka Daning, his family and other peasant leaders and members of the KMP and the progressive peasant movement.
Karapatan has documented that 59 out of the 87 victims of extrajudicial killings under the Marcos Jr. regime (or two-thirds) are peasants, many of them falsely accused of being NPA members or supporters of “communist terrorist groups” and killed in false encounters. Moreover, 65 of the 87 victims (or three-fourths) are from the counterinsurgency-battered regions of Eastern Visayas, Bicol and Western Visayas —regions singled out for more intensified military and police deployment and operations under Rodrigo Duterte’s Memorandum Order No. 32, which Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has not rescinded.
Karapatan calls for a stop to the brutal counter-insurgency war that has been marked by escalating attacks against the peasantry and rural communities from Duterte’s time to the present. Using a militarist approach to end the armed conflict in the countryside will only result in more human rights violations against the peasantry and will not resolve its deep-seated roots.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to life
- HRD
- Community-based HRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Feb 12, 2024
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jan 4, 2024
- Event Description
Altermidya takes strong exception to Undersecretary Paul Gutierrez’s accusation and red-tagging of our member, Ms. Frenchie Mae Cumpio.
In his January 4 “Paul’s Alarm” column on JournalnewsOnline, the Presidential Task Force On Media Security (PTFOMS) executive director wrote, “Nais din niyang (United Nations Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression and opinion Irene Khan) malaman ang sitwasyon ni Franchie (sic) Mae Cumpio, na kasalukuyang naka-detine sa Palo Provincial Jail sa Leyte dahil sa aktibo nitong papel sa lokal na teroristang grupo ng mga komunista.”
This is exactly what we mean by red-tagging: a senior government official linking civilians to alleged communist groups without proof. May we remind Mr. Gutierrez that Ms. Cumpio is contesting the charges filed against her in court and has yet to be convicted. There is absolutely no point for anyone, more so a high government official, to forget that “everyone is innocent until proven in a court of law.”
Ironically, Mr. Gutierrez’s column was about the arrival of Ms. Khan who is set to visit the country in an official visit starting next week. Much of the highlight of our submissions to the UNSR office contains precisely this kind of wanton and mindless vilification, harassment and intimidation of journalists. It is exactly this kind of information that we wish Ms. Khan would closely look into in her investigation into the Philippine situation.
In his column, Mr. Gutierrez declared that he is ready for the challenge of Ms. Khan’s visit. We think not. If he bothered to carefully prepare for the visit, he would have surely found out that Frenchie Mae was an active broadcaster with MBC’s Aksyon Radyo in Leyte at the time of her arrest with several other human rights defenders on February 2020. She is the executive editor of alternative media outfit Eastern Vista and a former editor of the University of the Philippines-Tacloban Vista student publication. She was also manager-in-training of the Radyo Taclobanon, a women-led disaster resiliency community radio station project in Supertyphoon Yolanda-hit Eastern Visayas. Indeed, she is the very Frenchie Mae Cumpio mentioned in laureate Maria Ressa’s Nobel Peace Prize speech.
The statement of USec Guiterrez highlights the urgency of our appeal to Ms Khan to conduct a thorough investigation on the continued vilification of journalists, affecting the exercise of press freedom and the people’s right to know.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- Vilification
- Rights Concerned
- Right to protect reputation
- HRD
- Media Worker, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Government
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Related Events
- Philippines: media worker, NGO staff arrested on false charges are denied proper legal defence during the trial (Update)
- Date added
- Feb 12, 2024
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Dec 12, 2023
- Event Description
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has recommended the filing of separate criminal charges of grave oral defamation against abducted environmental activists Jonila Castro and Jhed Tamano.
The two could face a maximum of six months imprisonment if found guilty.
In a 15-page resolution penned by Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Arnold Magpantay dated Dec. 12, 2023, it is said that the two activists’ sworn statements are different from their pronouncements during a press conference they held with government authorities after they emerged from their alleged abduction.
The DOJ also said that Castro and Tamano resorted to a press conference to allegedly embarrass the 70 Infantry Battalion (IB) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
“Conspicuously, respondents ventilated the alleged abduction in the press conference, betraying their purpose to expose complainant and the AFP as well to greater latitude of public mockery, demonstrating their ill motive to prejudice them,” the resolution read.
“The slanderous words were obviously uttered with evident intent to strike deep into the character, honor and reputation of complainant and the AFP,” it added.
Meanwhile, the perjury complaint, filed by Lt. Col. Ronnel dela Cruz, commander of the 70th IB, was dismissed.
Castro and Tamano were reportedly abducted on Sept. 2, 2023 in Bataan.
They surfaced on Sept. 19, 2023, after the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict presented them in a press conference supposedly to present them as “returnees” from the communist insurgency.
However, Castro and Tamano retracted their statements and affidavits during the said press conference and claimed that they were abducted by the military and forced to sign an affidavit of surrender.
The actions by the environmental activists during the said press conference resulted in the military’s filing of perjury charges.
The environmental activists filed a writ of amparo on Sept. 29, 2023 before the Supreme Court, asking the court for a protection order against the respondent Dela Cruz.
Defend Manila Bay Network, meanwhile, slammed this decision of the DOJ saying that the indictment of the Justice department is a “major stumbling block” on the activists' advocacies for Manila Bay.
“It is unfortunate that after Tamano and Castro survived the abduction and intense pressure of the military, they are now subjected to trumped up charges,” they said in a statement on Monday.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline
- HRD
- Environmental rights defender, WHRD, Youth
- Perpetrator-State
- Government
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Related Events
- Philippines: two young environmental WHRDs abducted
- Date added
- Feb 8, 2024
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Dec 18, 2023
- Event Description
Human rights alliance Karapatan decried the filing of trumped-up charges against two leading activists in Central Visayas.
Bayan Muna Central Visayas coordinator John Ruiz III and former Visayas Institute for Human Development Agency Inc. (VIHDA) executive director Jhonggie Rumol faced frustrated homicide charges by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) last December 18, 2023. The charges stem from false allegations on Ruiz and Rumol’s involvement in an armed encounter with the New People’s Army on April 6, 2023 in Sitio Sereje, Barangay San Isidro, Toboso, Negros Occidental.
“Ruiz is known for opposing so-called development projects and privatization schemes that are inimical to the interests of the poor,” said Karapatan secretary general Palabay. “Rumol, on the other hand, has been serving various marginalized communities in Central Visayas as a development worker,” she added.
“The patently trumped-up charges levelled against these two Central Visayas-based activist-leaders are but the latest in a string of cases slapped against prominent social activists and other human rights defenders in Central Visayas,” said Palabay.
“Just last May, current and former members of the board of directors and staff of CERNET, another Central Visayas-based development NGO, were slapped with trumped-up charges of terrorist financing,” said Palabay. The accused include Central Visayas union leader and BAYAN chair Jaime Paglinawan.
Several other Cebuano mass leaders have also received death threats and become victims of red-tagging.
“We are one with the people in demanding a stop to the continuing attacks against human rights defenders in Central Visayas and elsewhere and will not relent in our efforts to advance the people’s rights and welfare,” concluded Palabay.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Environmental rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Feb 1, 2024
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Dec 7, 2023
- Event Description
Rights group Karapatan decries the arbitrary blacklisting and deportation of Edna Becher, a Filipino-Swiss who went to the Philippines to spend the holidays with her family and friends, only to suffer from political persecution from Philippine immigration authorities.
Reports reached Karapatan that Becher arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 early evening yesterday, December 7. She was detained by immigration authorities for two hours, as they alleged that she is on a blacklist due to involvement in anti-government activities.
As of this writing, immigration authorities have deported Becher, and is on a flight back to Switzerland.
The blacklisting and deportation of Becher is arbitrary, baseless, and a vile act of political persecution. Becher, an activist from Anakbayan-Europe and also of Swiss nationality, has done nothing wrong and illegal against anyone, whether in her country of residence and much more in the country of her family roots. These acts also violate Becher’s freedom of association and freedom of movement.
Becher participated in mass actions in Switzerland in relation to the Universal Periodic Review of the Philippines and during the visit of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for the World Economic Forum.
Many other foreign nationals, especially those who have been extending international solidarity for human and people’s rights issues in the Philippines, have suffered similar persecution. Under the Duterte administration, Australian missionary Sr. Patricia Fox and Australian lawyer Gil Boehringer were subjects of deportation proceedings. Currently, under the Marcos Jr. administration, many others are at risk of being in the Bureau of Immigration’s blacklist.
It is appalling that this happened days before International Human Rights Day, when the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights will be commemorated. In the Philippines, we will marching to call for an end to extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, torture, illegal arrests and detention, fake surrenders, bombings, threats including red-tagging, and other human rights and international humanitarian law violations. We will demand accountability for the crimes committed against the Filipino people, including violations on freedom of association.
Karapatan calls on Philippine authorities to stop the policy and practice of drawing up blacklists and deportation of foreign nationals who support human rights advocacies in the Philippines. Becher and many others should be removed from these blacklists and allowed to freely exercise their basic rights to visit their families or friends, to freely associate with organizations who conduct human rights advocacies, and to support calls for justice and accountability for human rights violations in the Philippines as forms of international solidarity.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Deportation, Reprisal as Result of Communication, Restrictions on Movement
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of movement, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Jan 2, 2024
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Nov 15, 2023
- Event Description
On November 15, PCIJ, the Filipino non-profit and independent media agencyspecialising in investigative journalism, reported an active cyber-attack on its website which prompted it to take the site down temporarily to assess the incident and prevent further breaches. The hacking attacks began on November 13 and escalated around noon on November 15.
According to the PCIJ, the incident is the most serious cyber-attack in recent years. The motive behind the attack remains unknown, however a number of recent reports of breaches and cyberattacks on Filipino government websites and databases have been recently been recorded. At the time of publication, the PCIJ website remains inaccessible.
PCIJ's recent stories have included include a report on online communities of Filipinos who have been amplifying and supporting pro-Beijing narratives, which include the claims of the Chinese government in the West Philippine Sea. The PCIJ has also published articles on the alleged sale of votes in the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections, the killing of radio broadcaster Percy Lapid, and the issue of excessive profits at the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP).
The IFJ has documented an increase in cyberattacks against media outlets in the Philippines, and across South East Asia, in recent years. In February 27, 2022, the website of CNN Philippines was hit by a cyberattack that made the site inaccessible to users while the network was hosting a presidential debate ahead of the country’s May 2022 election. In December 2021, news outlets including ABS-CBN, Rappler, Vera Files, and Philstar, were targeted by Distribution Denial of Services (DDos) attacks.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Online Attack and Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Internet freedom, Media freedom, Freedom of expression Online, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Media Worker
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Dec 19, 2023
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Aug 24, 2023
- Event Description
The Quezon City police filed new charges against Renato Reyes Jr., artist Max Santiago of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, and several others for burning an effigy during a protest coinciding with Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s State of the Nation Address (SONA).
The police claimed that the activists violated the Marcos Sr. era decree Public Assembly Act of 1985 or the malicious burning of any object in the street or thoroughfares.
“This is clearly a harassment suit because I wasn’t even present at the SONA rally. I was on a trip abroad. I was already mid-air when the rally happened,” said Reyes in a statement.
Reyes also noticed that his name was only hand-written on the cover page of the complaint.
“This ridiculous and flimsy trumped-up complaint it seems is in retaliation for our public statements exposing the QCPD for its harassment of Max and our members from Bayan Southern Tagalog. When we spoke out, they filed another complaint. Fascists being fascists,” he said.
Earlier in August, the Quezon City police also filed charges against Santiago and several others for violating the Republic Act No. 9003 or the Ecological Waste Management Act of 2001 and the Republic Act No. 8749 or the Clean Air Act of 1999 over the effigy burning.
Advocates said the charges constitute an attack against free expression.
Reyes said they are consulting their lawyers regarding the case. “There is nothing wrong nor illegal in the burning of an effigy which is part of protected free speech. There is nothing wrong in expressing indignation over the policies of the Marcos regime,” he added.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Artist
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Related Events
- Philippines: visual artist and three others charged for burning an effigy during a protest
- Date added
- Nov 24, 2023
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Oct 18, 2023
- Event Description
When Jonila Castro and Jhed Tamano were abducted last month while volunteering with fishing communities opposed to reclamation activities in Manila Bay, human rights groups suspected the state was involved.
When the security forces claimed the pair had surrendered as communist rebels, their contemporaries believed they had been forced into doing so but were unable to prove it.
At a government-organised news conference, they got their answer.
Rather than going along with the official story, Castro, 23, and Tamano, 22, shocked everyone by announcing they had been abducted by military officers who had forced them to surrender.
“They were confident we would lie to the public,” Castro told Al Jazeera. “The important thing was for the public to know the truth.”
The two activists filed for a legal protection order after speaking publicly.
In the court filing, they accused military members of forcing them into an SUV, blindfolding them, and subjecting them to eight days of interrogation. Facing death threats from their captors, the two women were often brought to tears and feared for their lives.
“I was hoping we could get out alive,” Castro said. “But there was a possibility it wasn’t going to happen.”
The military has maintained that Castro and Tamano were not abducted, but kidnapped by the communist New People’s Army (NPA) before escaping and surrendering to the military. It filed perjury charges against the two activists on Wednesday.
“There is no abduction based on the duo’s sworn statement,” army spokesperson Col Xerxes Trinidad told Al Jazeera, citing documentation that “they surrendered and sought the assistance of the military for them [to] be reintegrated into mainstream society”.
Rare insight The accounts of Castro and Tamano, who spoke to Al Jazeera about their experience, provide a rare insight into the alleged abduction of activists in the Philippines.
At least 18 community organisers and activists have been abducted since President Ferdinand Marcos Jr took office in June 2022. Most of the time, the victims “don’t surface, or they parrot the narrative forced upon them by the state”, said Dino de Leon, the lawyer for Tamano and Castro.
Many activists are pressured into surrendering after being “red-tagged” or falsely branded as rebels affiliated with the NPA, which has been fighting against the government for more than 50 years. Most never dare to speak out against state security forces.
“I was really nervous,” Tamano recalled, thinking before the news conference. “I knew that it was something that is usually not done.”
Before they disappeared, the activists were volunteering with AKAP Ka Manila Bay in Bataan, about three hours’ drive from Manila. The group opposes land reclamation projects in Manila Bay that have stoked concern over their environmental impact and the involvement of Chinese investors.
Marcos said in August he would suspend the reclamation projects pending further environmental review, but ships have continued dredging the bay.
Bataan, which lies across the bay from the capital, is a “grey area” where reliable data on land reclamation has not been collected by environmental groups, said Aldrein Silanga, an advocacy officer with the Manila-based environmental NGO Kalikasan PNE.
After arriving in Bataan, Castro and Tamano said they discovered several projects that began during coronavirus lockdowns without the knowledge of nearby communities. They even witnessed one village being demolished after residents refused an offer of cash compensation and were forced to leave.
They quickly realised they were being watched when they were approached multiple times by a man who photographed them and accused them of being communist rebels. Castro’s mother, Rosalie, was visited at her home by men identifying themselves as military officers and asking about her daughter.
“Any advocates against the reclamation are being red-tagged,” Castro said.
Castro and Tamano were walking to a bus stop on September 2 when they were abducted by armed men wearing face masks, who forced them into an SUV when they tried to run away.
At first, the pair were unsure who had abducted them. But one man knew Castro’s name and mentioned that her mother was looking for her, leading her to suspect the military.
The abductors interrogated the two women in separate rooms, according to the court filing, threatening to use physical violence and to arrest them on charges of rebellion. One told Tamano: “We will cut out your tongue if you do not speak.”
“I thought they were going to shoot me that night,” Castro said. “I was blindfolded. Our hands were tied. I was waiting for a bullet to be shot at me.”
The pair were kept in a motel in separate rooms, with five to six men in each, and continuously interrogated, according to the court filing. On the third day, Castro was given a form with the stamp of the 70th Infantry Battalion.
One of the abductors showed Castro his graduation picture from the military academy, while another shared a video from an encounter with rebels. “It was really obvious” they were members of the military, Castro said.
‘They were exposed’ On September 12, the military announced that Castro and Tamano had surrendered, claiming they were abducted by communist rebels after working with AKAP Ka, which they claimed was linked to front organisations of the NPA.
According to the military, the pair had realised the error of their ways — a common narrative in surrenders allegedly forced by the military. “They wanted us to tell the people that what we are doing is wrong,” Castro said.
Trinidad, the military spokesperson, said the statements were made voluntarily and were not given under duress.
But when the government called a news conference on September 19, Castro and Tamano decided to deviate from that narrative, even if it meant they would be arrested or face other consequences.
“We reached an agreement that it didn’t matter what would happen to us,” Tamano said. “It was the only opportunity where we could tell the truth.”
Castro, sitting alongside a military officer and a member of the government’s anti-communist task force, went off script, saying they had been abducted by the military and “obliged to surrender because they threatened to kill us”.
Military officers told the two women they could face charges of perjury if they reneged on their surrender. The next day, the anti-communist task force said it felt “betrayed” and “hoodwinked”.
“We expected that they would become defensive because they were exposed,” Tamano said.
Castro and Tamano now face perjury charges filed by the Armed Forces of the Philippines, which can carry as many as 10 years in prison.
Defence Secretary Gilbert Teodoro accused the two women of being liars.
“The [military] filed criminal charges because we want to teach them a lesson that they can’t jerk us around,” he told reporters on Wednesday.
Trinidad, the army spokesperson, told Al Jazeera the military would cooperate with court proceedings and inquiries from the country’s Commission on Human Rights, but rejected calls for an independent investigation into the disappearances, saying the involvement of outside NGOs would be “a slap in the face on our judiciary system”.
Last month, rights groups accused the military of abducting three Indigenous activists investigating alleged human rights violations in the central Mindoro region. The Philippine Army said they were arrested legitimately.
De Leon, who also represents jailed Senator Leila de Lima, said the international community “must be involved” in pressuring the Philippine military to institute human rights reforms. The United States is a key defence partner of the Philippines and recently concluded two weeks of joint military drills with the country’s armed forces.
“There are no institutions [in the Philippines] strong enough to counterbalance state elements who author things like this,” de Leon said.
Castro and Tamano want to return to Bataan and continue their work, but they worry it is not safe. Still, their ordeal has only cemented their resolve.
“It made us realise that what we are doing is right,” Castro said.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline
- HRD
- Environmental rights defender, WHRD, Youth
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Related Events
- Philippines: two young environmental WHRDs abducted
- Date added
- Nov 19, 2023
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Sep 29, 2023
- Event Description
Relatives of two missing activists demanded that their abducted loved ones be surfaced in a press conference on Wednesday, October 11.
“Whoever is holding my brother, please surface him now,” Nica Ortiz said. She was with her sister Nicole along with Karapatan-Central Luzon Spokesperson Danilo Cadano and Karapatan legal counsel Maria Sol Taule. They also sent letters to the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) on the same day to ask for assistance in locating their missing brothers.
Activists Norman Ortiz and Lee Sudario were reported missing on September 29.
According to Nica, her brother told her that he will be going to Gabaldon, Nueva Ecija on September 28. The following day (September 29), Norman texted his sister at around 1:00 a.m. informing her that he is with Lee Sudario and that he would send a message when they leave Bantug village in Gabaldon. But Nica said Norman did not message her after that.
Norman’s family then asked Karapatan-Central Luzon for assistance. They went to the area of the incident on October 2. They found out that around 10 armed men wearing fatigue abducted two men around 1:00 am to 2:00 am on September 29.
“A witness said he was not able to see the face because it was dark, but the description fits my brother. Witnesses who also live nearby said that they were frightened to go out and check because they saw that the men had firearms,” Nicole said, adding that at that hour the dogs barked loudly which was unusual.
According to those who witnessed the incident, two men were forced into a van. One of the individuals, they said, attempted to flee to a nearby cemetery but got caught and was dragged back to a waiting van.
“They said that it is very seldom for a van to go to their area that is why they would immediately notice it,” Nica added.
They also went to the barangay hall to file a blotter report of the incident but they were told that they should file it instead at the place of residence of Norman and Sudario.
On October 4, the family of Norman went to the military camp of the 91st Infantry Battalion in Baler, Aurora and on Oct. 6 to Fort Magsaysay. Similar to the experiences of families of other missing activists, Nica said that they were not allowed to look inside the camps. Authorities also declined to sign a certification stating that the missing persons are not in their custody. The said certification is stated under the Anti-Disappearance Act of 2012.
Nica said that prior to his brother’s abduction, soldiers would go to their house looking for him.
Karapatan Central Luzon also said that Sudario was accused of being a member of the New People’s Army and was among those charged with the anti-terrorism law and crimes against humanity in November 2022.
Alarming trend
Taule said that they have observed an alarming trend that those being abducted were later surfaced by the authorities as rebel returnees.
Taule said this was the case in Jhed Tamano and Jonila Castro who were also presented by the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) as former guerrillas. In a press conference organized by NTF-ELCAC, they denied it and stressed that they were abducted.
The reported missing youth activists Michael Cedrick Casaño and Patricia Nicole Cierva were also presented by the military as surrenderers.
In recent reports, the three indigenous peoples rights advocates who were reportedly abducted in Mindoro were also presented by the NTF-ELCAC as surrenderers.
“We are alarmed with the pattern that we observed lately because we don’t know what happened to those who were abducted days prior to their surfacing,” Taule said.
As relayed by Tamano and Castro, as well as Dyan Gumanao and Armand Dayoha, they were kept in a safe house days prior to their surfacing. In Gumanao and Dayoha’s case, they said they underwent psychological and physical torture.
“This means that during the days that they were held captive in a safe house, they cannot be accessed by their families and their lawyers. And then later on they would execute affidavits without the assistance of a counsel of their own choice,” she said.
“For us, affidavits like that have no bearing because, like in the case of Jhed and Jonila, it was not executed in the presence of their chosen lawyers and was executed under a very coercive environment. You would admit everything they tell you when you are in the hands of people who hold your life, that is the logical effect of this kind of situation,” Taule said.
Taule said they and the families are in the process of filing a legal remedy to pressure the authorities to surface Norman and Sudario.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Abduction/Kidnapping
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Youth
- Perpetrator-State
- Suspected state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Oct 22, 2023
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Sep 29, 2023
- Event Description
A veteran labor organizer was killed by elements of the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) in Binangonan, Rizal province on September 29.
According to initial reports received by labor center Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), 67-year old Jude Thaddeus Fernandez was killed in a firefight after police served a search warrant in his home in Binangonan. The officers claimed that Fernandez fired upon them, forcing them to fight back.
KMU, however, disputes this narrative. “Fernandez was organizing workers in communities to enjoin them to campaign for wage increases and other workers’ rights,” the group said in its statement. “He is a labor organizer and does not bear arms.”
A fact-finding mission led by KMU, progressive mass organizations, human rights organizations, Gabriela Women’s Party representative Arlene Brosas and former Bayan Muna representative Ferdinand Gaite indicated that there were “no signs of resistance on the part of Fernandez when he was gunned down by persons who identified as elements of the CIDG.”
KMU Secretary-General Jerome Adonis described the killing as “terrorist-esque.” He also noted that Fernandez’ remains have yet to be released to his family.
“It has been five days since he was killed and brought elsewhere, and now, [the PNP and CIDG] are refusing to give [the remains],” Adonis said in a statement by KMU. “Ka Jude’s friends and family only wish to mourn in peace and know the truth behind this brutal crime by the police.”
Fernandez was a veteran activist and labor organizer who first started organizing during the Marcos Sr. dictatorship. He began as a student activist in the University of the Philippines Los Baños and was a member of the UP Student Catholic Action. He started organizing workers in the Southern Tagalog region before moving on to organizing nationwide.
In a KMU-led indignation rally in front of the PNP National Headquarters in Camp Crame, Adonis said that Fernandez “was old, but he gave his entire 67 years to serve the working class.”
Since 2016, there have been 72 victims of extrajudicial killings from the workers’ sector nationwide, with Fernandez being the latest. KMU stressed that there have been four killings since the International Labor Organization conducted its High-Level Tripartite Mission in January 2023.
“The attacks against organizers and unionists are attacks on the legitimate campaigns of the workers and the people for wage increases, regular jobs, freedom to unionize and other people’s rights,” KMU said. The group noted that Fernandez’ killing came at a time of increased calls for wage increases, as well as to end government corruption and human rights violations.
In Rizal province, the minimum wage ranges from P385 ($6) to P520 ($9) per day. Ibon Foundation estimates that a family of five needs PHP1,108 daily to “live decently.” Meanwhile, coalitions in CALABARZON like the Workers Initiative for Wage Increase are lobbying for a P750 ($13) across-the-board wage increase.
Women’s alliance Gabriela also condemned Fernandez’ killing, stating that the incident is part of the “US-Marcos regime’s whole-of-nation approach which has only led to red-tagging, trumped-up charges, abductions, and killing of civilian advocates.”
The Fernandez slay happened just as news of three Indigenous People’s rights advocates were abducted by elements of the 203rd Infantry Brigade in Bongabong, Oriental Mindoro province. According to human rights watchdog Karapatan-Southern Tagalog, Job David, Peter Del Monte Jr., and Alia Encela were investigating reports of human rights violations in the Bongabong-Bansud area when they were forcibly taken by the military.
KMU is calling on the ILO and the Commission on Human Rights to “swiftly respond and attain justice.” They also call on all “workers and the people to protest and demand accountability and justice from the PNP-CIDG and the entire Marcos Jr. administration.”
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to life
- HRD
- Labour rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Oct 22, 2023
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Aug 13, 2023
- Event Description
Yet another organization helping the poor is being accused of terrorist links.
Based in Cebu, the Community Empowerment Resource Network, Inc. (CERNET) is a registered non-government organization that supports people’s organizations in the Visayas region, particularly on food security. On August 13, CERNET received a subpoena from the Department of Justice (DOJ) alleging that 27 individuals who are former council members, board members, staff, and even a member of the network’s partner people organization are supporting the armed revolution.
‘Stern warning’
Brig. Gen Joey Escanillas, commanding officer of the 302nd Infantry Brigade, in his complaint accused members and former members of CERNET of violating Republic Act No. 10168 (Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act of 2012).
In a press conference, Escanillas claimed that CERNET is operating a 60-40 scheme wherein 60 percent goes to the communist movement while 40 percent goes to the intended beneficiary.
“They have mastered this form of acquiring funds legally but it goes to something illegal.”
He said that in 2018, CERNET was able to raise “more than 333 million pesos from foreign funding agencies”. He added that “around 200 million [were given to] the communist terror group.” These estimates, he said, is based on publicly available data gathered by an “independent individual” who was said to be curious about CERNET.
Although he admitted that CERNET’s funding is subject to audit, Escanillas still insisted that a “large portion” goes to the financing of a terrorist group. “This case serves as a stern warning to those who aid, collaborate with, and conspire with this terror group.”
Harassment based on lies
In a statement read by CERNET Executive Director Justine Villarante, CERNET stressed that the charges are meant to harass the organization engaged in helping poor farmers, fisherfolks, and urban poor communities in the Visayas region through livelihood and empowerment initiatives since its founding in 2001.
“(The accusation) is grounded on the lies and baseless accusations of their primary witness, Bernabe Nieves, a former staff of CERNET who was terminated due to grave misconduct and violation of CERNET Code of Ethics,” the statement read.
“We express our dismay as this only proves that the Philippine government targets and persecutes Civil Society Organizations (CSO) in the country, particularly those advocating collective action and development initiatives by weaponizing Philippine laws derived from the recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force,” it continues, stressing that this action “endangers the lives of development organizations and workers as they strive [to help achieve the] UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.”
Helping the poor
Carmelita Alcontin of the Kapunungan sa Makugihong Mag-uuma sa Bato, Toledo City (KMMB) said that since CERNET arrived in their community in Bato, Toledo City to survey the place, they have not been hesitant in giving out help to the community through projects. “They are giving us services which the government should be providing to poor farmers. CERNET was the one who responded to our needs,” she said, adding that if CERNET did not provide the projects they would continue to suffer from extreme poverty.
Giovanni Gabuli, president of Pundok Sagop Kalikupan, a beneficiary of CERNET, said that it is difficult for an ordinary fisherman to improve their economic status with just the means available to them. He said that they were grateful when CERNET offered their services. He said that CERNET helped establish the fishpond and communal garden, as well as conducted training in soap making.
In a statement, AMP-Action Network Human Rights-Philippines found the charges against CERNET to be “unsubstantiated, seemingly designed to tarnish [its] reputation and to hinder its operations.” A network of German church-based and human rights organizations, AMP reports the Philippine human rights situation in Germany and the European Union. Its member organizations include Amnesty International Germany, Brot für die Welt, International Peace Observers Network (IPON), Misereor, Missio Munich, philippinennbüro e.V. and the United Evangelical Mission.
History of harassments
For more than two decades, CERNET and its network members have been experiencing various forms of harassment and intimidation.
In 2008, its executive director and administrative officer were falsely implicated in a case filed by the military. The case was dismissed the following year as baseless and in 2011 they filed countercharges. Ten years later (2018), CERNET suffered from continuous attacks and vilification, to the point of being included in the presentation of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) in a 2019 congressional hearing. In 2020, a member of its network, Elena Tijamo, was abducted from her home in Bantayan Island only to be found in a funeral parlor in Metro Manila the following year. How she arrived in Manila remained a mystery.
In January this year, its staff April Dyan Gumanao was abducted by suspected members of the Philippine Army together with her partner, also a development worker. They were later surfaced in a resort in Northern Cebu.
Uncertain future
Villarante stressed that CERNET complies with the stringent financial reporting of their funders and their financial records passed an extensive third party audit.
For his part, Dennis Abarientos of Karapatan Central Visayas said that they are confident that the case would not stand in court.
On September 28, the respondents submitted their counter-affidavits and attended the preliminary investigation.
Meanwhile, small farmers, fisherolks, and women from the urban poor, are worried about their future as they depend on CERNET’s assistance.
“If CERNET would stop, it is like putting an end to our organization,” said Virgie Garcia who belongs to a women farmer’s group based in Aloguinsan, Cebu. “The threat and attacks against CERNET is an attack on our projects, and initiatives that help in our effort to attain food security, as well as with our livelihood and attacks against our families.”
- Impact of Event
- 28
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats, Vilification
- Rights Concerned
- Right to protect reputation, Right to work
- HRD
- NGO, NGO staff
- Perpetrator-State
- Government
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Oct 22, 2023
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Sep 23, 2023
- Event Description
Three indigenous people’s rights advocates investigating human rights violations were abducted in Mindoro Oriental.
According to Karapatan Southern Tagalog, they are Job Abednego David, 29, Peter del Monte Jr., 29, and Alia Encela, 19.
They were abducted in Malaglag village, Barangay Lisap, Bongabong town by soldiers belonging to the 4th Infantry Battalion and the 203rd Infantry Brigade of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
David, Del Monte and Encela were investigating human rights violations related to reports of bombings and shelling in the area earlier this year which were connected to mining and quarrying projects that affected the residents and indigenous people.
Before their disappearance, the families of David and Del Monte received messages from a suspicious Facebook account claiming to be General Randolph Cabangbang of the 203rd Infantry Brigade, asking them to contact him.
Human rights groups in the Southern Tagalog region condemned their abduction.
“This latest attack by the military on rights advocates only proves that there is no ‘Bagong Pilipinas’ (New Philippines) under Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. He only exposed himself as an enabler of state terrorism and attacks against the Filipino people,” said Rev. Luisito Saliendra, Karapatan Southern Tagalog spokesperson
Indigenous communities in Mindoro have been the primary targets of military operations, including test fire exercises, aerial bombings and strafing which affect thousands of residents.
Previous military abductions have raised concerns about the use of red-tagging tactics to justify human rights violations. Karapatan Southern Tagalog and other human rights organizations have called for a thorough investigation into these violations and justice for the victims.
“We are demanding for the immediate release of David, Del Monte and Encela and holding the 203rd Infantry Brigade and the 4th Infantry Battalion accountable for their actions,” Saliendera said.
- Impact of Event
- 3
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- Abduction/Kidnapping
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Indigenous peoples' rights defender, WHRD, Youth
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Oct 22, 2023
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Sep 22, 2023
- Event Description
On September 22, student journalist Aila Joy Esperida received a letter signed by a regional administrative authority, a Naga City Barangay, summoning her and her parents for a discussion with unidentified members of the Philippine armed forces on September 24. The Democrat found that the letter contained no official Barangay seal, and no reason was provided for the invitation. A day prior, The Democrat photojournalist John Harvee Cabal received a similar letter from their Barangay.
Prior to the summons, during the 51st-anniversary Martial Law commemoration at Plaza Rizal in Naga City on September 21, Esperida and other student journalists were harassed by soldiers, who took photos of The Democrat’s student staff without their consent and demanded they provide personal information. The student journalists objected to this and urged the soldiers to delete the photos.
Esperida requested the identity of the soldier who collected their personal information, later identified as Sergeant Creo, who questioned the students about their presence at the plaza and encouraged them to join an Infantry division.
A similar incident took place on September 13, involving the publication's former Editor-in-Chief, Berlineth Nymia Montes. Similarly, pressure was exerted on her and her family, with members of the armed forcesinsinuating that she held an affiliation with Filipino terrorist organisations, a practice commonly known as ‘Red-tagging’.
The Democrat, affiliated with the College Editors Guild of the Philippines, is currently seeking the assistance of human rights attorneys and the NUJP. The publication's editorial team has also notified university authorities and scheduled meetings to plan their future actions.
- Impact of Event
- 3
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats, Surveillance
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Student, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Oct 22, 2023
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Sep 15, 2023
- Event Description
In what is rapidly becoming a sinister pattern, two individuals were abducted on September 15, 2023 by suspected State agents in Negros Occidental.
A Facebook post by Negros alternative media outfit Paghimutad reported that Bea Lopez, a 26-year-old peasant organizer and resident of Sitio Langud, Brgy. Camalandaan, Cauayan, Negros Occidental; and tricycle driver Peter Agravante, a resident of Sitio Tagnok, Brgy. Gil Montilla, Sipalay City were seized in Sipalay at around 10 a.m. They were reportedly on the way to Brgy. Gil Montilla when they were accosted by masked and armed men in a white van who forced them into the vehicle. The tricycle the victims were riding was also taken and loaded at the back of a pick-up vehicle.
On September 17, Agravante’s body was found in a cliff in Barangay Nagbo-alao, Basay, Negros Oriental. His wrists were bound with rope and his eyes, mouth and ankles bound in duct tape. He had a gunshot wound to the head. Witnesses said that at around midnight of September 16, a white pick-up truck stopped at the area and threw something by the wayside.
Lopez is among the latest victims in a string of abductions and disappearances under the Marcos Jr. regime.
Their abduction comes barely two weeks after that of environmental activists Jonila Castro and Jhed Tamano who were reported seized in Orion, Bataan on September 2, 2023. Pictures of Castro and Tamano were shown to the media on September 15 in a press conference organized by the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) but the two remain in military custody despite appeals by Jonila’s mother Roselie Castro for her daughter’s release. Contrary to numerous eyewitness accounts of the abduction, the NTF-ELCAC is making dubious claims that Jonila and Jhed voluntarily surrendered.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- Abduction/Kidnapping
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Suspected state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Oct 2, 2023
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Sep 14, 2023
- Event Description
The Palace extended its heartfelt condolences to the family of Maria Saniata Liwliwa Gonzales Alzate, after being gunned down by still unidentified assailants in Banguet, Abra last Thursday.
Alzate was shot at least eight times while inside her parked white Mitsubishi Mirage G4 sedan two days ago. The gunmen were seen riding a motorcycle and immediately fled the crime scene.
"We are one with the family of Atty. Maria Saniata Liwliwa Gonzales Alzate in this time of grief, and we offer them our most sincere and heartfelt condolences," Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said in a statement this Saturday.
"We join our brothers and sisters in the legal profession in condemning the killing of Atty. Alzate, who was mercilessly gunned down in front of her home in the afternoon of 14 September 2023."
Bersamin described Alzate as a "fearless," "steadfast," and "principled" lawyer unrelenting in her pursuit of justice.
Alzate, according to National Union of Peoples' Lawyers (NUPL) president Ephraim Cortez, was the third lawyer killed during the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
The NUPL is currently considering the possibility that the attack was connected to her profession, given the nature of the cases she handles.
The victim was said to have given her legal assistance to reported victims of illegal arrest, detention and torture allegedly perpetuated by the Philippine National Police.
She had also been providing pro-bono legal services to indigent litigants and has been serving as private prosecutor in the slaying of a teacher allegedly by a barangay chairperson.
"Her death is a tragedy as well for the good province of Abra and for the legal profession," Bersamin added.
"We will ensure that our law enforcement agencies will work relentlessly to bring to justice those behind this heinous act. Hot pursuit operations are already ongoing, and we call upon our citizens to remain vigilant."
The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) likewise condemned the killing and joins the calls for enforcement agencies to urgently pursue the perpetrators in order to be brought to justice.
"In the midst of calls to address impunity, threats and attacks against the members of the legal profession directly affront the rule of law," stressed the commission.
"CHR has since stressed their important role: courts, lawyers, and judges are crucial in administering justice, as well as in uncovering the truth, especially for gross human rights violations."
CHR says that it's in the best interest of the state to protect lawyers to be able to dispense their duty of ensuring justice without fear of threats and retaliation.
Gonzales-Alzate is known to be the former president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) Abra chapter and has been an IBP Commissioner of Bar Discipline since 2015.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to life
- HRD
- Lawyer, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 22, 2023
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Sep 2, 2023
- Event Description
Save for a pair of slippers and a piece of sandal, there were no traces of the two young women abducted by armed men in Orion town in Bataan province on the night of Sept. 2, a human rights group said.
The fact-finding mission of friends and colleagues of Jhed Tamano, 22, and Jonila Castro, 21, yielded no other leads as of Monday, according to Amador Cadano, spokesperson for the human rights watchdog Karapatan in the Central Luzon region.
In a post on social media, Karapatan sought online help for any information that could lead to the whereabouts of the two following the reported abduction.
According to Karapatan, Tamano works as a coordinator in the “Turn the Tide Now” program of the church group Ecumenical Bishop Forum-Central Luzon while Castro serves as a community volunteer for Akap Ka Manila Bay, a network of various sectors opposing the reclamation projects on Manila Bay.
Both environmental workers studied at Bulacan State University (BulSU) in the City of Malolos in Bulacan and were former members of the Student Alliance for the Advancement of Nationalism and Democracy BulSU, an activist group at the university.
Castro was an undergraduate psychology student in 2019 while Tamano was a business economics graduate in 2022.
Citing accounts of eyewitnesses, Karapatan said armed men were seen forcing Tamano and Castro inside a gray Toyota Innova in front of the Orion Water District in Barangay Lati at 8 p.m. on Sept. 2.
Tailed “Before they went missing, the two reported being tailed by men wearing civilian clothes. The two stayed in Sitio Ormoc in Barangay Balut (also in Orion) for at least three days, consulting the community for a possible relief operation,” Cadano said.
They were sent to Orion by Akap Ka to consult with communities that were affected by the new coastal road and reclamation project planned for the expansion of the free port of Bataan, according to Cadano.
The ongoing dredging work in Barangay Capunitan had so far displaced some 200 families in need of help, he added.
The two women were set to leave Orion on the night of Sept. 2 for another consultation in another town but they stopped replying to text messages from friends around 7 p.m., Cadano said.
Karapatan-Central Luzon held state forces, the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict and the Marcos administration “accountable for the enforced disappearance of Jhed and Jonila and all others who disappeared in the region and in the nation.” Cadano did not say the basis of the group’s suspicion.
He said the incident involving Tamano and Castro was the second case of enforced disappearances in the region after those of peasant organizers Elena Pampoza and Elgene Mungcal, also known as the Moncada 2, who went missing in July 2022.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- Abduction/Kidnapping
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Environmental rights defender, WHRD, Youth
- Perpetrator-State
- Suspected state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 14, 2023
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Aug 24, 2023
- Event Description
community organizer and a jeepney driver were arrested and taken into custody last Aug. 24 in Buhay na Sapa, San Juan, Batangas province.
In a recent alert issued by Tanggol Batangan, a human rights group in Batangas, the detained individuals were identified as Ernesto Baez Jr., an engaged farmer advocate and organizer of Samahan ng Magbubukid sa Batangas (Sambat), jeepney driver Jose Escobio, and his friend Junald Jabonero.
Baez Jr. is the brother of Erlindo Baez, spokesperson of the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan – Batangas, who is now detained due to trumped up cases.
Tanggol Batangan learned of the incident after Escobio’s family reported his disappearance.
In a statement released by Sambat, Baez Jr. said he hired Escobio to drive for him to San Juan, Batangas. The three, however, were intercepted and held at gunpoint at Buhay na Sapa village in San Juan.
They were then blindfolded and forced to return to their vehicles, which, according to Sambat, was filled with planted firearms and explosives.
“The PNP and AFP appear to be merely repeating their well-worn and evident modus operandi of arresting civilians and planting ‘evidence’ on them which clearly shows they are doing this to silence the people,” said Sambat.
All three are detained at Camp Miguel Malvar in Batangas City and have been charged with illegal possession of firearms and explosives.
This incident adds to a growing concern of alleged harassment cases by state forces in Batangas province.
Just this month, local organizers in the sugarcane and sugar industry have been targeted with repeated harassment, false accusations, and surveillance by the 59th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army.
“It is crucial to act and mobilize further, intensifying the call to respect the human rights of Batangueños. The abduction of the San Juan 3 only implies the state’s desperation to suppress the rights of the people,” Hailey Pecayo, spokesperson of Tanggol Batangan, said.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment, Vilification
- Rights Concerned
- Right to liberty and security, Right to protect reputation
- HRD
- Community-based HRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military, Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 13, 2023
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Aug 4, 2023
- Event Description
Progressives decried the apparent harassment suit filed against visual artist Max Santiago and three other John Does over the burning of the effigy of Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in the last State of the Nation Address protest.
In the complaint, the Philippine police said Santiago violated environmental laws such as the Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Waste Management Act of 2000 and the Republic Act 8749 or the Clean Air Act when an effigy of Marcos Jr. was burned during the protest action last State of the Nation Address.
This, the police said, was a “deliberate disrespect to the President and to our country” and later added that it “greatly contributed to air pollution.”
“It is well established that an effigy is a form of art. It is not solid waste: it is not garbage or refuse. It is hypocritical of the state to allege this when it cannot even address the problem of worsening traffic and its emissions, urban and industrial waste, and other government-regulated practices that contribute to environmental destruction,” Lisa Ito, secretary general of the Concerned Artists of the Philippines, said.
CAP added that the “emissions from an effigy burning are nothing compared to the criminal conduct and neglect of this administration.”
On Aug. 4, the Philippine police filed a certificate of extraction before its anti-cybercrime group on the Facebook Page of Film Weekly, an alternative news outfit in the country.
This is per the open-source intelligence of the police, where videos of the burning and creation of the effigy of Marcos Jr. was supposedly posted.
The police said that while peaceful protest is integral to democracy, “any form of protest should be conducted within the boundaries of the law and respect for the rights and safety of all individuals involved.
However, the police added that they found no social media account under the name of Santiago.
Santiago is a long-time cultural worker and visual artist. He was formerly with the cultural group Ugatlahi and editorial cartoonist for the online alternative Manila Today.
He also regularly contributes editorial cartoons to online alternative news Bulatlat.
In an earlier tweet, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan chair Renato Reyes called on the artist community to support Santiago, saying that “this is repression hiding behind feigned concern for the environment.”
Ito of CAP said, “this lawsuit is an attack on freedom of expression and right of the people to redress and expression of grievance. Why spend public resources on this just to save face when the realities that the effigy reflects and expresses remain unaddressed?”
The preliminary investigation is set on Sept. 5 and 12 at the prosecutor’s office of Quezon City.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Artist
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 6, 2023
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Aug 5, 2023
- Event Description
A Laguna-based unionist was subjected to surveillance and harassment last August 5, following a series of threats and intimidation of labor leaders in the Southern Tagalog region.
According to reports, Mario Fernandez, president of Technol Eight Philippines Workers Union (TEPWU-OLALIA-KMU), was approached by a man claiming to be affiliated with UMPHIL, an organization allegedly created by the management of Philfoods, Inc. right after the Unyon ng mga Panadero ng Philfoods Fresh Baked Products, Inc’s (UPPFBPI) establishment. UMPHIL was reportedly meant to obstruct the Sole and Exclusive Bargaining Agent (SEBA) process of UPPFBPI-Organized Labor Associations in Line Industries and Agriculture (OLALIA).
The man followed Fernandez throughout the day. The labor leader also attempted to record the surveillance video on his phone but was stopped. He was also threatened that they have his photos and other personal information.
This incident happened after the pre-election conference of UPPFBPI-OLALIA.
“I will not be silenced by these acts of intimidation. The fight for workers’ rights to unionize is more important than ever, and I will continue to stand up for what is just and fair.” Fernandez, who also sits as chairperson of OLALIA-Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), said.
The surveillance of Fernandez comes on the heels of relentless attacks against unionists and community organizers in the Southern Tagalog region.
This has since resulted in the killing of Dandy Miguel, labor leader of Lakas ng Nagkakaisang Manggagawa ng Fuji Electric Philippines (LNMFEP-OLALIA-KMU).
“It is deeply concerning that someone who is dedicating his life to advocating for the rights of workers is facing such blatant harassment and surveillance. Instead of wage increase, we receive an increasing number of human rights violation among workers here in Laguna.” Fe Valdeavilla, spokesperson of Alyansa ng Manggagawa sa Probinsya ng Laguna, said.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats, Surveillance
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Labour rights defender
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Suspected non-state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Aug 11, 2023
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jul 12, 2023
- Event Description
A farmer and a community worker were arrested by soldiers on July 12 in Atimonan, Quezon while conducting community research.
In an alert released by human rights group Karapatan Southern Tagalog, farmer and community health worker Miguela Peniero and youth volunteer Rowena Dasig were arrested by members of the 85th Infantry Battalion in purok Banaba, barangay Caridad Ibaba, Atimonan.
Karapatan-ST said Peniero and Dasig were studying the potential impacts of the proposed combined cycle gas turbine power project and liquefied natural gas terminal plant to be operated by Atimonan One Energy, Inc. (A1E) on coconut farmers and fisherfolk communities.
According to the group, A1E’s original plan to build a coal-fired power plant “was opposed by environmental groups and residents of Atimonan due to the health risk from using fossil fuels, and the loss of lands and livelihood.”
In a social media post, 85th IB claimed that two are members of the revolutionary group New People’s Army.
Karapatan said a humanitarian team has tried to visit Peniero and Dasig yesterday, July 17, at the Atimonan Municipal Police Station (MPS) but they were denied access to the two.
“The soldiers are present at the police station and blatantly disregard the rights of the Peniero and Dasig to be assisted by a paralegal and to receive aid brought by the team,” Karapatan-ST said in an update.
The group said that the military also did not sign the certificate of detention and has given them a runaround regarding the whereabouts of the two.
They were charged with illegal possession of firearms and explosives, a charge which was commonly used against activists and human rights defenders.
Peniero is a former political prisoner and a cancer survivor. She was arrested on Feb. 4, 2012, in Calauag, Quezon by the 88th Infantry Battalion for trumped-up charges. She was released after serving her sentence for eight years. Meanwhile, Dasig is the secretary general of Anakbayan Southern Tagalog doing advocacy work in peasant communities in the Quezon Province.
The Environmental Defenders Congress (ENVIDEFCON) denounced the charges against Peniero and Dasig, and demanded their immediate release.
The group refuted the claims of the 85th IB, saying that Dasig or Owen as they call her, has worked with environmental groups such as Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment in campaigns against the destructive Kaliwa Dam and other environmental campaigns of communities around the Rizal and Quezon area. Her most recent community organizing work against the planned fossil gas plant is clearly environmental defense work, they added.
The ENVIDEFCON said ending fossil fuel use is imperative for mitigating and adapting to climate change.
“Fossil fuels are the primary driver of greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming and environmental degradation, so any plans for a fossil fuel power plant in the Philippines should be discouraged. Despite this, the Marcos Jr. administration has prioritized the expansion of the fossil gas industry,” the group said.
According to its website, A1E is the developer of the first ultra supercritical coal-fired power plant in the Philippines. The 2×600-MW plant will be built in Atimonan, Quezon and has been certified as an Energy Project of National Significance (EPNS) under Executive Order No. 30.
However, the ENVIDEFCON said that many studies show that communities located near such plants are at risk of experiencing various illnesses. “It is in this light that Dasig and Peñero were researching possible health impacts of the proposed liquefied natural gas plant, not to mention other possible impacts on local biodiversity,” ENVIDEFCON said.
“Any community organizing work done in these areas to resist new fossil fuel infrastructure is environmental defense work that will benefit not only the communities in the area but all Filipinos who depend on a stable climate and healthy ecosystems for our survival,” they added.
The ENVIDEFCON said that the arbitrary arrest and continued detention of Peniero and Dasig is “not only a violation of their rights but also a disturbing indication of escalating state terror and human rights abuses against environmental defenders under the administration of Ferdinand Marcos Jr.”
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment, Vilification
- Rights Concerned
- Access to justice, Right to liberty and security, Right to protect reputation
- HRD
- Environmental rights defender, WHRD, Youth
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Aug 9, 2023
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jul 14, 2023
- Event Description
Three San Juanico TV reporters were harassed by two off-duty police officers and allegedly shot at by an unknown party while covering a land dispute involving the officers in Leyte, Visayas, on July 14. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), in condemning the harassment and attempted attack by the journalists and urging the authorities to continue its investigation transparently.
On the morning of July 14, three reporters from San Juanico TV, Lito Bagunas, Noel Sianosa and Ted Tomas, were conducting interviews with farmers in Leyte’s Municipality of Pastrana while preparing a story on a land dispute between Philippine National Police (PNP) Staff Sergeant Rhea Mae Baleos and local couple Moises Empillo and Anecia Nogal. The trio were stopped by an unknown woman, subsequently identified as Baleos, who instructed them to leave the scene.
Sianosa’s phone was reportedly confiscated by Baleos after he and Tomas recorded footage of an argument between Baleos and Nogal. In a video published by the NUJP, Baleos can be seen violently pushing and grabbing Sianosa, attempting to escort him away from the scene. A few seconds later, at least three gunshots can be heard, with Tomas alleging he saw uniformed police officers firing the bullets. Tomas urged the shooter to cease their fire, identifying himself and his colleagues as members of the press.
According to Leyte police, Baleos called for police intervention following the dispute, with several officers being sent from the local Pastrana Municipal Police Office. Pastrana police denied that the dispatched officers discharged their weapons, alleging that an unidentified assailant was responsible for the shooting. The dispute allegedly originated from land ownership claims made by Empillo and Nogal, with the couple debating Baleos’ claims to have mortgaged the property in 2017, instead stating the land had been sold by a third party.
Following a complaint from the reporters, Baleos and her husband, Staff Sergeant Ver Baleos, were relieved from their duties on July 15. They have since surrendered their firearms, with a provincial investigative team commencing a probe of the incident.
The NUJP said: “We welcome the news that the two police officers allegedly involved in the harassment have been relieved and will be investigated. However, we also note statements from the municipal police dismissing the reported shooting incident as "disinformation" even while the provincial police office has promised a thorough investigation. […] While we welcome the prompt action by authorities, this incident is a reminder to assert press freedom and to revisit safety protocols to help keep ourselves safe in the field.”
The IFJ said: “The harassment and alleged attack by police officers of identified members of the press is deeply concerning. Journalists working in the field must be protected and allowed to report without fear of reprisal. The IFJ condemns the threats against journalists Lito Bagunas, Noel Sianosa, and Ted Tomas and urges the authorities to ensure that investigations into the incident are conducted swiftly and transparently.”
- Impact of Event
- 3
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Media Worker
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Aug 9, 2023
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jun 21, 2023
- Event Description
A lawyer from the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) has asked the Muntinlupa court to cite for indirect contempt former senator Leila de Lima, Sen. Risa Hontiveros, and Rep. Edcel Lagman, for embarrassing the wisdom of the court.
Atty. Ferdinand Topacio also asked the court to cite for indirect contempt lawyers Filibon Tacardon and Dino de Leon and Cristina Palabay of Karapatan and Bayan’s Renato Reyes.
He said the media statements made by de Lima and the others violate the “sub judice” rule that prohibits comments and disclosures about judicial proceedings to avoid prejudging the issue, influencing the court, or obstructing the administration of justice.
“Specifically assailed in this Petition are the contemptuous conduct of respondents in making public comments regarding the case of Atty. Leila de Lima, which tends to impede, obstruct, or degrade the administration of justice,” read the petition.
The statements, he said, “clearly tend to bring the court into disrepute or disrespect simply because a ruling was made contrary to what they want.”
De Lima has one more illegal drug trading case pending case before the Muntinlupa Court after she was acquitted for the two other cases.
But the case is up for raffle after Judge Romeo Buenaventura inhibited from handling the case.
In a verified Facebook page, Topacio mentioned de Lima’s “Dispatch from Crame No. 1301” in which he said the former senator “directly incited the public to question the wisdom of the Honorable Court’s decision” in denying her bail petition.
“This action from respondent de Lima is unnecessary as she knows that the Court, despite the presence of inconsistencies, found credibility on the inmate’s testimonies as stated in its decision,” read the petition.
As a lawyer, Topacio said de Lima is expected to respect the court’s decision.
As for Tacardo and de Leon, Topacio said both lawyers publicly discussed the case’s merits.
“Sadly, they appear to have completely forgotten such rule [the subjudice rule],” he said.
As for the other respondents, they issued statements against the court’s denial of de Lima’s petition for bail.
“Thus, it can be inferred that there is no other reason for the respondents to make these public statements in the media but to simply embarrass the wisdom of the Honorable Court just because they did not get the result they wanted,” the petition stated.
If found guilty of indirect contempt, under Section 7 of Rule 71 of the Rules of Court, “he may be punished by a fine not exceeding thirty thousand pesos, imprisonment not exceeding six (6) months, or both. ”
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline
- HRD
- NGO staff, WHRD
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Non-state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Jul 27, 2023
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jul 10, 2023
- Event Description
Indigenous and human rights groups condemned the terrorist designation of four Igorot activists in the Cordillera by the Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC) just over a month after beating a rebellion case filed against them.
In a July 10 press release, the ATC announced the designation of Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA) pioneer Abellon-Alikes, chairperson Windel Bolinget, regional council member Stephen Tauli, and researcher Jennifer Awingan-Taggaoa as terrorists.
The government accused them of being members of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) Ilocos Cordillera Regional White Area Committee and the Cordillera White Area Committee
CPA condemned the designation of four of its leaders, calling it a “relentless attack against indigenous peoples’ activists.”
“While we at CPA continue to seek legal remedies to ensure our safety, security, and human rights in this shrinking democratic space, the state also weaponizes everything at its disposal to silence us,” the statement said.
The International Indigenous Peoples Movement for Self Determination and Liberation (IPMSDL) also slammed their inclusion in the terrorist list. The group also urged the government to remove their names.
Bolinget is a member of the international coordinating committee of the network.
“Indigenous peoples’ pro-active defense of their ancestral lands, life, rights, and territories are never acts of terrorism but a vibrant exercise of their right to self-determination,” the group said.
“Their vocal expression of dissent and democratic freedoms to criticize any powers that be must be ensured and protected, not silenced, criminalized, vilified and further marginalized,” IPMSDL added.
Justification
ATC said their designation under ATC Resolution No. 41, approved on June 7, were “based on verified and validated information, sworn statements, and other pieces of evidence gathered by Philippine law enforcement agencies.”
Abellon-Alikes and Bolinget allegedly violated Sections 10 and 12 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), which refers to recruitment to and membership in a terrorist organization and providing material support to terrorist organizations, respectively. Meanwhile, Awingan-Taggaoa and Tauli supposedly breached Section 10.
Since 2017, cases filed against them in local courts, implicating them in several attacks committed by the communist rebels, were dismissed or quashed.
Abellon-Alikes, Awingan-Taggaoa, Bolinget, and Tauli were among the seven activists from the Ilocos and Cordillera charged with rebellion in January. They were implicated in an NPA ambush in Malibcong, Abra in October 2022. Last May, the regional trial court in Bangued quashed the warrant and excluded them from the case for lack of probable cause.
The CPA chair was also included in a murder charge in Davao del Norte. A court in Tagum City dismissed the case in July 2021 for lack of probable cause.
Meanwhile, for Abellon-Alikes, the quashing of the warrant last May was her fifth legal victory since 2017.
Bolinget said the recent ATC resolution, designating them as terrorists, proves that the ATA intended to target activists and government critics.
He added: “It is a government tool, a last resort when their systematic legal harassments fail to silence activists and the democratic mass movement.”
‘Hit list’
Human rights group Karapatan said the designation sets up the four individuals to graver attacks and human rights violations.
“With the State’s trumped-up accusations against these activists failing to prosper in courts, the ATC is now resorting to designation not only as a way of curtailing their movements and derailing their pro-people and human rights advocacies but to set the victims up for arrest on other trumped-up charges or worse, for involuntary disappearance or extrajudicial killing,” said Karapatan secretary general Cristina Palabay.
She called the designation list “a virtual hit list.”
“We condemn the ATC for unjustly, arbitrarily, and maliciously designating political activists as terrorist individuals and endangering their lives, safety, and security in the process…We will hold the ATC and its co-conspirators in the intelligence agencies and the NTF-ELCAC accountable for any harm that may befall these designated individuals,” Palabay said.
“We deplore the increasing use of terror laws against activists and peasants to suppress political dissent and violate basic rights and civil liberties, as what numerous human rights advocates and groups have warned when the Anti-Terrorism Act was signed into law,” she added.
- Impact of Event
- 4
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- Vilification
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to protect reputation
- HRD
- Indigenous peoples' rights defender, NGO staff, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Government
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Jul 17, 2023
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jun 19, 2023
- Event Description
Four farmers opposing the Naga Airport Development Project were arrested for cyberlibel, a peasant group said on Wednesday, June 21.
Known as the Pili 4, the bail is set at P48,000 ($862) each or P192,000 ($3,450) for all four farmers.
Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) said that Artemio Sanchez, Jose Retubio, Nenita Petallo, and William Petallo were arrested on June 19. They are members of the Damayan nin Paraoma sa Camarines Sur (DAMPA) which has been opposed to the Naga Airport Development Project.
Approved by the National Economic and Development Authority in 2015, KMP said that the project not only undermines the livelihoods of more than 200 farming families but also encroaches on at least 200 hectares of prime irrigated agricultural lands.
Aside from this, KMP projected a loss of around 1.3 million metric tons of rice produced annually in the community, affecting local rice supplies. “It will also disrupt a communal irrigation system servicing more than 500 hectares of rice fields covering four other villages.”
According to KMP, the project will displace more than a thousand farmers and residents in San Agustin village, Pili, Camarines Sur. “We condemn the unjust arrest and detention of four farmers from DAMPA. Their arrest is a clear act of harassment and a violation of the rights and freedoms of land rights defenders.”
KMP said the charges were reportedly connected with a confrontation on April 18, 2018 between the affected residents and officials supportive to the project, including the Villafuerte clan. On that day, KMP said that the residents of San Agustin woke up to a blocked access road allegedly ordered by CamSur Governor Migz Villafuerte. “A crucial road for the community, the road was dumped over with soil and rocks, making it impassable for vehicles – a common harassment tactic employed by land grabbers.”
Due to the blockage, deceased former CamSur Congressman Rolando “Nonoy” Andaya, Pili Mayor Thomas Bongalonta Jr., along with furious residents including DAMPA members went to the provincial governor’s office to confront Villafuerte.
After this, militarization in San Agustin village intensified. Members of DAMPA were subjected to threats, red-tagging and surveillance. Despite this, DAMPA continued the advocacy for peasants’ welfare and right to land.
“In November 2020, as the pandemic, militarist lockdowns, and typhoons Ulysses, Quinta, and Rolly ravaged the lives and livelihoods of the rural poor in Bicol, DAMPA coordinated with various organizations to ensure the success of a Sagip Kanayuan relief operation for the benefit of hundreds of Pili farmers,” KMP said.
KMP called for the dropping of the charges filed against the Pili 4 and that they be released immediately. “Beyond this, the proposed Naga Airport Development Project must be reevaluated to ensure the preservation of prime rice fields in Pili.”
- Impact of Event
- 4
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Community-based HRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Jul 16, 2023
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jun 25, 2023
- Event Description
On June 25, 59-year old Susan Medes was arrested, together with members of various local farmers’ organizations in Himamalyan, Negros Occidental for alleged murder and frustrated murder charges. Medes is the chairperson of Bgy. Buenavista-Bito-Cabagal Farmers’ Association (Babicafa).
For Medes and 17 others, the charges stemmed from an encounter between the NPA and the Philippine Army 62nd IBPA on May 12, 2018 in sitio Bunsad, Barangay Buenavista, Himamaylan in Negros Occidental.
Her husband Rodrigo was also arrested along with six others, including United Church of Christ in the Philippines Pastor Jimmy Teves in June 2019. They are facing trumped-up charges of murder and frustrated murder in connection with an encounter between the military and the NPA in May 2019 in Barangay Tan-awan, Kabankalan City.
Prior to Medes’s arrest, Fausto family (which includes two sons aged 15 and 12) was killed on July 14 also in the village of Buenavista, Himamaylan. Emelda Fausto was also a member of Babicafa. She and the rest of her family reportedly experienced harassment prior to the killing.
“We call on human rights organizations and advocates to strongly support the embattled activists, to actively campaign for the repeal of the terror law, and uphold human and people’s rights against the worsening climate of repression and impunity under the Marcos Jr. regime,” the group said.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community), Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, NGO staff, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Jul 16, 2023
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jun 9, 2023
- Event Description
Human rights group Karapatan denounced the recent reports of activists and human rights defenders being accused of trumped-up charges.
On June 26, Karapatan Southern Tagalog said it received a copy of a subpoena summoning Anakbayan Southern Tagalog Regional Coordinator Ken Rementilla and Jasmin Rubia, secretary-general of Mothers and Children for the Protection of Human Rights (MCPHR). They were accused of violating Section 12 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), or providing material support to terrorists.
Karapatan said Rementilla and Rubia are the 10th and 11th victims of the State’s “legal offensive” against political dissent in the Southern Tagalog region since the ATA was enacted in 2020.
Cristina Palabay, secretary-general of Karapatan, said that the increased use of the anti-terror law and other trumped-up charges against activists has become a pattern during the first year of the Marcos Jr administration, “as it implements draconian policies rolled out as laws during the President Duterte administration and continues its campaign of political persecution of activists and political dissenters.”
Palabay said that there are at least 49 individuals who were arrested and detained under the Marcos Jr administration. Karapatan documented 778 political prisoners as of June this year.
Weaponization
Karapatan denounced the state forces’ attempt to weaponize the “draconian” Anti-Terorism Act (ATA) against Rubia and Rementilla.
The charges stemmed from a fact-finding mission in July 2022 which saw the participation of Rubia, Rementilla and Tanggol Batangan paralegal Hayley Pecayo. Led by MCPHR, an alliance of church workers, women activists and human rights advocates, the mission aimed to investigate the killing of 9-year old Kyllene Casao in Taysan, Batangas allegedly by elements of the 59th Infantry Battalion (IB) on July 18, 2022.
Karapatan said that the military accused Pecayo of being a member of the New People’s Army (NPA) and claimed that those who took part in the fact-finding mission were providing material support to terrorists.
Karapatan said that the participants of the said fact-finding mission were harassed and threatened by members of the 59th IB. This led the delegates of the mission, represented by Rubia and Rementilla, to file a complaint with the Commission on Human Rights on August 1, 2022.
“The ATA violation case is clearly being made in retaliation for the complaint filed at the CHR by the two,” Palabay said.
Karapatan said that the ATA case against Rementilla and Rubia is the latest in a slew of ATA cases faced by several Southern Tagalog activists. The subpoena was issued by Antipolo City Prosecutor Mari Elvira B. Herrera on June 9. The complaint was filed by Sgt. Jean Claude E. Bajaro of the 59th IB.
They added that six out of the 11 victims are affiliated with Karapatan’s regional and provincial chapters in Southern Tagalog. “The 59th IBPA is hellbent on preventing human rights workers and defenders from exposing and opposing grave human rights violations in the region,” Palabay said.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to work
- HRD
- NGO staff, WHRD, Youth
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Jul 16, 2023
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jun 14, 2023
- Event Description
Human rights alliance Karapatan today called on the Commission on Human Rights to immediately conduct an independent investigation into the gruesome massacre of four members of the Fausto family in Sitio Kangkiling, Barangay Buenavista, Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental, on June 14, 2023.
Negros-based human rights groups and media have confirmed the killing of peasant activists Roly Fausto, 55, and his wife Emelda, 50, who were members of the Baclayan, Bito, Cabagal Farmers and Farmworkers Association (BABICAFA), and their sons Ben, 15, and Ravin, 12.
On June 14, 2023, at about 10:00 p.m., gunshots were heard throughout the community. Residents thought there was an encounter between soldiers and members of the New People’s Army (NPA). Early the next morning, sprawled dead bodies of Emelda and her two sons Ben and Ravin Fausto were found in their hut. Photos show Emelda’s cadaver was just outside their hut’s doorway, while her skull and left leg were evidently shattered. A bloodied body of a boy, with his right leg mutilated, was found in a separate doorway at the back, and another boy’s body was found inside the hut. Roly’s remains were found near the hut.
According to local human rights groups, Roly and Emelda were subjected to continuous harassment from soldiers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in the past months.
On March 22, 2022 around 7 a.m. when Emelda was going home from doing laundry, she heard two gunshots. When she arrived, she saw a number of armed men in uniform surrounding their house, and estimated that there were at least 12 armed men in military uniform, while others were in civilian clothes. The soldiers then interrogated Emelda, one of them played with his knife in front of her. Some soldiers illegally searched their house, scattering their clothes and possibly pocketing their family’s money worth P5,000 hidden in their clothes. The soldiers also reportedly slaughtered five of their chickens.
When Roly arrived at their hut at 10 a.m., soldiers also interrogated him and forcibly brought him to a vacant hut near the Fausto’s home to continue the interrogation. The soldiers tied Roly’s neck with a belt, forced him to confess that he is a member of the NPA, and to reveal the names of other NPA members. He was also kicked twice in his shoulders. At around 1:00 p.m., the soldiers brought Roly back to his family’s hut. At 7:00 p.m., Roly was taken to the military detachment in Barangay Hilamonan, Kabankalan City where he was interrogated and coerced to admit that he is a member of the NPA. He was physically assaulted and was forced to serve as the soldiers’ guide for their military operations.
Emelda also reported two incidents in April and May 2023 of alleged illegal searches in their hut.
Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay said that the continuing military deployment and operations in communities in Negros have put the island under a de facto martial rule, where State forces have gone on killing sprees, terrorizing peasants and their communities, under the pretext of implementing the Marcos Jr. administration’s counter-insurgency program through Memorandum Order No. 32.
“No one has been investigated, prosecuted and made accountable for these heinous crimes, despite evidence of the military’s involvement in these incidents. This inaction on cases indicate the Marcos Jr. administration’s role in perpetuating these dire violations on human rights and the state of impunity in Negros,” Karapatan said.
As the human rights group addressed their call to the CHR, Karapatan also called on the Committees of Human Rights at the House of Representatives and the Senate to conduct similar investigations.
“While investigations on the murder of former Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo are ongoing, numerous cases involving peasants and farmworkers in Negros are left unaddressed. It is a pity that ordinary folks’ lives are seen as unimportant in the eyes of our legislators,” Palabay said.
Karapatan reiterated its call for the rescinding of Memorandum Order No. 32 and for the Marcos Jr. administration to halt military operations in Negros and communities nationwide.
- Impact of Event
- 4
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to life
- HRD
- Family of HRD, Land rights defender, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Suspected state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Jul 16, 2023
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- May 31, 2023
- Event Description
According to police reports, CWXR Kalahi Radio 101.7 and MUX Online broadcaster Cresenciano ‘Cris’ Bundoquin was shot to death outside his home in Calapan City by unknown gunmen in the early morning of May 31. According to regional police, two currently unidentified men approached the journalist on a White Honda XRM 125 motorcycle at around 4:20 am, with one assailant shooting the journalist in the chest.
Bundoquin was rushed to a nearby hospital but was declared dead on arrival. Oriental Mindoro Police Director Samuel Delorino confirmed that police have identified one of two suspects, Narciso Ignacio Guntan, who was slain as he attempted to escape the scene. Guntan’s cause of death is currently unclear due to conflicting reports.
According to station management, Bundoquin was known for hard-hitting coverage of local issues, including environmental concerns, political developments, and illegal gambling. He had reportedly received several threats before his death. Police have not yet indentified whether the incident was related to his journalistic work.
Rural journalists in the Philippines often face harassment and violence. On October 3, 2022 radio broadcaster Percival ‘Percy Lapid’ Mabasa was shot to death in Las Piñas City, one of four journalists killed for their reporting in 2022, of which three were from non-urban areas.
The NUJP said: “Although the motives behind the attack on Bundoquin are yet unclear and a police investigation is ongoing, this latest killing is a grim reminder that journalism remains a dangerous profession in the Philippines. We call on the Marcos administration and Presidential Task Force on Media Security to build on the leap in the Philippines' standing on the World Press Freedom index by ending the impunity surrounding attacks on journalists and bringing those who harass, attack, and kill media workers to account.”
IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger said: “The heinous killing of journalist Cris Bundoquin in cold blood poses an unacceptable violation to press freedom and freedom of expression. Rural and regional journalists in the Philippines must be able to report safely and securely without facing disproportionate violence, intimidation and threats. The IFJ strongly condemns the killing and urges authorities to conduct an immediate and thorough investigation to bring the culprits to justice.”
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Killing
- Rights Concerned
- Right to life
- HRD
- Media Worker
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Non-state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Jun 16, 2023
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- May 18, 2023
- Event Description
The union of workers at Wyeth Philippines is preparing for a strike following the dismissal of 140 workers.
On May 18, Wyeth-Nestle management laid off 140 workers, comprising 125 union members including 10 union officers, one manager, and 14 supervisors. The union has described the lay-offs as a “gross violation” of their Collective Bargaining Agreement, and “a clear-cut case of union busting.”
“We were blind-sided by the decision,” said Debie Faigmani , president of the Wyeth Philippines Progressive Workers’ Union (WPPWU-DFA-KMU). “We simply found out when we were about to clock in for the day and they wouldn’t let us enter. We couldn’t help but be angry.”
The union filed a notice of strike last May 20 at the National Conciliation and Mediation Board.
According to Wyeth management, the lay-offs were necessary to address “operational efficiencies at the factory.” It has insisted that no lock-out took place and that they “respect [their] employees’ rights, including the freedom of expression and the right to freedom of assembly.”
Wyeth Philippines has a workforce of 614 regular employees. WPPWU estimates the total workforce to be around 800 if contractual employees are included.
As of press time, the fences and gates of the Wyeth factory in barangay Canlubang, Calamba are covered with tarpaulins. According to WPPWU, the factory is in shutdown until June 20 “due to maintenance.”
According to Faigmani, Wyeth Philippines reported a net profit of over P2 billion (US$111.56 million) in 2020 alone. Additionally, Nestle’s 2022 annual review reported that sales in the Philippines accounted for P164.4 billion ($9.17 billion), or a 0.4 percent year-on-year increase.
“There’s really no basis for [Wyeth-Nestle management] to say that they are losing money,” said Faigmani.
Rumors of lay-offs have been circulating since the start of the year. The union repeatedly sought out dialogues with management in an attempt to address concerns. In a May 10 meeting, Faigmani and other union officers questioned Wyeth’s rationale in laying off 140 workers. Despite this, management responded that “more efforts are needed to be made in cost-cutting.”
Two days later, management announced a month-long shut down to save cost. Shift schedules were left unchanged until the sudden lock-out on May 18.
Other groups slammed Wyeth-Nestle for their attitude towards workers. Kilusang Mayo Uno said that the dismissals were a “grave violation of the workers’ rights to freedom of association.”
“It’s clear that there was no process in the lay-offs; that what happened was clear union busting meant to salvage profit,” said KMU Chairperson Elmer Labog. Labog called out Nestle for their track record in disrespecting labor rights in the Philippines.
At least two Nestle union presidents have been assassinated during the company’s presence in the Philippines: Meliton Roxas in 1989 and Diosdado Fortuna in 2005. In 2021, twenty one Wyeth employees and union members were also dismissed by management. The Student Christian Movement of the Philippines also condemned the dismissal, stating that “the humane thing to do is to respect workers’ rights and welfare, to hold the CBA between workers and management.” SCMP also noted that Nestle, who has owned Wyeth since 2012, has a “long history of union-busting in the Philippines.”
As recently as last year, Wyeth employees and union members have been targets of house-to-house campaigns by the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, as part of its red-tagging campaign against unionists.
Issues about workers’ rights to freedom of association have become a trend in the Philippines. In Laguna alone, multiple unions have reported instances of management and state forces meddling in union affairs.
These concerns have reached the International Labor Organization, which conducted a High-Level Tripartite Mission recently to investigate the state of labor rights in the Philippines. The ILO HLTM found “grave concerns” in labor rights and recommended that the Philippine government take concrete action in addressing them.
On April 28, Marcos Jr. signed Executive Order 23, creating an inter-agency committee to address concerns raised by the International Labor Organization’s High Level Tripartite Mission conducted last March.
The inter-agency committee is composed of different agencies, including the Department of Labor and Employment, the National Security Council, and the Philippine National Police. However, KMU does not think that the inter-agency committee can actually address concerns.
“We do not see it as having any actual teeth,” said Labog, noting that the inter-agency committee “has almost the same composition as NTF-ELCAC.”
He also pointed out the lack of worker representation in the committee. “Workers are the biggest stakeholders in labor, so any committee without workers cannot be truly representative of our interests.”
Faigmani demands the immediate reinstatement of 140 workers. He has vowed to continue to struggle “alongside other Nestle workers for our collective rights.”
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Administrative Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of association, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to work
- HRD
- Labour rights defender
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Corporation Agricultural business
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- May 29, 2023
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- May 16, 2023
- Event Description
In Cagayan Valley, two youth peasant organizers, Cedric Casano and Patricia Nicole Cierva , were disappeared, following reports that they were captured by members of the 501st Infantry Brigade last May 16 in barangay Cabiraoan, Gonzaga, Cagayan.
Karapatan-Cagayan Valley said they learned of their disappearance after receiving reports from concerned citizens.
“Friends and former colleagues are concerned for their safety under the hands of the AFP that declares it will crash the revolutionary movement in the northeastern part of Luzon by all means. We wish to remind the AFP that even wars have rules of engagement,” Karapatan-Cagayan Valley said.
Peasant advocacy group NNARA-Youth also expressed their concern over the disappearance of the two youth organizers.
“The abduction of Casaño and Cierva is part of the escalating attacks in Northern Luzon, where it occurred less than a month after the illegal abduction and unlawful detention of indigenous peoples organizers Mary Joyce Lizada and Arnulfo Aumentado, who are still being held at Camp Capinpin, and the abduction of Dexter Capuyan and Gene Roz Jamil ‘Bazoo’ de Jesus, who have yet to be surfaced,” said NNARA-Youth National Spokesperson Marina Cavan.
Environmental groups also called for the surfacing of the two young peasant organizers.
“Patricia worked with the Kabataan Partylist-National Capital Region, a legislative partner of our colleagues at the Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment. Cedric was a youth whose environmentalist principles led him to join the staunch opposition against the irresponsible open-pit mining at the Didipio gold and copper mine of the OceanaGold Corporation and magnetite mining in the coastal Cagayan Valley. This led him to become a delegate of the International People’s Conference on Mining 2015,” the Environmental Defenders Congress said in a statement.
As a UP-Manila student, Cierva led campaigns such as Tulong Kabataan at Kalinaw for the indigenous people and the Lumad among others.
Karapatan-Cagayan Valley called on the authorities to respect the right to due process and immediately sSurface Cierva and Casano.
“We call on the Filipino people, be vigilant. Uphold basic human rights for all,” the group said in a statement.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- Abduction/Kidnapping
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Environmental rights defender, WHRD, Youth
- Perpetrator-State
- Suspected state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- May 29, 2023
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- May 25, 2023
- Event Description
Karapatan condemns in the strongest terms the arbitrary arrest of elderly Bohol activist Adolfo Salas Sr. The 75-year-old Salas, who was among the founders of Hugpong sa mga Mag-uumang Bol-anon (HUMABOL-KMP) and currently the vice chair of the Alayon sa mga Mag-uuma sa Candijay (AMACAN-HUMABOL-KMP), was arrested today, May 25, 2023, between 1:00 a.m. and 2:00 a.m. by combined elements of the PNP-CIDG and non-uniformed armed men at his home in Purok 5, Brgy. Tubod, Candijay, Bohol.
Witnesses said the .45 cal pistol, .38 cal revolver, hand grenade and various types of ammunition allegedly found in Salas’ possession were planted by the non-uniformed men from the raiding party to justify Salas’ arrest. He was later brought to Camp Francisco Dagohoy in Tagbilaran City.
Salas’ family reported being harassed multiple times before the arrest. They are very worried that the elderly activist’s health may further deteriorate under harsh conditions of detention and appealed for his release.
Salas is not the first Boholano activist to be arrested according to the scripted narrative of the PNP, CIDG and AFP. On June 25, 2021, peasant leader Carmelo Tabada and peasant rights advocate Pastor Nathaniel Valiente were likewise arrested in the wee hours of the morning in their homes in Trinidad and Mabini towns, respectively, and firearms, ammunition and a hand grenade planted to legitimize their arrests.
Karapatan calls for the immediate release of the elderly Salas and all other activists unjustly detained and slapped with trumped-up charges in Bohol and other areas nationwide.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Intimidation and Threats
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Labour rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- May 25, 2023
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- May 6, 2023
- Event Description
Karapatan denounces the attacks against trade unionists and demands justice for long-time trade union and community organizer Susano Labora, who succumbed to a stroke on May 6, 2023, after being intensively harassed and interrogated by men who introduced themselves as “admins” from the Philippine Army.
The men first interrogated Labora on May 4 at his home in Barangay Tigatto, Davao City, grilling him about his work and whereabouts for the past three years, and pressuring him to become an intelligence asset and spy on the organizations he has been working with, such as the Kilusang Mayo Uno in the Southern Mindanao Region (KMU-SMR).
Threatened, Labora agreed to meet with the men again. He went through the same ordeal on May 5, where he endured the interrogation and pressure tactics inside a vehicle. He persistently refused the men’s demands for him to become an intelligence asset.
The mental and psychological distress that the 60-year old Labora had gone through was such that he could neither eat nor sleep. By May 6, he suffered chest pains and a severe headache. His family rushed him to a hospital, but it was too late to save him. He died of a stroke.
As if these were not enough, the KMU-SMR office reported spotting a black van suspiciously parked in front of its office in Davao City on May 8, at around 4 p.m. The van stayed for more than an hour. A KMU-SMR staff also noticed a uniformed police auxiliary coming out of the van earlier.
We deplore the stepped-up harassment and surveillance of KMU-SMR by State agents, sinister acts which have already claimed the life of one of its long-time activists. The rampant state-sanctioned repression of progressive organizations nationwide must stop.
We call on the Commission on Human Rights to conduct a thorough investigation of the threats, harassment, intimidation and other forms of human rights violations perpetrated by the Philippine Army and other State agents that have led to the deaths or killings, involuntary disappearance, and the illegal arrest and detention on trumped-up charges of countless activists and other human rights defenders.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Death, Intimidation and Threats, Surveillance
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to life, Right to privacy
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Labour rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military, Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- May 23, 2023
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Apr 28, 2023
- Event Description
Two indigenous peoples’ rights activists in the Cordillera were reported missing, prompting student and youth organizations to stage a rally to protest what they believed to be the handiwork of state forces.
The missing activists are Gene Roz Jamil “Bazoo” de Jesus, 27, and Dexter Capuyan, 56, both graduates of the University of the Philippines-Baguio (UPB). Their relatives and colleagues said they lost contact with them on April 28, according to a statement released by the Cordillera Human Rights Alliance (CHRA) on Thursday, May 4.
Several student organizations, including the Alliance of Concerned Students (ACS), Tabak, and Anakbayan, organized a public rally on Friday, May 5, demanding the safe return of the two missing activists, who were suspected of being in state custody.
De Jesus works as an information and networking officer for the Philippine Task Force for Indigenous Peoples’ Rights, while Capuyan is an activist-leader based in Benguet province’s capital town of La Trinidad.
De Jesus served as chair of the Alliance of Concerned Students and the Council of Leaders at UP-Baguio, while Capuyan is a former editor-in-chief of UP-Baguio’s campus publication Outcrop, and chair of the League of Filipino Students (LFS) in the 1980s.
The CHRA raised fears of state custody, as the military and police previously accused Capuyan of being a ranking officer of the Chadli Molintas Command of the New People’s Army (NPA) operating in the Ilocos and Cordillera regions with a P1.85-million bounty on his head.
CHRA spokesperson Casselle Ton said the pair’s last known location was in Rizal, where Capuyan sought medical treatment.
“We still continue the search. We still continue (to ask) the public and government officials and the Commission on Human Rights to help us surface these two,” Ton said.
De Jesus’s mother, an overseas Filipino worker in Italy, posted in Filipino on her Facebook page appealing for the return of her son.
“This is very difficult for our family … We’re trying to act normal when facing this, but behind it all is our anguish. We’re hoping that the search will turn out well,” she said.
Officials of Barangay Dolores in Taytay, Rizal, confirmed that De Jesus’s sister went to the police to file a missing person report.
Roy Tapawan, the barangay chairman, said he was the one who advised De Jesus’s family to report the matter to the police “because he has been missing for three days already. He said the missing person report should have been filed much earlier.
Capuyan’s relatives also went to the barangay on May 4 to report his disappearance.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Abduction/Kidnapping
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, NGO staff
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- May 15, 2023
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Mar 25, 2023
- Event Description
Human rights alliance Karapatan condemned the killing last April 25, 2023 of Alex Dolorosa, a fulltime union organizer and paralegal officer of the BPO Employees Network (BIEN). He was also an LGBTQ activist under Be GLad (BPO Employees, Gay, Lesbians and Allies for Genuine Acceptance and Democracy). Dolorosa was found dead in Barangay Alijis, Bacolod City with multiple stab wounds. He was last seen alive on the evening of April 23.
Citing reports from BIEN, Karapatan secretary general Cristina Palabay said Dolorosa had experienced “state surveillance and harassment on January 25, 2021; January 4, 2022; and May 4, 2022.” BIEN said the first harassment incident was at the office of militant party-list organization Bayan Muna in Bacolod City, while the second and third incidents were at the local Gabriela office. During one of the Gabriela incidents, Dolorosa took a video of a surveillance team’s vehicle, causing the driver to speed off. Dolorosa had also reported seeing two men surveilling his residence in Bata Subdivision. The experience prompted him to move residences.
Palabay supported BIEN’s call for justice for the slain union officer and paralegal officer, and urged the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to conduct an investigation into the matter, taking as context the multiple harassments suffered by the victim prior to his death under suspicious circumstances.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- LGBTQ+/ Non-Binary
- Violation
- Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to life
- HRD
- NGO staff, SOGI rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- May 2, 2023
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Mar 26, 2023
- Event Description
Desaparecidos (Pamilya ng Desaparecidos para sa Katarungan) strongly condemns the abduction of Sugarfolks Alliance for Genuine Agricultural Reform (SUGAR) Batangas volunteers and organizers, Alfred Manalo, Lloyd Descallar, and senior citizen Angelito Balitostos on March 26, 2023. The three main missing to this day.
“We and their families are deeply concerned about the physical and mental well being of the sugarworkers who remain disappeared to this day. This brings back memories of our harrowing experiences looking and searching for our loved ones who were abducted by state forces, many of whom were never found,” expressed Billet Batrallo, Vice-Chairperson of Desaparecidos.
“We call on the 59th Infantry Battalion Philippine Army(IB PA) under the 2nd Infantry Division of the Philippine Army, the identified perpetrator, to immediately and unconditionally surface the sugarworkers,” Batrallo added.
Desaparecidos also expresses deep concern on the series of intelligence operations, harrasments and interrogation of sugarworkers’ communities in Batangas.
“We call upon the Philippine Commission on Human Rights to conduct a thorough investigation into the abductions, the army unit’s lies and false claims against the sugarworkers of Batangas and the series of harassments and interrogation of people in the communities,” said Batralo.
Desaparecidos likewise strongly questions the stationing of the 59th IBPA near the area of the sugarworkers. Batrallo asserted: “Their presence only makes the people in the communities uneasy, scared and insecure. They have no business and no right roaming around intimidating and harrassing the people.There is no peace with them staying near the community.
“We stand by and support the leaders, members and organizers of SUGAR-Batangas. We will not be intimidated by these acts of violence and oppression. We will continue to fight for our rights and the rights of the sugarfolk communities in Batangas,” Batrallo concluded.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Abduction/Kidnapping
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Labour rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Suspected state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- May 2, 2023
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Feb 22, 2023
- Event Description
AN official of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) yesterday said he is unfazed by a TV program tagging his advocacy for justice and peace as “diabolical and demonic.”
“Recent red-tagging and the calling of my advocacy as ‘diabolical and demonic’ by the SMNI’s television program ‘Laban Kasama ang Bayan’ (during the Feb. 22, 2023 segment), by its hosts will never stop our commitment to peace and justice,” said Bishop Gerardo Alminaza, vice chairman of the
CBCP’s Episcopal Commission on Social Action, Justice, and Peace (ECSA-JP).
“As your pastor, I cannot be silent amid violence and injustices,” he also said in a statement.
In the episode, the program hosts, particularly Lorraine Marie Badoy and Jeffrey “Ka Eric” Celiz, repeatedly assailed Alminaza and his advocacies for supposedly making similar claims as the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA).
This is in response to earlier statements made by Alminaza as convenor of the Pilgrims for Peace calling for the resumption of peace talks between the Philippine government and the CPP-NPA.
Alminaza said turning silent means surrendering the welfare of the perennial victims of similar red-tagging acts.
“As this TV program continues to malign and even invoke vicious threats against the work of Church people, bishops and pastors, dedicated activists, and ordinary persons, we should never be afraid, but rather be brave in speaking for the truth on behalf of the victims of injustice,” he said.
He also stressed that his advocacies and statements have enough basis, based on his personal knowledge.
“In the past, I have spoken of Toto Patigas, Zara Alvarez, and Dr. Sancelan, among others, whose killings remain unsolved. They had dedicated their lives to the quest for a just and lasting peace,” said Alminaza.
Bishop Alminaza is steadfast in his advocacy for lasting peace in Negros Island and in the whole country. He is also an advocate of environmental protection.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Vilification
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Environmental rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Government
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Apr 25, 2023
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Mar 27, 2023
- Event Description
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced the first conviction under Republic Act 10168 or the Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act of 2012 after an Iligan City court found a cashier of a non-government organization guilty of being an accessory to terrorist financing.
In a statement, the DOJ said Angeline Magdua, one of two cashiers of the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines (RMP) Northern Mindanao, was convicted of 55 counts of violating Section 7 of the law, which penalizes being an accessory to the crime of terrorist financing.
RMP Northern Mindanao is a non-government organization composed of priests and laypersons that the DOJ said obtained donations from “unsuspecting” foreign organizations to finance the operations of the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing the New People’s Army. The CPP and NPA have been designated as terrorist organizations by the United States Department of State, the European Union, New Zealand and the Philippine government.
“The department views this as a major win for our justice system and the fight against terrorism. Terrorism only leads to more violence and suffering, and we must break this cycle and work toward peace,” Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said.
The landmark decision comes 11 years after the enactment of the law, and will serve as the foundation for future prosecutions under this law.
The RMP had previously refuted the allegations leveled against it and accused government authorities of intimidating witnesses into making false statements that implicate its officers and members in the activities of the CPP-NPA.
The RMP is a national organization whose mission is to serve impoverished communities.
Founded in August 1969, RMP was established as a mission partner of the Association of Major Religious Superiors, with the goal of uplifting marginalized communities through various initiatives such as education, health services and community development.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- NGO staff, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Mar 30, 2023
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Feb 23, 2023
- Event Description
Members of the Dumagat-Remontado indigenous group whose lands and culture will be threatened by the Kaliwa Dam ended their nine-day walk to the nation’s capital on Thursday evening without having the opportunity to discuss with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. their concerns about the P12.2-billion project.
Indigenous peoples from the provinces of Rizal and Quezon arrived in Manila on Thursday, in hopes of having a dialogue with Marcos to get him to stop the construction of the dam.
But when marchers reached Mendiola, they were met with police who blocked and prevented them from reaching the gates of Malacañang. They instead ended their 150-kilometer journey, which began in Quezon’s General Nakar town, in Paco Catholic Church.
“We are sad that we will return to our homes without the good news that our communities expect: that our concerns will be heard,” indigenous peoples’ leader Conchita Calzado told Philstar.com.
For nine days, hundreds of Dumagat-Remontados and their supporters traversed towns in Quezon, Laguna and Rizal, and the streets of Metro Manila telling people that the Kaliwa Dam will submerge their ancestral domain, threaten their livelihoods and destroy their cultural heritage.
Along the way, the marchers encountered individuals telling them they can no longer do anything and those accusing them of being used by interest groups and communist rebels, which they deny.
“I voluntarily joined this ‘Alay Lakad’ to let the authorities and the public know that residents of Makid-ata have been resisting the dam project since the start,” Silvino Astoveza told Philstar.com.
“I am already old, so why am I still standing against the project? I am doing this for my children, for the next generation,” the 70-year-old Dumagat elder said.
Earlier in the day, the marchers went to the offices of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System, the proponent of the project. The MWSS on Tuesday awarded a “disturbance fee” of P160 million to a faction of Dumagat-Remontados who gave their consent for the dam project. Solution to Manila’s water woes
Kaliwa Dam, which will be funded by a loan from China, was a flagship project of former President Rodrigo Duterte’s “Build, Build, Build” program.
The dam is pushed as a solution to Metro Manila’s water problems by supplying some 600 million liters a day to the capital region’s 14 million people. Metro Manila currently relies on Angat Dam in Bulacan for water supply.
Like other indigenous peoples, the Dumagat-Remontados of Sierra Madre are deeply connected with nature.
“If we move to the lowlands, it will be hard to call ourselves indigenous peoples because we’ll live a life that we’re not used to. We don’t want that to happen to our children and the next generation,” Calzado said.
According to groups opposed to Kaliwa Dam, 1,400 Dumagat-Remontado families in Rizal and Quezon will be affected by the project. Government agencies, however, said that only 46 families will be impacted.
Indigenous peoples’ communities and environment groups also stressed that the Kaliwa Dam will destroy Sierra Madre — the longest mountain range in the country that historically serves as a buffer against storms that hit Luzon. Fight continues
The grueling journey to the capital region left them with blisters and aching bodies, and did not end the way they hoped. But the outcome did not crush their will to fight for the preservation of their land and their way of life.
This, after all, was not the first time that they marched to voice out their opposition to a mega-dam project. In 2009, members of Dumagat-Remontado communities walked to the capital for nine days to protest the Laiban Dam project.
The strong opposition of various sectors prompted the government to shelve the project. The victory, however, was short-lived.
Calzado said they were grateful for the support they received from different sectors, and to the police who escorted them.
“Maybe the next thing we’ll do is to call on the general public who will be affected by the Kaliwa Dam to support us in our fight to stop the project,” she said.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Restrictions on Movement
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of movement, Freedom of expression Offline
- HRD
- Indigenous peoples' rights defender, Land rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Feb 27, 2023
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Feb 8, 2023
- Event Description
Human rights alliance Karapatan expressed support for the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines (RMP), as the missionary group faces another hearing of a civil forfeiture case filed by the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) at the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 37 today, February 8, 2023. Karapatan joined calls by various faith-based and human rights organizations for the immediate dismissal of the charges against RMP.
Karapatan Secretary General said that the ongoing civil forfeiture and terrorism financing cases against RMP, which stem from fabricated testimonies, have resulted in the violation and arbitrary and unjust restriction of the rights of the RMP and the further deprivation of the impoverished and marginalized communities that the RMP serves.
Aside from the civil forfeiture case, sixteen individuals, including four nuns who are members of RMP, are facing non-bailable charges before an Iligan City court for alleged violation of Section 8 of Republic Act 10168 or the Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act of 2012 punishable with 40 years imprisonment, and a fine ranging from P500,000 to P1,000,000.
“We assail these moves as a prelude to the unjust and arbitrary designation of the RMP as ‘terrorist,’ following similar moves made against other individuals like Dr. Natividad Castro, a community doctor who has been servicing mostly Lumad and poor peasant communities in the Caraga region for decades. These measures are patently anti-poor,” slammed Palabay, citing the RMP’s more than 50 years of service to marginalized communities of farmers, indigenous people, fisherfolk and agricultural workers.
“The terrorist financing charges are reckless, false and baseless, since the RMP has consistently passed independent checks and reviews by strict and reputable funding agencies, including the European Union. Red-tagging, terrorist branding and hailing to court the real people’s heroes like the RMP nuns and development workers expose them to attacks and violations of their rights by State security forces and put their lives in danger,” Palabay stressed.
“Laws are clearly being weaponized against those critical of government policies, and those who fill the vacuum by providing much-needed services to the most severely neglected communities. The State must immediately cease and desist from this nefarious practice and provide support and encouragement instead of persecuting and prosecuting activists with lifelong pro-poor advocacies,” she added.
Karapatan today also joined protest actions at the Department of Justice calling for the resumption of peace talks between the National Democratic Front of the Philippines and the Philippine government and demanding the removal of the arbitrary terrorist designation by the Anti-Terrorism Council of the NDFP, the Communist Party of the Philippines and New People’s Army as well as individual peace consultants and Dr. Natividad Castro.
“The resumption of the peace talks, as well as the reaffirmation of and adherence to previously signed agreements such as the Comprehensive Agreement on the Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law and the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees, is the way to go in tackling the roots of the armed conflict, instead of the arbitrary, dangerous and erroneous designation by the ATC that leads to gross violations of international humanitarian law and threats to lives, security and liberty, as well as the right to due process ” she ended.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Right to work
- HRD
- NGO
- Perpetrator-State
- Government, Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Related Events
- Philippines: Bank freeze order against long-term standing NGO, Philippines: Missionary group worker gets threatening text messages, Philippines: RMP-NMR staff and her mother harassed
- Date added
- Feb 18, 2023
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Feb 6, 2023
- Event Description
The arrest of professor Dr. Melania Flores in her house inside the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City is in violation of the UP-Department of Interior and Local Government Accord.
This is the statement of UP Faculty Regent Carl Marc Ramota as he condemned the arrest of Flores this morning, Feb. 6.
The 1992 UP-DILG Accord prohibits uniformed personnel from entering the UP campus without coordination or notice to the administration of UP Diliman.
In a statement, Ramota said there was no prior coordination with the Diliman authorities on the planned arrest of Flores. The four arresting officers were not in uniform and reportedly introduced themselves as employees of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) said that when the purported DSWD employees were inside Flores’s house, an arrest warrant was shown to her without explaining the case and immediately arrested her. Flores was being accused of alleged violation of Social Security System remittance. She was brought to Camp Karingal in Quezon City.
Flores is the immediate past president of the All U.P. Academic Employees Union (AUPAEU) and a faculty member of UP Departamento ng Filipino at Panitikan ng Pilipinas.
She was released after posting P72,000 ($1,314) bail this afternoon.
Ramota asserted that the arrest violated both the UP-DILG accord and Flores’s Miranda rights.
He added that the arrest comes in the wake of a series of documented cases of harassment and intimidation against UP constituents, the latest being the abduction of UP Cebu lecturer Armand Dayoha and UP alumna Dyan Gumanao last January 10.
Ramota pointed out that this incident and the Cebu abduction highlight the need for the institutionalization of a mechanism for monitoring and quick response against rights violations.
He urged the University “to use its full administrative and legal machinery to uphold and protect its constituency from intrusion, and keep its campuses a safe haven for political thought and action.”
The AUPAEU vehemently condemned the arrest of its former officer.
The union said that Flores did not receive any complaint or subpoena against her.
They also assailed the CIDG for pretending to be employees of the DSWD to arrest Flores.
“It is a clear violation of the UP-DILG Accord of 1992. This dirty tactic by the CIDG is a method to intimidate and harass unionists and patriotic academic workers,” the union said in a statement.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Labour rights defender, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Feb 12, 2023
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Feb 3, 2023
- Event Description
Two people were hurt after police dispersed a human barricade formed by residents of Sibuyan Island in Romblon in response to the sudden escalation of mining activities there, environmental groups reported Friday.
Videos posted by groups Alyansa Tigil Mina and Living Laudato Si’ showed local police dispersing community members protesting the operations of Altai Philippines Mining Corporation (APMC) on Sibuyan Island.
This allowed three trucks of APMC carrying nickel ore for export to pass through.
“[The police] forced to break up the people who blocked the trucks… We couldn't handle it because we were outnumbered,” Donato Royo, a barangay official who was present during the dispersal, said in Filipino.
Sibuyanons are opposing the extraction of nickel ore on the island, saying it will disrupt Sibuyan’s intact ecosystems, including Mt. Guiting Guiting Natural Park, and the livelihood of locals.
According to the residents, the mining company failed to secure permits at the local level.
“On these grounds, and in the context of years of resistance of Sibuyanons against mining on their island, the people’s barricade is just and legitimate,” Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment said.
Environmentalist Rodne Galicha, a resident of Sibuyan Island, accused the mining firm of conniving with the Philippine National Police and local politicians.
“This act of protecting the mining company is unacceptable knowing that there are violations and deception from the very start they stepped foot on the island,” said Galicha, executive director of non-profit Living Laudato Si'.
Galicha also said choppers carrying military personnel will arrive in Sibuyan.
“The situation here is getting more extreme. We have never experienced something like this here… We are just asserting our right to a clean and sustainable environment,” he added.
Philstar.com sought the comment of the PNP, but it has yet to respond as of posting. Call for probe
Galicha urged local governments in Romblon to issue a cease and desist against the mining firm, and the House of Representatives and the Senate to conduct a hearing in aid of legislation.
Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said the upper chamber is “open to any environmental degradation claims that need to be investigated.”
“If there’s a resolution filed, we can do that,” Zubiri said on the sidelines of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ multi-stakeholder forum in Cagayan De Oro City on Friday.
DENR Secretary Toni Yulo-Loyzaga on Thursday said the agency “will take a good look” at the issue of mining on the island.
But Elizabeth Ibañez, coordinator of environmental group Sibuyanons Against Mining, said they want authorities to go beyond investigating the situation on their island.
"Sibuyanons are sick of promises. Our mountains are being destroyed, but they’re still conducting investigations," she said in Filipino.
Even after today’s incidents, residents continue to stood their ground. They will continue to form a barricade to prevent six more trucks carrying nickel ore from leaving the island.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Environmental rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Feb 5, 2023
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jan 30, 2023
- Event Description
A staff of the Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA) was arrested by the police today, January 30.
According to Baguio-based media outfit Northern Dispatch, Jennifer Awingan of CPA Research Commission was arrested for rebellion.
A warrant of arrest was issued January 24 by Regional Trial Court Branch 2 Presiding Judge Corpus B. Alzate for Awingan and eight others namely: CPA Chairperson Windel Bolinget, CPA Regional Council member Steve Tauli, development worker Sarah Abellon, Lourdes Jimenez of peasant group Apit-Tako, Florence Kang, acting executive director of Ilocos Center for Research Empowerment and Development, Northern Dispatch correspondent Niño Oconer, Jovencio Tangbawan, Salcedo Dumayom Dappay Jr. and Lucia Lourdes Gimenes.
Rebellion is a non-bailable offense.
Awingan is the mother of Kara Taggaoa, Kilusang Mayo Uno’s international officer, who was also arrested last year over trumped-p charges. In a Twitter post, Taggaoa said her mother was arrested in their house in Baguio City at 11:45 a.m. today.
“Ang nanay ko ay isang aktibista, hindi kriminal, hindi terorista. Palayain!” Taggaoa posted on Twitter. (My mother is an activist, not a criminal, not a terrorist. Release her!)
Progressive groups condemned the issuance of warrant of arrests without going through due process.
Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) said the respondents in the said case are not aware of the charges against them.
“We condemn the continuing weaponization of the law that is used to arrest and detain activists without bail. No due process was observed in this case as the respondents say that they were not duly informed of the case,” the group said in a statement.
Bayan reiterated that prosecutors and judges should not allow themselves to be used in filing trumped-up charges and rights violations.
“This must stop,” they added.
Awingan is active in campaigns against large-scale mining and dam projects in the region.
Environmental group Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment meanwhile said that the warrant of arrests against their colleagues only shows that Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is following in the footsteps of his own father, the dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr., and of his predecessor, former President Rodrigo Duterte, “whose administrations weaponized the courts and the law to crush legal and legitimate community dissent.”
“We denounce this new attack on our colleagues from the Cordillera People’s Alliance, who do the work of environmental defense in that region rich with mineral and timber resources and rivers, all of which are being eyed by corporate plunderers,” the group said.
Meanwhile, Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) demanded Alzate to “explain and be held accountable for the malicious use of his power, and being instrumental in the dirty campaign of the military and police and NTF-ELCAC against activists!”
It would be remembered that under the Duterte administration, several activists were arrested and scores were killed after local courts issued search warrants. One judge who has been known for issuing what activists called as “copy-paste warrants” is Quezon City Executive Judge Cecilyn Burgos-Villavert.
In 2021, amid the calls of lawyers and rights groups, the Supreme Court issued Administrative Matter No. 21-06-08-SC, which requires the use of at least one body-worn camera and one alternative recording device that can record the circumstances surrounding the execution of warrants.
The SC also removed the power provided to executive judges of Quezon City and Manila regional trial courts to issue search warrants that may be served anywhere in the country.
In an earlier report of Bulatlat, 60 activists in Negros and Metro Manila have been arrested with the so-called “roving warrant.”
Meanwhile, several trumped-up charges have been dismissed by the court. If not invalidated search warrants, the courts also granted demurrer to evidence, the case is outside territorial jurisdiction or failing to present evidence.
- Impact of Event
- 4
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Environmental rights defender, NGO staff, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Feb 5, 2023
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jan 15, 2023
- Event Description
Youth progressive group Anakbayan said that unidentified individuals entered their national office at around 9 p.m. yesterday, January 15.
“Cellphones were not where they were left, tables were moved, windows are open, doors show clear signs of forced entry,” said Anakbayan in their post via their social media accounts.
Later that day, at around midnight, the youth group also stated that some of their members noticed police mobile roaming around the area.
“We fear for our safety. This attempt to enter our office is not detached from what happened to Dyan and Armand in Cebu,” said Jeann Miranda, chairperson of Anakbayan, referring to two Cebu-based activists, Dyan Gumanao, 28, coordinator of Alliance of Concerned Teachers-Region 7, and Armand Dayoha, 27, Alliance of Health Workers-Cebu coordinator, who were reported missing after spending the holidays with their families.
Before their absence, the two reported a series of harassment and tailing. As of this writing, the two have not been found.
Attacks against the youth
Anakbayan has been subjected to relentless attacks under several administrations.
One of the most notable cases is Anakbayan member and student activist Alicia Lucena, whose mother, Relissa, a member of Hands Off Our Children Network, filed a kidnapping and human trafficking case against the youth group along with former Kabataan Representative Sarah Elago and former Bayan Muna representative Neri Colmenares.
However, Lucena goes against Relissa’s statement through a video narrating how her mother illegally detained her at home, prevented her from watching television, and contacted friends and fellow activists.
Aside from this, Jovita Antoniano and the Philippine National Police (PNP) filed kidnapping and child abuse charges against Anakbayan leaders. However, last May 28, the Department of Justice (DOJ) released a 15-page resolution junking the charges due to the ‘lack of probable cause.’
The most recent case was last December 29, where Anakbayan, along with progressive groups such as Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) and Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN)’’s Facebook pages, were removed.
The accounts’ administrators and editors have also been locked due to ‘unknown entities trying to access the accounts.’
Prior to this incident, the group’s posts giving tribute to Jose Maria Sison had been flagged for violating the “Community Standards.”
“We are condemning this action made by Facebook because it’s just an attempt to silence the free speech of the youth. Sharing Prof. Jose Maria Sison’s contribution to the freedom and equality of the Filipino should not be considered a threat or terrorism,” said Anakbayan.
Anakbayan called for the youth and other human rights organizations to stand up and condemn the series of harassment against the youth.
“There is no one to blame but the state who wants to silence those fighting for their freedom and rights. We call for the youth, human rights watch, and even the Commission on Human Rights to help us look into what happened. This incident also fuels us to fight the oppressive and corrupt Marcos Jr,” said Miranda.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Raid
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to privacy
- HRD
- Youth
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Jan 17, 2023
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jan 10, 2023
- Event Description
Dyan Gumanao, 28, coordinator of Alliance of Concerned Teachers-Region 7 and Armand Dayoha, 27, Alliance of Health Workers-Cebu coordinator were expected to arrive in their offices on Jan. 10 after spending the holidays with their families but have not been able to show up or contact family and colleagues since then.
According to Karapatan-Central Visayas, Gumanao and Dayoha had previously reported a series of harassment and tailing, which had increased following Gumanao’s arrest on June 5, 2020 as part of the Cebu 8.
Both Gumanao and Dayoha had also been tailed by suspected state agents after a Mendiola Massacre commemoration protest on January 22, 2021.
“These irregularities that they have observed have been considered to be possible monitoring of the two of them as active development workers and long-time human rights advocates in Cebu,” Karapatan-Central Visayas wrote in their statement.
The group added that Gumano had also experienced numerous instances of tailing by suspected state forces in the last quarter of 2022.
Gumanao had previously served as the head coordinator of Aninaw Productions and had been a key figure in its revival in 2017. Prior to that, she had been the chairperson of the UP Cebu University Student Council of the University of the Philippines Cebu (UP Cebu) and served as the Vice President for Visayas of the National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP).
After graduating cum laude with a Mass Communication degree from the university, Gumanao joined the non-government organization Community Empowerment Resource Network (CERNET) as a Special Support Services Coordinator.
She currently serves as a volunteer coordinator for the Alliance of Concerned Teachers-Region 7 after having been a volunteer for several years.
Dayoha, meanwhile, graduated from the Psychology program of UP Cebu and has served as a National Service Training Program (NSTP) lecturer in the university since 2015. He has also been pursuing a bachelor in Fine Arts as a second degree.
Having been active in the pursuit of “art for the people,” he was one of the founding members of the Cebu-based cultural group Art and Tankard Organization (ATO).
During the height of the pandemic in 2020, Dayoha was cited to be one of the key volunteers in addressing the issues of the workers and the urban poor in Mandaue City. He eventually became a staff member of the non-government organization Visayas Human Development Agency, Inc. (VIHDA, Inc.).
Dayoha currently serves as the coordinator of the Alliance of Health Workers-Cebu.
Karapatan-Central Visayas said that the incident has been reported to authorities and concerned government agencies.
“We are demanding the urgent action and cooperation of state forces in our collective efforts to identify the whereabouts of Dyan and Armand. We assert that there is nothing wrong with their work and the advocacies they carry with them, and that citizens who decisively tread the path that they have should not be harassed, threatened, silenced, or arrested,” the organization wrote.
Karapatan-Central Visayas, together with various organizations across Cebu, have strongly called to surface the two
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- Abduction/Kidnapping
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Jan 17, 2023
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Dec 30, 2022
- Event Description
Members of the youth group Anakbayan raised alarm after their official Facebook Page was deleted, while their members were locked out of their personal accounts after multiple log-in attempts from anonymous accounts.
At 3:00 p.m. of Dec. 30, the group noticed that the official Facebook Page of Anakbayan PH was no longer accessible both by the public and its page administrators. Meanwhile, at least ten members received e-mails from Facebook, notifying them that there had been multiple log-in attempts in their accounts.
“This (attack) comes as various of our chapters and other mass organizations have received notices for being unpublished, suspension and restriction of personal accounts,” said Anakbayan, through a post by one of its members.
“We vehemently condemn this brazen attack on the youth. This is a conscious and orchestrated attack to deplatform dissent and to silence the critical voice of the youth,” the group said.
According to Anakbayan, the attack happened while the organization is being very vocal on issues faced by the youth such as attacks on academic freedom through the NCST Program, and the worsening economic crisis in the Philippines.
At the moment, the organization and its members are looking into ways to retrieve Anakbayan’s Facebook page. They have created a temporary page, which can be viewed here.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Censorship, Online Attack and Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Internet freedom, Freedom of expression Online, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Youth
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Jan 17, 2023
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jan 2, 2023
- Event Description
Groups of artists condemned the death threat on multi-awarded artist Bonifacio Ilagan, saying the incident is yet another desperate ploy against activists and progressive cultural workers.
The Concerned Artists of the Philippines (CAP) and the Kilometer 64 Writers’ Collective (KM 54) said the threat against Ilagan is part of ongoing fascist attacks against political dissenters.
Ilagan reported to colleagues he was at a pet store in Quezon City in the afternoon of January 2 when he received a call from an unknown number.
He recalled that the caller introduced himself as a commander of a unit tasked to wipe out suspected Communists like the veteran activist.
Ilagan added that the caller warned him to desist from his activities as their so-called unit is just waiting for the “final order from the higher ups.”
“[The caller] said they would surely get me, and that I should not ask for mercy. It would be futile, because I had already been warned,” Ilagan reported.
“While the man didn’t say outright that they would kill me, his point was all too clear: They could,” Ilagan added.
The artist said that while he received his share of messages that cursed and threatened him in the past because of his activism, Monday’s incident was the first time that he received a call that said much more.
“There is no other reason I can think of behind the threat but my activism that goes way back to the 70s,” Ilagan said.
Quick condemnation
CAP said in a statement Wednesday that it condemns that crackdown against activist artists like Ilagan.
KM 64 added that the threat against Ilagan is part of an old strategy against critics of anti-people government policies.
Human rights group Karapatan earlier reported that that at least 17 civilians became victims of mass surveillance and extrajudicial killings from July 1 to November 30 of 2022.
“We are in solidarity and we stand with Bonifacio Ilagan and all other cultural workers who are part of the people’s history by fighting for truth, genuine freedom and human rights,” KM 64 said.
Who is Boni Ilagan?
Ilagan was a student activist during the Ferdinand Marcos Sr. dictatorship who led the historic Diliman Commune uprising at the University of the Philippines in 1970.
Ilagan was abducted in 1974 and was subjected to various forms of torture. After being conditionally released on 1976, Ilagan continued his activism and became a multi-awarded stage and film playwright.
He was again arrested in the 1990s but was released after three months in detention.
He was among the thousands of petitioners who filed a class action suit against the Marcos estate that awarded millions of dollars as indemnification to thousands of Martila Law victims.
He is a member of SELDA (Semahan ng mga Ex-Detainees Laban sa Detensiyon at Aresto) and co-convened the Campaign Against the Return of the Marcoses and Martial Law (CARMMA), an organization composed of martial law survivors that seek accountability for the various rights violations of the late dictator, his cronies, and the Marcos dynasty.
Ilagan was named the winner of the prestigious Gawad Plaridel in 2019, given by the College of Mass Communication of his alma mater University of the Philippines.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Death threat, Intimidation and Threats
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Artist
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Jan 17, 2023
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Dec 13, 2022
- Event Description
Philippine authorities should not contest the appeal of journalist Frank Cimatu, and should stop filing spurious cyber libel charges against members of the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday.
On Tuesday, December 13, a Quezon City court convicted Cimatu, a contributor to the independent news outlet Rappler, of cyber libel over a 2017 Facebook post by the journalist about alleged corruption by then Agriculture Secretary Manny Pinol, news reports said.
The court ordered Cimatu to serve a prison term ranging from six months and one day to a maximum of five years, five months, and 11 days, according to those reports, which said he was also fined 300,000 pesos (US$5,385) in moral damages.
Cimatu is free on bail and will appeal the ruling, according to news reports, which said he could appeal as high as the Supreme Court.
“The spurious charge against Filipino journalist Frank Cimatu should be dropped and authorities should start work immediately on decriminalizing libel and overhauling the overbroad cybercrime provisions that allow for these kinds of outrageous convictions,” said Shawn Crispin, CPJ’s senior Southeast Asia representative. “The wanton abuse of cyber libel laws is killing press freedom in the Philippines.”
In a 19-page ruling, Judge Evangeline Cabochan-Santos wrote that Cimatu’s Facebook post, which alleged that Pinol had personally profited from state corruption, was defamatory and appeared to impute a crime, reports citing the ruling said. The ruling said Cimatu made the post in malice and “failed to show any proof to establish that his post was done in good faith.”
Cimatu reportedly argued that the post was private and was only seen by his Facebook friends, but the court ruled it was initially made under a public setting, news reports said. CPJ was unable to review Cimatu’s Facebook account, which has been taken down or set to private.
NewsLine Philippines reported that Cimatu’s Facebook post was referencing a report by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism about Pinol’s personal asset and liability declaration. Cimatu covers a wide range of political and other news topics from the northern region of the main Philippine island of Luzon, his Rappler profile shows.
Pinol, a former news broadcaster, filed the charges against Cimatu, according to those reports. CPJ was unable to find contact information for Pinol.
Cimatu is at least the third Rappler reporter to be convicted of cyber libel, along with Rappler CEO and executive editor Maria Ressa and ex-Rappler researcher Reynaldo Santos Jr. Their appeal of a 2020 cyber libel conviction was rejected in October and is now pending at the Supreme Court. CPJ has repeatedly called for the charges to be dropped.
CPJ emailed the Quezon City prosecutor’s office for comment but did not receive any reply.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Online, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Media Worker
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Dec 16, 2022
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Nov 30, 2022
- Event Description
(1st UPDATE) 'The details surrounding his death need to be thoroughly and impartially investigated due to possible violations of human rights and international humanitarian law,' says Pilgrims for Peace
Church leaders, human rights advocates, and PEN Philippines, the national chapter of the international group of writers, on Thursday, December 1, called for a probe into the November 30 deaths of National Democratic Front (NDF) consultant Ericson Acosta and peasant organizer Joseph Jimenez in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental.
Rights group Karapatan on Thursday, December 1, called on the Commission on Human Rights to conduct an independent investigation into “the reported summary execution” of Acosta and Jimenez.
The rights watchdog said Acosta was recuperating from an unspecified illness when he was killed. Karapatan urged authorities to respect the rights of the families of the deceased and their legal representatives, in their efforts to have access and claim the remains of their loved ones.
Bishop Gerardo Alminaza of the Diocese of San Carlos and Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI) Obispo Maximo Rhee Timbang signed a call by Pilgrims for Peace with 10 other church leaders, and human rights advocates.
“The details surrounding his death need to be thoroughly and impartially investigated due to possible violations of human rights and international humanitarian law,” Pilgrims for Peace said.
PEN Philippines urged the Philippine government “to perform a full and fair investigation, and serve justice,” as it condemned the tragic death of Acosta.
Other groups joined the call, citing the need to unravel conflicting claims by the 62nd Infantry Battalion in Negros Occidental and the NDF Negros on the November 30 early morning clash in Kabankalan City.
Pilgrims for Peace said that Acosta worked on and contributed to the Comprehensive Agreement on Social and Economic Reforms (CASER) between the government and the NDF.
Pablo Tariman, the father of Acosta’s late wife Kerima Tariman, who died on August 22, 2021 in an encounter in Silay City, told Rappler that the family, including Acosta’s mother, Liwayway, would fly to Negros Occidental on Friday to claim his remains.
“We will have him autopsied, then cremated,” Tariman said, without giving further details. ‘Top rebel’
The military dismissed as “propaganda” the statements of various groups questioning Acosta’s death.
“Obviously, the CPP-NPA-NDF will churn out propaganda statements in order to generate sympathy from the community whenever they suffer major setbacks. They will always claim that there was no firefight or encounter whenever the situation does not favor them,” 303rd Brigade Commander Brigadier General Inocencio Pasaporte said in a statement.
The 62IB claimed that Acosta was the deputy secretary of Komiteng Rehiyon- Negros Cebu Bohol Siquijor (KR-NCBS) and head of the Political Unified Committee (PUC) of the New People’s Army (NPA) in the Visayas.
The unit said that the NPA central leadership deployed Acosta and Kerima to Negros Island in 2018 “because of the internal squabbles and problems inside the NPA organization and also due to the dwindling political cadres in Negros Island.”
Acosta, the military added, was also a member of the Pambansang Kalihiman sa Edukasyon (PAKED) or the rebels’ national education committee, which placed him at the highest implementing body of the KR-NCBS.
On November 30, the military announced the deaths of two then unidentified rebels in an encounter at 2 am in Sitio Makilo, Barangay Camansi, Kabankalan.
Later that day, after NDF-Negros confirmed Acosta’s death, the 62IB released a second statement saying former comrades had also confirmed his identity.
Karapatan Negros called the reported clash “a fake encounter.”
The rights group said that “residents of Sitio Makilo attest that Jimenez and Acosta were captured alive in the wee hours of the morning,” and that the bodies of Jimenez and Acosta allegedly bore stab wounds.
BAYAN secretary-general Renato Reyes said “the manner of killing is consistent with many summary executions made to appear as ‘encounters’ and ‘firefights’.”
Reyes said Acosta was an NDF consultant who helped draft the agreement on socio-economic reforms in the 2016-2017 peace talks.
Acosta, he added, participated in the formal peace talks and discussions of the reciprocal working committees.
Karapatan said he should have been covered by the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG).
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Extrajudicial Killing
- Rights Concerned
- Right to life
- HRD
- Community-based HRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Dec 5, 2022
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Dec 1, 2022
- Event Description
A Baguio court handed down a guilty verdict against Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA) Secretary-General Sarah Dekdeken, over a cyber libel case filed against her by former Cordillera Police Regional Director Brigadier General R’Win Pagkalinawan.
“This libel case is an attack on truth and those who wield it to champion peoples’ political rights,” said CPA in a statement decrying the guilty verdict.
Baguio Regional Trial Court Branch presiding Judge Ivan Kim B. Morales issued the ruling yesterday, Dec. 1.
In 2021, Pagkalinawan filed charges against Dekdeken for her remarks in an online press conference detailing the desecration of the Heroes’ Monument in Bugnay, Kalinga and the perpetrators behind it.
In her testimonies, Dekdeken recalled how she only relayed information based on reports gathered from the community in Bugnay, blaming the police as the culprits in the demolition of the monument. The community reported that the police removed the monument under the orders of then Regional Director Pagkaliwan.
CPA noted that this was not taken into consideration, citing how Dekdeken supposedly “failed to show proof” that Pagkalinawan was the one who ordered the demolition and that her claims were “malicious and sufficient to impeach the reputation of the complainant” since she also failed to investigate and verify the information with Pagkalinawan first before conducting the online press conference.
Dekdeken was fined P250,000 and ordered to pay Pagkalinawan an additional P10,000 as moral damages and P5,000 as exemplary damages.
“It is a machination to cover up their involvement in the desecration of the Cordillera Heroes’ Monument, a symbolic structure of peoples’ triumphs over state-sponsored destructive development initiatives,” they added.
The group added that this is only an attempt to erase the fact that the same people who are supposed to serve their constituents are the ones who are violating the people’s civil and political rights.
Pagkalinawan was also the one who filed a similar case against Northern Dispatch’s editor-in-chief Kimberlie Quitasol and reporter Khim Abalos over his “shoot to kill” order in 2021.
“We maintain that speaking the truth is not libelous nor is it a crime; especially so if the true narrative is a revelation of state institutions’ abuse of power. This is a responsibility of every citizen in a democratic society,” CPA said.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Online
- HRD
- Indigenous peoples' rights defender, NGO staff, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary, Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Dec 5, 2022
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Sep 28, 2022
- Event Description
Students of Far Eastern University (FEU), along with other university belt schools, staged a protest last November 4 to condemn the FEU administration for the possible dismissal of three Tamaraw students.
The three students are facing charges after they participated in a September 21 protest commemorating the 50th year since the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. declared Martial Law.
In an interview with Bulatlat, one of the students, Romarie Relator, 20, a first year nursing student narrated the timeline of events about the issue.
Timeline of Events
Relator said various groups in the university made plans and initiatives for the Martial Law commemoration, including a massive callout to join a silent protest in the university pavilion with participants wearing black.
At precisely 12 noon, during breaktime, many students joined the Sept. 21 protest, which lasted for only two to three minutes. This was followed by a short discussion about the atrocities committed during the martial law years.
While the discussion was taking place, several university guards approached the students and took pictures of their discussion circles. The students then returned to their classes after the discussions.
Relator and two other students Marie Justine Keswani, 20, a second year student, and Dyan Macerin, 22, a second year education student, stayed at the pavilion since they no longer had classes. They were then “forcefully escorted” to the Office of the Student Discipline (OSD), where they were questioned by the security personnel without being informed why they were being apprehended.
Relator said OSD director Rosalie Cada ordered the three to look for the other students who joined the protest.
The university staff also confiscated the pamphlets that were distributed during the activity and attempted to take the their identification cards. When they asked why, the students were told to ask for clarifications during the Parents Committee.
They were also warned that if they do not comply with the hearing that will be conducted by the Ad Hoc Discipline Committee, together with their parents, they will not be able to enrol the following semester.
Seven days after the protest, she said that their school IDs were blocked, leaving them without access to the campus and that they missed their classes as a result. Relator, for her part, said she missed her midterm examination for her Art Appreciation class.
Macerin’s parents conference took place last Oct. 21, while Relator’s was last Nov. 3. For Keswani, the OSD has yet to schedule the conference with her parents, since they are working overseas and that the OSD insists that the parents be present during the conference.
During the conference, the students then learned that they were being charged with grave offenses stated their handbook. These are:
-
“Hazing and recruitment or membership to fraternities, sororities, or other organizations not recognized by the university,” and
-
“Acts of subversion and insurgency, such as unauthorized demonstrations, rallies and boycotting of classes, including use of class hours or classrooms to encourage students to join in subversive acts or insurgency.”
Relator said they tried to negotiate the OSD’s decision, and that they be at least allowed to finish the first semester. They were told, however, that the handbook is “black and white” and that their appeal will not be granted. They were also advised to voluntarily withdraw from the university to still be able to obtain a good morale certificate instead of their respective records be marred with the alleged offenses.
Calls to drop the charges
Relator said their silent and short protest was only meant to remember the atrocities during Martial Law of Marcos Sr. and that this is very much relevant with the dictator’s son now seating as president.
“We protested in order to forward our calls during the Martial Law commemoration but the FEU’s actions resulted in trampling our freedom of expression and the people’s rights to organize,” Relator said.
This, she added, will result in a chilling effect among her fellow students.
Various progressive youth groups came to the defense of the three students, expressing their disappointment over the “lack of action on the grievances of the student body, which encompasses the students’ right to quality education and democratic rights.”
“FEU labeling the Martial Law Commemoration protest as ‘acts of subversion and insurgency’ is no different from the NTF-ELCAC’s massive spate of red-tagging and harassment conducted against those who fight for historical truth and justice,” said Justine Keswani, spokesperson of Anakbayan Morayta.
The intercollegiate alliance of student publications in the Asia-Pacific, the College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP), meanwhile said that the university that claims to champion fortitude, excellence, and uprightness should be the same university for a safe haven of discourse and pillars of critical thinking.
The groups called on the FEU administration to drop the charges against the three students, saying that “as our nation faces a severe education crisis, FEU must channel its energy in putting primacy on giving quality education and heeding the demands of the students.”
What happens next?
According to Relator, the OSD said they will forward the case to the Student Conduct Committee, consisting of seven representatives from the university. However, she also reiterated that during the time when their case was deliberated, no student conduct committee was formed.
The three students are now talking to a lawyer for possible legal action.
Bulatlat has reached out to the FEU administration for comments. As of this writing, the university has not yet replied.
-
- Impact of Event
- 3
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community), Woman
- Violation
- Administrative Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to education, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Student, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Government
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Nov 17, 2022
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Oct 29, 2022
- Event Description
The New Crossroads of the North (TNCN), the official student publication of the University of Caloocan City (UCC) – North Campus, suspended the online operations of its original page on October 29, following the decision of the university administration.
In their last online broadcast, they answered the questions behind the inactivity of the student publication for two months, underscoring that the closure of their social media platform was a decision of the administration to “streamline information” in one page.
The page the administration sought to utilize is the UCC The New Crossroads, the student publication of UCC – South Campus with a different set of editorial board and staffers.
Chris Agustin, a fourth-year Communication student and current editor-in-chief of the TNCN, said that the two publications are different.
“TNC of the North is progressive, critical, and pro-student. We ensure local, and national issues are discussed in our newsroom. The New Crossroads, however, remains stagnant and sometimes practices PR coverage,” Agustin said.
Asserting editorial independence
Upon hearing of the suspension of their original online page, Agustin faced the university administration and Caloocan City Mayor Dale “Along” Malapitan to appeal for reconsideration.
He asked for the formal memorandum of the decision, but the Vice President for Academic Affairs has yet to present a document as of this writing. The decision was only verbally communicated to the staffers last August.
“They said that we have to ‘fix’ our way of writing and the stories should be devoid of ‘personal attacks’ to any individual or politician. The administration also said that the editorial process should involve them,” Agustin said.
This attempt of the university’s administration to interfere pushed Agustin to continuously assert editorial independence.
A compromise was made wherein TNCN was made to promise to uphold responsible journalism, which they said they have been practicing since its establishment.
TNCN’s editorial board, however, continues to question the school administration’s decision to suspend their online page.
“I think there is a looming threat in merging two publications into one platform–it is easier for the administration to control or manage the stories that we are releasing, which may limit our coverage,” Agustin added.
He vows to continue their uncompromised reportage in TNCN with their migration to a new social media platform. They plan to communicate their values effectively and assert that publishing their stories are part of their fundamental rights and freedoms.
Challenges inside and outside the university
Agustin said that they started their online page during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the goal of informing students of UCC North campus.
“The publication started because there is a need for local coverage in the university and an agenda shift to bridge campus, local, and national issues for the students. It’s an initiative born out of student volunteerism,” the staff of TNCN explained in their last online broadcast.
However, their honest intentions and responsible newsmaking came into conflict with the University administration and some individuals.
They were also red-tagged for covering grassroots actions and socially relevant topics.
In addition, the publication faced other problems like lack of resources, funding, and technical support, primarily because of the non-collection of subscription fees because of the pandemic, explained Agustin.
This, however, did not stop TNCN from publishing stories of social relevance such as the opposition to the Anti-Terror Law.
Braving the crisis
In their online broadcast, TNCN took pride in its achievements such as launching different projects with Rappler’s civic engagement arm, MovePH, to combat disinformation and misinformation campaigns during the pandemic, and pre- and post-election.
They were also able to successfully network with other student publications through the College Editors Guild of the Philippines especially in promoting genuine campus press freedom.
They also started the Katigan Chronicles, the first online broadcast platform of their University, which they hope to continue in the new platform.
“We remain committed to serving the students with critical journalism. We hope the students and our fellow student journalists will continue to support us because the fight is not yet over. At the end of the day, the truth will prevail,” Agustin ended.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Administrative Harassment, Censorship
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Online, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Student
- Perpetrator-State
- Government
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Nov 17, 2022
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Sep 12, 2022
- Event Description
Christine Marie Vidaya, community leader of Pinagkaisang Lakas ng Mamamayan (PLM) in Payatas Quezon City was traumatized after she and other members of their group were presented to the public as New People’s Army (NPA) returnees.
She said a former coordinator of PLM told her that they can get aid if they will “surrender.” Last Sept. 12, at around 8:00 a.m., Vidaya and 19 others were fetched from their community and were brought to Caloocan where they were supposed to get aid.
“When we got into the venue in Caloocan, a (police) chief was already there. There were also soldiers and other people, including the media. I was wondering that if we’re only going to get aid (a food pack and rice) why all the fuss?” Vidaya said in Filipino.
She said they had no idea what was going on until they were presented as NPA returnees.
Vidaya said they cannot do anything at that moment.
“We did not know what to do. We did not know what would happen if we didn’t sign the document they made us sign. Would they allow us to leave?” she added.
As a result, Vidaya had been anxious not only for her safety but also for her family and their members. For a week, she said, she had been crying thinking that what had happened has ruined her reputation. “It was really humiliating,” she said.
Vidaya was one of the speakers at the launching of Citizens Rights Watch Network (CWRN) last Nov. 5 at the Commission on Human Rights. The CWRN is a network of individuals and organizations aimed at mobilizing support for Filipinos whose democratic, civil and political rights are under attack.
Vidaya denied that they were members of the NPA. She said she cannot understand why they are being alleged as such. “We only fight for our rights. If only the government is giving us what we need we would not complain,” she said.
Lean Porquia, lead convenor of CRWN, said in a statement that communities and sectors are “being red-tagged for calling out for legitimate demands—just wages and decent jobs, aid, housing, and other social services.”
“Filipinos are being intimidated into silence, especially by the NTF-ELCAC (National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict) and their cohorts. But we say no more,” Porquia said. Porquia is the son of slain Iloilo activist Jory Porquia.
Porquia himself was repeatedly red-tagged by the NTF-ELCAC.
In its manifesto of unity, the network said they gathered together in defense of communities and even virtual spaces in the exercise of their rights and liberties.
“We gather to put a stop to repeated attempts by the NTF-ELCAC and other state agencies to sow terror, confusion, and intimidate our people into silence and inaction. We gather to stand as one with the people in their struggles for democracy, social justice and genuine peace,” the manifesto read.
During the launch, different individuals spoke about their experiences of being linked with the revolutionary groups. Also present to tell their stories were Kilusang Mayo Uno’s international officer Kara Taggaoa; Gabriela’s Ruth Manglalan, whose partner, Elizabeth “Loi” Magbanua is still missing; Rey Valmores, chairperson of LGBTQI group, Bahaghari, and Karapatan Southern Tagalog Interim Officer; and United Church of Christ in the Philippines pastor, Rev. Edwin Egar.
Egar shared that he was visited twice by members of the 59th Infantry Battalion on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1. He was told by the soldiers to surrender because he is a “supporter.”
“I asked them who I was supporting. They said they got a document in the Bondoc Peninsula and they suspect that the NPAs are using me. I told them I cannot surrender because why would I surrender?” he said.
Egar also said they received information on Nov. 2 that the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police will have a “one time, big time” operation similar to what happened on March 7, 2021, infamously dubbed as Bloody Sunday.
Egar said that there is a climate of fear because of what is happening in Southern Tagalog. That is why, he said, such gatherings will give the people the courage to fight back.
Vidaya said that she has explained to their members that there is no truth to the allegation against them.
“What we have are only placards bearing our calls to the government,” she said.
Lawyer Minerva Lopez of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) reiterated the importance of being united against those who violate the rights of the people.
“If we don’t fight together, nothing will happen,” she said.
Lopez said she believes that one day, perpetrators will be held accountable.
The CRWN convenors and participating organizations include Bishop Gerardo Alminaza of the Diocese of San Carlos, Fr. Rudy Abao, MSC, Atty. Josh Quising of Alternative Law Group, Karl Suyat of Project Gunita, Sr. Eleanor Llanes, ICM, UP Professor Cynthia Zayas, former political detainee Pol Viuya, Director Kip Oebanda, and the Far Eastern University Legal Aid Bureau, among others.
The network plans to hold community-based human rights training and seminars, stakeholder meetings and dialogues, legal consultations and actions, fact finding and humanitarian missions, information and advocacy campaigns, community mobilizations, and lobbying.
They also called on other freedom-loving citizens, organizations, and institutions to join the network.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community), Woman
- Violation
- Vilification
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to protect reputation
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Nov 17, 2022
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Oct 24, 2022
- Event Description
Rights group Karapatan condemned the arrest of trade union activist Benjamin Cordero, the most recent in what they believed to be another round of attacks against trade union activists and workers’s rights defenders.
According to initial reports from Karapatan Metro Manila, Cordero was arrested at past 11:00pm on October 26, 2022 in his home in Quezon City. He was reportedly served with a warrant of arrest dated October 24 based on charges of frustrated homicide issued by Branch 77 of the San Mateo, Rizal Regional Trial Court. He is currently detained at Batasan Police Station 6, Quezon City. Recommended bail is at P72,000.
Cordero is the chairperson of the Labor Sector of the QC City Development Council, and member of Samahan ng Manggagawa sa Quezon City. He is also currently the campaign officer of the Urban Poor Coordinating Council - National Capital Region.
“We believe that Cordero’s case stems from another trumped-up charge maliciously filed in court by state agents who may have the possible motive to deter Cordero from conducting his activities as a trade union activist. Also, it should be noted that the charges of frustrated homicide against him were filed in San Mateo, Rizal, when he is obviously spending a large part of his work in Quezon City. Many similar trumped up charges against activists were filed elsewhere, far away from their work or residence,” said Karapatan secretary general Cristina Palabay.
Karapatan Metro Manila also reported that Cordero did not receive a copy of the subpoena and complaint affidavit on the case, which is why they were unable to reply on the charges against Cordero. He was unable to participate in the preliminary investigation because he was not informed of any case against him. However, authorities were quick to serve the arrest warrant one day after it was issued, which means that authorities readily know Cordero’s address and information.
“We urge the court to look into the filing of charges against Cordero, and see whether his right to due process was violated. None of Cordero’s activities make him a criminal. Despite the previous dismissal of trumped up charges that were rendered baseless in the courts, state forces continue to file criminal charges against activists and rights defenders, taking away from them significant and productive time from their work and service to communities and in defense of people’s rights. We demand the release of Cordero, and the outright dismissal of charges against him,” Palabay said.
The arrest of Cordero comes after the arrest of KMU international officer Kara Lenina Taggaoa and Pasiklab Operators and Drivers Association-Piston president Larry Valbuena on October 10, on charges of direct assault. Both are out on bail.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Labour rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Oct 30, 2022
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Oct 9, 2022
- Event Description
Former senator and chairperson of the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines, Leila de Lima, should be released immediately and unconditionally, said the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) following a recent hostage-taking incident.
On 9 October, three convicts allegedly linked to local terrorist groups stabbed a police officer and held de Lima hostage inside her cell at the Philippine National Police (PNP) Custodial Center. De Lima, a former senator and human rights lawyer, is being unjustly detained on trumped-up charges.
Responding police officers shot the three convicts, while de Lima, who suffered a mild stroke last year, was hospitalised for three days.[1]
‘De Lima should not even be in detention in the first place. We have received reports of her mistreatment while in detention including constantly being denied access to visitors, electronic devices, and adequate medical furlough under the previous regime,’ said FORUM-ASIA.
‘We strongly condemn the PNP breach of de Lima’s security protocol and failure to ensure her rights while in custody, despite threats to her life and health. The arbitrary detention and mistreatment of de Lima is evident in the Philippine government’s judicial harassment of human rights defenders and narrowing civic space in the country.’
De Lima, a staunch critic of Duterte’s gross human rights violations, was imprisoned in 2017 on politically-motivated charges following her senate investigation into the thousands of extrajudicial killings under Duterte’s war on drugs. Her case continues to move at a snail’s pace despite the lack of evidence supporting the allegations against her. In response to the recent hostage-taking incident, President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. offered to transfer de Lima to a different detention center but de Lima reported declined.[2]
‘President Marcos Jr’s offer to transfer De Lima to another facility is a mere band-aid solution. De Lima’s ill-treatment and prolonged detention over baseless, trumped-up accusations are unacceptable and clearly violate international human rights standards. The recent hostage incident underscores the urgency of her release. The Philippine government should immediately release her and dismiss the fabricated allegations against her,’ said FORUM-ASIA.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, WHRD
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Extremist group
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Oct 23, 2022
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Oct 10, 2022
- Event Description
Various groups denounced the arrest of two activists just after their arraignment at Quezon City Regional Trial Court today, Oct. 10.
Kilusang Mayo Uno’s International Officer Kara Taggaoa and transport leader Helari Valbuena, president of Pasiklab Operators and Drivers Association (PASODA) are charged with trumped-up cases of robbery and direct assault.
The charges reportedly stemmed from their reported involvement in the protest action on July 11, 2020 in front of the Commission on Human Rights in Quezon City. The protest was about their opposition to the enactment of terror law and the cancellation of ABS-CBN’s franchise. According to human rights group Karapatan, an alleged cop in plainclothes was surveilling the protesters at that time.
In a video posted on Facebook, Taggaoa said the arraignment on the robbery case had just ended when she was accosted by some police personnel on her way out, read her Miranda rights and then arrested for direct assault charges.
Taggaoa said the robbery case was already scheduled for a resolution in the next hearing.
Valbuena and Taggao decried the violation of their right to due process as they have yet to receive any subpoena from the Office of the Prosecutor in Quezon City. They were also not given a chance to participate in the preliminary investigation on the complaints against them, Karapatan said.
Valbuena and Taggao were able to post bail on the robbery case that is why their arrest for another charge caught them by surprise. They also denied any involvement in any of the charges against them.
The two were taken to Camp Karingal in Quezon City where the police reportedly showed the warrant of arrest against them.
Different groups immediately trooped to Camp Karingal denouncing the arrest of Taggaoa and Valbuena.
Karapatan demands the immediate release of Valbuena and Taggaoa.
“Exercising the people’s right to conduct assemblies and rallies and to express their opinions freely without threats, even during a public health emergency, are fundamental rights, which should not be criminalized in whatever way by authorities,” the group said in a statement.
International League for Peoples’ Struggle-Philippines (ILPS Philippines) also condemned the arrest of Valbuena and Taggaoa, who is also a member of ILPS Workers Commission 5.
“The police personnel’s justification of their arrests along with other human rights defenders, is a blatant manifestation of weaponizing the law to silence and repress those who criticize the government’s failed pandemic response, corruption and trade union and human rights violations,” the group said in a statement.
A donation drive is ongoing to raise funds for the bail of Valbuena and Taggaoa.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to liberty and security, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Labour rights defender, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Oct 23, 2022
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Oct 12, 2022
- Event Description
National Union of Journalists in the Philippines (NUJP) strongly denounced the recent attacks against one of its officers by rabid red-tagger Lorraine Badoy together with Jeffery Celiz and others in a program aired at Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI) on Oct. 12.
In a show entitled “Laban Kasama ang Bayan,” NUJP secretary general and Bulatlat managing editor Ronalyn Olea was tagged as an “operatibong internet operator” for the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front.
The group said that this is not the first time that Badoy and others linked personalities, groups and members of the media to revolutionary groups.
In fact, they added, the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP), Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP), Movement Against Disinformation (MAD) and Rappler chief executive officer Maria Ressa have all been accused of rebel links without basis.
“However silly the term ‘operatibang internet operator’ sounds, the attempt to link Ms. Olea to the CPP-NPA-NDF for her work in Bulatlat and in NUJP shows how hollow the claim made by Justice Secretary Crispin Remulla before the UN Human Rights Council that red-tagging is simple criticism that is ‘part of a democracy’,” the group said in a statement.
They added that the “The mischaracterization as well as the effects of that mischaracterization — in the case of Bulatlat and PinoyWeekly, of being blocked without even an opportunity to address the accusations by the National Security Council — show that red-tagging has actual effects and is part of government policy.”
Alipato Media Center Inc., publisher of Bulatlat, of which Olea represented, questioned the blocking of its website in the court. On Oct. 10, Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 306 denied motions for reconsideration filed by the National Telecommunications Communication and retired Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr. against the temporary unblocking of bulatlat.com. This, after the court granted the preliminary injunction plea filed by Bulatlat against the blocking order of the NTC in August.
“In the face of the baseless accusations and desperate vilification, we stand with Ms. Olea and all others red-tagged by the government and by its mouthpieces,” the group said.
They added that in the light of the killing of commentator Percy Lapid and online threats against journalists Ed Lingao and Lourd de Veyra, they are “not taking red-tagging of journalists lightly and will hold authorities responsible should any harm come to fellow journalists.”
Nearly two decades of practicing journalism
Bulatlat expressed its alarm over the red-tagging of Olea.
“Her being red-tagged happened at a time when there are continuing attacks against journalists in the Philippines,” the online news website said in a statement.
It added that Olea has been a part of Bulatlat during its early days as contributor to becoming its managing editor today.
“She is a champion of human rights reporting, media workers’ welfare and journalists’ safety,” they added.
Olea won awards for her stories on human rights. In 2013, Olea’s story entitled, Killings unabated under Aquino, won third place in the Red Cross Award for Humanitarian Reporting. She was also among the finalists in the Save the Children Media Awards: Uncovering Child Hunger and Malnutrition in 2015 and the Chit Estella Journalism Awards in 2012.
Olea earned her degree of journalism at the Lyceum of the Philippines University. She finished her master’s degree in journalism at the Ateneo De Manila University under Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Media Programme.
Olea was the national president of the College Editors Guild of the Philippines from 2002 to 2004.
“In her fight for press freedom, Len is highly visible in the trial courts, in various fora and in the parliament of the streets. She fought those who dare to stifle press freedom and to curtail the people’s right to know. She stands in solidarity with fellow journalists and media workers under attack,” Bulatlat said.
Violation of legislative franchise
Meanwhile, the Movement Against Disinformation (MAD) asserts that the red-tagging of Badoy and others through SMNI is a violation of the 2007 Broadcast Code of the Philippines of the Kapasinan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) and violation of RA 11422, an act granting legislative franchise to SMNI’s corporate vehicle Swara Sug Media Corporation.
The group cited Badoy and Celiz’s attacks against Ressa after the Court of Appeals denied its motion for reconsideration in cyber libel conviction against her and former Rappler researcher Reynaldo Santos Jr., in the same program.
This time, Ressa was tagged as an operator for disinformation, misinformation, deception and giving a platform to the CPP-NPA.
Through these attacks, MAD said that SMNI and the presenters of the Laban Kasama ang Bayan show are using, misusing and abusing its legislative franchise.
“Mass media such as SMNI are highly regulated and are imbued with the public interest because they disseminate information and ideas to the public which ‘set the standards, ideals and aims of the masses,” the group said in a statement.
They added that Section 4 of RA 11422 states, “The grantee shall provide… at all times sound and balanced programming… and not use its stations or facilities for the broadcasting of obscene or indecent language, speech, act or scene; or for the dissemination of deliberately false information or willful misrepresentation, to the detriment of the public interest…”
The group said the influence of mass media could not be left unchecked and unregulated.
“Hence, legal and ethical standards are imposed to curb and control potential misuse and abuse,” the group said.
The group added that the SMNI and its presenters are not above the law in the exercise of their right to deliver information to the public. “They are legally, ethically and morally prohibited from red-tagging and putting in harm’s way the subjects of their news,” they added.
MAD also urged the KBP and all relevant government agencies to review and investigate the red-tagging involving SMNI and Badoy et al.
“It is time that the regulatory powers of the regulators be felt in full force to rein in and hold to account contumacious red-taggers and purveyors of disinformation and misinformation in the Philippines,” they added.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- Vilification
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to protect reputation
- HRD
- Media Worker, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Government
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Oct 23, 2022
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Oct 7, 2022
- Event Description
Radio broadcaster Flo Hervias was physically assaulted by four assailants on October 7, amid a growing number of violent attacks against journalists in the Philippines. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), in condemning the attack and urging the authorities to immediately investigate the incident and hold those responsible to account.
On the evening of October 7, Hervias was assaulted by four masked men as he exited the DYRI radio station in the Lapaz District of Iloilo City after his program ‘Banwa Binag-binaga’ aired. Hervis was beaten and sustained injuries to his eyes and mouth.
According to the NUJP, the assailants pretended to be garbage collectors as they waited outside the station for Hervias to exit the building.
On the day of the attack, Hervias reported on a controversial rehabilitation project of the city’s public market, which is currently underway. The broadcaster interviewed the contractor in charge of the project to discuss what was being done to help the market’s existing vendors transfer to temporary stalls.
Hervias has since requested temporary protection from the Philippine National Police.
The attack comes days after radio commentator Percival Mabasa, also known as Percy Lapid, was shot dead in his vehicle in Las Piñas City.The veteran broadcaster, host of ‘Lapid Fire’ on radio station DWBL 1242, was known to criticise the practice of red tagging, or the labelling of activists or organisations as supporters of communism, among other political issues.
Lapid is the second journalist to be killed under the administration of President Ferdinand Jr., with his death causing widespread fear within the journalist community in the Philippines.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Online, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Media Worker
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Oct 23, 2022
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Oct 3, 2022
- Event Description
Veteran radio broadcaster Percival Mabasa, more popularly known as Percy Lapid, was shot dead in his vehicle in Las Piñas City on Monday evening after receiving death threats, prompting the government, including the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), to launch probes into his death.
The family said Lapid received a lot of death threats before he was killed, and because of his brave commentaries on various issues, a lot of angles (on possible motives for the shooting) could be considered, National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) Secretary General Ronalyn Olea told CNN Philippines' Balitaan on Tuesday.
Lapid was a staunch critic of the current administration and of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
"Medyo challenging din po 'yong magiging imbestigasyon pero from the looks of it, batay doon sa topics na kanyang tinalakay, ay malamang po work-related ito," Olea said.
[Translation: The investigation will be challenging but from the looks of it, based on the topics he tackled, the killing is probably work-related.]
Las Piñas City Police said Lapid was gunned down by two assailants at the gate of a subdivision along Aria St., Barangay Talon Dos. One of the attackers was on a motorcycle while the other was on board a white Toyota Fortuner.
"We are deeply saddened and angered by the brutal and brazen killing of fearless broadcaster, father and husband, brother and friend, Percy Lapid," a statement of Lapid's family posted on Facebook said.
"We strongly condemn this deplorable crime; it was committed not only against Percy, his family, and his profession, but against our country, his beloved Philippines, and the truth," added the statement posted by Lapid's younger brother, journalist and former National Press Club president Roy Mabasa.
Before his death, Lapid hosted a radio news commentary program on DWBL 1242 called Lapid Fire, where he delivered hard-hitting criticism of perceived abuses and irregularities by the government. He was also a former broadcaster of DWIZ radio station.
The NUJP said Lapid was the second journalist killed during the term of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The first was radio broadcaster Rey Blanco, who was stabbed to death in Negros Oriental last month.
Olea said Lapid was the first in recent years to be killed in Metro Manila. He was also the 196th journalist killed in the country since 1986, the year democracy was restored after the ouster of dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos, the father of the current president.
Calls for justice over Lapid's killing have since flooded the comment section on his social media posts. PNP, CHR launch investigations into Lapid's death
The Philippine National Police vowed to hold the perpetrators accountable, saying the local police created a special investigation task force and that the probe is underway.
Meanwhile, Senior Deputy Executive Secretary Hubert Guevarra said he would meet with the Presidential Task Force on Media Security, as well as with the Southern Police District to ensure the conduct of the investigation "proceeds without any problem and submit to us, report to us hopefully within the next seven days."
The CHR, meanwhile, denounced the killing of Lapid, as it stressed journalists' role in "upholding democracy and demanding accountability in any society."
"Any threat or attack to press freedom is a direct threat to people's right to truth and information," it said in a statement.
The commission also noted it has started its motu proprio investigation into the killing of the broadcaster.
Lapid's last broadcast aired on Sept. 30 during which he tackled the dangers of red-tagging, among other political issues.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to life
- HRD
- Media Worker
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Oct 21, 2022
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Sep 3, 2022
- Event Description
Groups decried the harassment of red-tagged peasant leader Lucia Capaducio, who is at the forefront of seeking government assistance for the food producers of Panay.
Capaducio is a known peasant leader and the current chairperson of the peasant group Paghugpong sang Mangunguma sa Panay kag Guimaras (PAMANGGAS).
According to Panay Alliance Karapatan, on Sept. 3, three men who introduced themselves as personnel of Department of Environmental and Natural Resources (DENR) went to Capaducio residence and asked her whereabouts. Capaducio’s husband Felix, 72, who was in the house that day was interrogated by these men and accused her wife as a leader of the New People’s Army (NPA) and that their family are supporters of the rebel group. Their daughter was also interrogated, the group said.
Capaducio was not in the house when the three men came. Panay Karapatan Alliance said Capaducio was in the community gathering signatures for a petition against golden rice and aid for farmers.
A day before the incident, another red-tagged development worker Linalyn Jaynos was also arrested.
Panay Alliance Karapatan believes that the recent incidents are an attack against farmers who are only demanding help from the government. They assert that allegations against Capaducio are all lies.
“The attack against Nay Lucia is an attack against our farmers who are suffering from the effect of the economic crisis this government has created and failed to resolve,” Panay Alliance Karapatan said in a statement.
“It is the latest assault on local peasant communities that, for years, have been harassed for calling out the government for its negligence and incompetence in tackling the issues confronting their sector. Under a sham democracy, those who are on the “laylayan” have become victims severalfold,” it added.
Magsasaka at Siyentipiko para sa Pag-unlad ng Agrikultura (MASIPAG), a farmer-led network, urged the government to stop the harassments against Capaducio’s family and demanded that the government use their resources to help farmers instead.
“MASIPAG urges the government to honor their mandated duty of supporting our local farmers and not to abuse their powers as duty bearers in forwarding their own exclusive agenda in agriculture,” the organization said in a statement.
“We in MASIPAG enjoins everyone in condemning this recent attack on Nay Lucia and to all the farmers experiencing structural harassment and persecution. MASIPAG rally behind in full solidarity and support to Nay Lucia and others who have exemplified that in times of hardship, it is our duty to help,” it added.
Capaducio has been working to champion the rights of peasants and human rights in cases of indigenous people against the military and humanitarian initiatives during calamities
She is also a long time MASIPAG member.
“For decades, Nay Lucia has been sharing her wide array of skills in sustainable organic farming by training farmers across the country both in the technical and advocacy and lobbying aspect of sustainable organic agriculture,” MASIPAG said.
Panay Alliance Karapatan said Capaducio has participated and assisted in fact-finding missions, particularly on the attacks against the Tumandok people.
“The attack against Nay Lucia is an attack against our farmers who are suffering from the effect of the economic crisis this government has created and failed to resolve. It is the latest assault on local peasant communities that, for years, have been harassed for calling out the government for its negligence and incompetence in tackling the issues confronting their sector. Under a sham democracy, those who are on the “laylayan” have become victims several fold,” Panay Alliance Karapatan said.
In 2021, Capaducio was awarded the Gawad Ben Ramos Award for her efforts in championing pro-farmer and pro-people agriculture and food system.
- Impact of Event
- 3
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats, Vilification
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to protect reputation
- HRD
- Family of HRD, Land rights defender, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Suspected state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 24, 2022
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Sep 2, 2022
- Event Description
Women’s group Gabriela denounced the recent raid of one of its shelter houses for abused women that led to the arrest of Lenilyn Jaynos, a community development worker, in Roxas City on Sept. 2.
Jaynos is a community organizer of the urban poor group Kaisog, a member organization of Kadamay in Panay. She was in the shelter house for post-operation medical check-ups.
The 45-year-old activist, along with Gabriela-Roxas City’s secretary general Marivie Bartolome Arguelles and another individual, was named in a search warrant used by the members of the police to raid their shelter house for women located at Happy Homes Subdivision, Barangay Sibaguan, Roxas City.
Only Jaynos was in the shelter at the time of the search.
The police purportedly found in her possession several arms and explosives, which Maura Abellon, chairperson of Kadamay-Panay also said it would be impossible for Jaynos to carry.
They also took with them as “evidence” a flag of Gabriela.
However, Clarice Palce, Gabriela’s secretary general, said these were all planted.
Gabriela-Panay chairperson Lucia Francisco said the raid of the shelter is reminiscent of previous searches and raids, where purported evidence are planted before authorities would come in to conduct the “search.”
In this case, she said that Jaynos saw a man carrying two back packs entered the shelter. The said man walked out of the shelter without the bags.
“More than 30 members of the operatives surrounded the shelter. They conducted the search, called the village officials and then after the search they claimed that they found two bags containing arms and explosives in the window at the back of the curtain,” Francisco said during the online briefing.
Not a terrorist
Women rights advocates said that contrary to the claims of the police, Jaynos is not a terrorist.
“She has been serving the poor for most of her entire life. She was a teacher for an urban poor daycare center in Iloilo City for years before later serving peasant communities in Capiz,” Panay Alliance Karapatan said in a statement.
When typhoon Yolanda hit the country, Jaynos is among the volunteers of Buylog Capiz that helped many farmers and fisherfolk recovered from the trauma and devastation of one of the strongest typhoons to ever make landfall in recent history.
She also worked with Gabriela, particularly in cases of victims of state negligence and abuse.
Gabriela, for its part, said the shelter where Jaynos was arrested is among the crisis centers they have established in many parts of the country to provide a safe space for women who are survivors of abuse.
“Centers like these are refuge for women incapable of protecting themselves against powerful perpetrators and who have nowhere to turn to, as government has meager and ineffective responses to the widespread problem of violence against women,” Gabriela said.
Rights violations
Progressives said the recent event is among the apparent heightened number of cases of harassment against women activists.
Last month, ailing women’s rights activist Atheliana Hijos was arrested in Butuan City. She has difficulties walking.
“It is abhorrent that in spite of billions of money being poured into government so-called intelligence funds, we find such failures of intelligence victimizing poor people such as Jaynos who has been deeply traumatized by the event,” the group said in a statement.
“Jaynos arrest and the accusations against them is an indication that under the Marcos-Duterte regime, human rights violations will remain rampant and that state forces have again mobilized their ranks to commit human rights violations,” Panay Alliance Karapatan said.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 18, 2022
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Aug 10, 2022
- Event Description
On August 10, 2022, the houses of Juvenile Estrada, 53, and Deana Estrada, 53, were allegedly demolished illegally by seven alleged goons hired by Hacienda Vicenta in Purok 1 and Sitio Kambagting, Barangay Cabacungan, La Castellana, Negros Occidental, Philippines. Juvenile and Deana are members of Hacienda Vicenta Farm Workers Association (HVFWA). HVFWA has an ongoing land dispute with Hacienda Vicenta. Apart from Juvenile and Deana, other members of HVFWA have received threats from the said goons.
According to Juvenile, he was sitting inside his house at around 9:00 A.M. when five men wearing face covers barged into his house and asked him if he was the owner of the said house. Juvenile politely asked what the problem was. One of the men then ordered Juvenile to get out of his house within five minutes or stay and be crushed while the men demolished the house. Juvenile said that he was confused and tried to stand up but was held back by one of the men. Juvenile was told that there was no need to ask the barangay officials and that they already settled the matter with the officials. Juvenile added that the men did not present any document to prove the legality of the demolition. Juvenile further added that he was intimidated by the men’s appearance and did not ask further questions.
According to Gaudiosa Estrada, Juvenile’s wife, upon hearing what the men said, she quickly ran outside to ask help from their barangay officials. Gaudiosa said that their officials refused to help them and allegedly said that they do not have jurisdiction over the matter for it was a privately owned lot. Gaudiosa added that by the time she returned to their house, it had already been demolished.
According to Juvenile, he begged to save their belongings but the men refused. Juvenile said that while five men were inside their house, another two were positioned outside. One end of the rope was tied to one of their house’s posts and the other end to a tractor. Juvenile said that within seconds after he went out their house, the driver drove the tractor forward and pulled their house in one go. Juvenile added that the men left after destroying their house and sarcastically ordered him to compute the monetary amount of the damage and it would be paid by the hacienda’s owner.
According to Rose Ann Estrada, Deana’s daughter, she was busy inside their house along with eight children when five men entered their house and ordered them to leave. The men allegedly said that within five minutes, they will demolish their house. Rose asked the reason for the demolition, but was instead threatened by one of the men. Rose was left with nothing to do and instructed the children to rush outside. Rose then rushed up to the second floor to wake up and get her 11-month-old child. Rose said that she went out as quickly as possible and felt dizzy. Rose added that she remembered handing over her child to one of her children and then she passed out. Rose further added that by the time she regained consciousness, the demolition was done.
According to Rose, one of the men tied one end of the rope to their house and the other end to a red canter truck owned by Hacienda Vicenta.
According to May Ann Montalvo, a witness and also a member of HVFWA, she and her brother were inside their house eating when they noticed a gray pick-up truck parked outside their house. Montalvo and her brother went out and saw the plate number of the truck suspiciously covered with leaves and a piece of plywood. Her brother then uncovered the plate number and went around the truck to take pictures of the plate number. Montalvo said that while her brother was taking pictures, she saw Jose Pameroyan, a worker from the hacienda, peeking from inside the truck. Montalvo added that Pameroyan was the alleged team leader of the demolition team.
According to Montalvo, after taking pictures of the truck, she then proceeded to check the status of the Estradas’ house. On her way to the demolition site, she came across the demolition team and overheard the men talking. Montalvo said that the men were saying that it would not be the last demolition and there will be a next time.
According to Juvenile, before the incident, he was summoned by the barangay captain to sit in a meeting with the hacienda’s secretary and sign an agreement between him and the hacienda. As to Juvenile’s understanding, he was offered to be paid by the hacienda if he voluntarily vacates their lot. Juvenile allegedly agreed on the terms. Juvenile added that after the demolition, he received no payment from the hacienda.
As of this writing, both Juvenile and Deana have not received any assistance, monetary or otherwise, from the hacienda. The barangay is also allegedly giving Juvenile and Deana a hard time in procuring the necessary documents required for case filing.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats, Raid, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to housing, Right to property
- HRD
- Land rights defender, WHRD
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Suspected non-state
- Source
Case shared by FORUM-ASIA member TFDP
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 10, 2022
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Aug 30, 2022
- Event Description
A 76-year old longtime women’s rights activist was arrested by elements of the Regional Intelligence Division in Butuan City on Tuesday, Aug. 30.
Atheliana “Atel” Hijos, is the secretary general of Gabriela-Caraga.
An alert released by Karapatan-Caraga chapter said that the police arrested Hijos over charges of murder, kidnapping and serious illegal detention. Warrants of arrest were issued by the Regional trial Court Branch 43, Cabadbaran City, Agusan del Norte dated June 10, 2020 and by RTC Branch 7, Bayugan City, Agusan del Sur dated February 12, 2020 with no bail bond.
Women’s group Gabriela said there is no other reason for her arrest other than her being their leader for decades.
“She is one of the pillars of the women’s movement in Mindanao,” the group said in a statement.
“She dedicated her life to helping and serving women who are victims of abuse. She also actively led in the 80’s the cases of women victims of sex trafficking. She became active in campaigns against giant mining companies, and ran for council in her hometown in Mindanao,” they added.
Hijos is also a former public school teacher and was the founding member of Women’s Alliance for True Change (WATCH)-Mindanao – a broad-based movement of women who resisted the Marcos dictatorship.
According to human rights groups Karapatan, Hijos has pulmonary tuberculosis and hypertension. She recently suffered from a mild stroke.
“She has been bedridden, and she has difficulties walking, at times using a wheelchair. How can an elderly and elderly woman, with such a frail build like Atel’s, possibly commit all the crimes alleged against her?” said Cristina Palabay, secretary general of Karapatan in a statement.
Palabay said the arrest of Hijos is based on fabricated testimonies of soldiers who accused her as a combatant and was involved in armed encounters.
Palabay said “this is a blatant lie considering Atel’s senior age and frail physical condition.”
“In one of the charges leveled against her, she has submitted sound and reasonable proof that she was attending election-related activities at the time of the alleged incident of armed encounter between soldiers and New People’s Army rebels. Like all those who were arrested, Hijos has been subjected to red-tagging, via numerous posters and fliers bearing her name and picture disseminated by the military in public places in Caraga,” Palabay said.
Karapatan has recorded, as of July this year, 92 political prisoners in the Caraga region, 22 of them are women.
They expressed their concern over the cases filed in court saying that “the region has become a warrant factory where trumped up charges against activists are cooked up to suppress their voices and stifle political dissent.”
The group noted activists who have cases and similar charges filed in the courts of Cagara such as Mindanao-based activists and development workers such as Dr. Naty Castro, human rights worker Renalyn Tejero and Teresita Naul, women’s rights activists Nerita de Castro, teacher Gary Campos, development workers Julieta Gomez and Niezel Velasco, peasant activists Virgilio Lincuna and Marcela Diaz, church worker Aldeem Yanez, indigenous rights activist Gloria Campos Tumalon, among others.
Karapatan also said that Luzon-based trade unionists Juan Alexander Reyes, Rowena Rosales, Maoj Maga, and Antonieta Dizon, and development workers Benito Quilloy and Rita Espinoza were likewise implicated in trumped up charges filed in courts in Caraga, despite the fact that these individuals have never been to Mindanao.
“The successive arrests of long-time women’s rights activists Atel Hijos and Adora Faye de Vera, both have fought the Marcos dictatorship, show the government’s contempt for brave Filipinas who struggle against political repression,” Palabay said.
The group demanded the immediate release of Hijos and De Vera and all political prisoners on humanitarian and just grounds.
“We enjoin all women human rights defenders in the Philippines and around the world in our collective call – Free Our Sisters! Free Ourselves!” Palabay said.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- NGO staff, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary, Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 5, 2022
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Aug 20, 2022
- Event Description
Human rights defender Fr. Angelito Andig Cortez, OFM, 37 years old, priest, and resident of Kapanata Community, Cleofas Street, Barangay Bagbag, Novaliches, Quezon City, received threats through phone calls from an unidentified person during two separate occasions.
Fr. Cortez spent nine months abroad as he was assigned to a mission to the General Curia in Rome, Italy. He returned to the Philippines in February 2022.
On May 24, 2022, Fr. Cortez received six missed calls from mobile number 09978339528 at 4:40 p.m., 6:19 p.m., and 6:41 p.m. (four times). At 7:15 p.m., he again received a call from the same number. Fr. Cortez picked up the call but just listened to the other person on the line. It was a male voice that said, “Alam namin, Father, nandito na kayo sa Pilipinas. Kailangan namin ng tulong ninyo.” (“We know, Father, that you are already here in the Philippines. We need your help.”) After ending the call, Fr. Cortez blocked the number from his phone.
On August 20, 2022, a few weeks after Fr. Cortez and another priest returned from Geneva, Switzerland as part of the international lobby mission during the 50th United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), he again received calls from an unidentified person. This time, the calls came from the mobile number 09557153712. There were missed calls at 10:23 p.m. (thrice), 10:35 p.m., 10:38 p.m. (twice), and 10:39 p.m. (twice). Fr. Cortez picked up the call at 10:39 p.m. and listened to the other person on the line. The male voice was the same as the one who called him on May 24. The man said, “Mga taga-Zamboanga kame, inutusan kaming ipapatay kayo! May apat na kaming kasama na nadeploy sa Manila, dalawang babae at dalawang lalake, pero nalaman po namin na pari kayo kaya pinahold muna namin, ayaw namin madamay mga inosenteng tao, lalo na ang pamilya niyo.” (“We are from Zamboanga, we were ordered to have you killed! We already have four companions deployed in Manila, two women and two men, but we learned that you are a priest so we put [the order] on hold, we do not want innocent people, especially your family, to be implicated.”) After ending the call, Fr. Cortez blocked the number from his phone.
On August 26, 2022, Fr. Cortez filed a police blotter of the incident at the Novaliches Police Station 4. His account was put on record and was advised to report at the Quezon City Police District Anti-Cybercrime Group.
According to Fr. Cortez, he started receiving threats and nasty comments on his Facebook posts in 2018. He has been part of the international advocacy mission for the UNHRC sessions for several times. During the missions, he talked about the human rights situation in the Philippines, as well as demanded for accountability through the International Criminal Court. He believed that the threats may have been a result of his international lobby work.
After he returned to the Philippines from Geneva on July 9, Fr. Cortez also had several meetings with diplomats to also talk about the human rights situation in the Philippines.
He said that it may also be related to his work as a religious of providing sanctuary to victims of human rights violations and/or their families.
Fr. Cortez did not pay much attention to the previous threats. He however felt the gravity of the latest threat because the caller already mentioned his family.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Death threat, Intimidation and Threats, Reprisal as Result of Communication
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Community-based HRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
Case shared by FORUM-ASIA member TFDP
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Aug 30, 2022
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Aug 24, 2022
- Event Description
“Who is Adora Faye?”
This question started circulating in social media after her reported arrest on Wednesday, August 24 and after his brother, Commission on Higher Education (Ched) Chairperson Prospero De Vera III distanced himself from her sister.
Panay News reported on Thursday, August 25 that Adora Faye De Vera (reported as de Veyra) was arrested by authorities in Teachers Village East, Quezon City. Allegedly, De Vera has a warrant of arrest for multiple murder with the use of explosives and multiple frustrated murders issued on March 19, 2006.
De Vera was alleged as a high ranking officer of the Communist Party of the Philippines.
But amid this allegation of the authorities, former secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Judy Taguiwalo said De Vera is a martial law survivor.
“She is a martial law survivor whose story of rape and sexual abuse while in the hands of the military was one of the cases filed during the class suit against Marcos in Hawaii,” said Taguiwalo in a Facebook post.
She also described De Vera as a very talented poet “whose poems deal with women’s oppression, state violence against women and the power of collective action.” Along with her post is De Vera’s poem entitled 11:30, which Taguiwalo said, she used as reference in teaching women’s studies.
Taguiwalo was also a political prisoner during martial law of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr.
Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay also posted De Vera’s poem for desaparecidos, including her husband who has been missing for many years.
“Hahanapin kita sa luntian bukirin, Sa ngiti ng sanggol, sa ihip ng hangin; Kung sa paglaya na ang iyong pagdating, At wala ka roon ay hahanapin pa rin.”
The horrors of her torture and sexual abuse from the hands of the soldiers written in Martial Law Files: A History of Resistance also resurfaced and circulated in social media.
De Vera is also among the 10 original plaintiffs who filed a class suit against Marcos Sr. in the US.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment, Vilification
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security, Right to protect reputation
- HRD
- WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Aug 28, 2022
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Aug 20, 2022
- Event Description
Alive but shocked.
This is how Kinja Cariño Tauli described her father, Stephen Tauli, a long-time development worker and indigenous people’s rights defender, who was found last night after he was believed to be abducted by state forces on Saturday night, August 20.
In an earlier statement, the Cordillera Human Rights Alliance (CHRA) said Tauli, 63, was beaten up and kidnapped by five men in a store along Ag-a Road, Appas, Tabuk City in Kalinga province.
Tauli, regional council member of the Cordillera Peoples’ Alliance, has long been subjected to red-tagging, particularly by the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict that even held a forum in the Kalinga State University last week.
“Active since the Chico Dam struggle, he has persistently campaigned against dams, mines, and other forms of development aggression against the Cordillera peoples. For his committed work, he was wrongly red-tagged and subjected to surveillance and harassment,” Kinja wrote in her Facebook post.
Tauli’s colleagues in the human rights movement have also called for his surfacing and demanded the government to stop harassing developmental workers in the province.
“Manong Steve’s only crime is his commitment to organizing and empowering the people to defend their ancestral lands against development aggression and militarization,” the Dap-ayan ti Kultura iti Kordilyera, an alliance of cultural organizations and individuals in Cordillera, said.
The Cordillera Human Rights Alliance (CHRA) said Tauli needs to recover to be able to state the full account since he was assaulted and kidnapped.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Abduction/Kidnapping, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Indigenous peoples' rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Suspected state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Aug 28, 2022
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jul 13, 2022
- Event Description
Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP) writes to inform you about a shooting incident in Osmeña Ave., Barangay 5, Victorias City, Negros Occidental on July 13, 2022 that claimed the life of Rodan Berito, 40 years old, president of Felicidad Begonia Farm Workers Association (FBFWA). FBWA has a long-standing land dispute with Victorias Milling Company-Manapla Distillery (VMC). FBFWA leaders, including Berito, received multiple death threats and suffered from various forms of harassment allegedly from VMC.
CASE DETAILS:
Rodan Berito, 40 years old, president of Felicidad Begonia Farm Workers Association (FBFWA), was killed in a vigilante-style summary execution in Osmeña Ave., Barangay 5, Victorias City, Negros Occidental on July 13, 2022. Berito previously received multiple death threats related to their land dispute against Victorias Milling Company-Manapla Distillery (VMC). Berito was a resident of Barangay Purisima, Manapla, Negros Occidental.
According to Ronald Deocadiz, a land rights advocate and FBFWA organizer, between 3:00 to 4:00 P.M., Berito was standing in the area to buy cigarette when an unidentified gunman approached and shot him at close range. The gunman allegedly fled onboard a motorcycle driven by an unidentified accomplice. Deocadiz said that Berito succumbed to a fatal bullet wound in the head. Deocadiz added that the police recovered a fired deformed slug and a fired cartridge case of a .45 caliber pistol.
According to Deocadiz, Berito was aware that his life was under serious threat. Deocadiz said that on June 24, Berito’s son was robbed while driving Berito’s car in Hacienda Leticia, Barangay Caduhaan, Cadiz City. Deocadiz also said that Berito was the supposed target but when the perpetrator found that it was his son who was driving Berito’s car, they had to improvise, hence the robbery.
According to Deocadiz, Berito was scheduled to attend a court hearing on July 14, just a day after he was killed. Deocadiz said that Berito was arrested in April 2021 when the police raided his house in Manapla for illegal firearms and ammunition and illegal drugs. Deocadiz added that Berito was released later that year after posting bail.
Background:
Berito was the FBFWA president at the time of his death. In 2013, the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) gave five collective Certificate of Land Ownership Awards (CLOAs) to 105 members of then Ha. Begonia Farm Workers Association. However, they were not formally installed because of an alleged intimidation incident carried out by alleged goons of VMC in 2017.
FBFWA, alongside the residents of Barangay Purisima and neighboring barangays, has a long-standing complaint against VMC for its illegal waste water disposal that resulted in multiple fish kills and emission of unbearable odor. The Environmental Management Bureau (EMB-6) released multiple Notice of Violations to VMC to which the company complied. However, residents continued to complain against VMC for alleged malpractices.
On February 9, 2022, FBFWA members launched a picket line enforcing a stoppage order issued by Barangay Purisima Council. The picket line blocked the road leading to VMC preventing delivery tankers from entering and exiting the distillery plant. On February 17, the picket line was violently dispersed by Manapla Police and resulted in the arrest and detention of four FBFWA members.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to life
- HRD
- Land rights defender
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Suspected non-state
- Source
Case shared by FORUM-ASIA member TFDP
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Aug 16, 2022
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jul 26, 2022
- Event Description
On July 26, 2022, unidentified men were allegedly seen roving around the residence of Ronald Deocadiz, 38 years old, human rights defender, land rights advocate and organizer, in Barangay Caduhaan, Cadiz City, Negros Occidental. Deocadiz is a community leader and organizer specialized in land rights and disputes in Negros Occidental. Deocadiz is also a paralegal volunteer who help farm workers in Barangay Purisima, Manapla push their land claims against Victorias Milling Company - Manapla Distillery (VMC) which led to multiple harassment incidents.
According to Deocadiz, on July 24, he received a tip from a friend telling him to be cautious in his movements for he is already in the Order of Battle (OB). Deocadiz said that his friend allegedly heard rumors circulating within the blue guards of VMC. Deaocadiz added that he was not surprised to hear the news for he was already expecting these kinds of aggression, but is still wary, given that one leader from Manapla was killed on July 13.
According to Deocadiz, later that day, his sister-in-law also told him the same information but from a different source. Deocadiz said that his sister-in-law was visited by a friend who allegedly told her that Deocadiz is in the OB and will be killed by persons riding-in-tandem. Deocadiz said that the tips from his friend and his sister-in-law coincidentally matched and had become very serious to be ignored.
According to Deocadiz, on Tuesday morning, July 26, he noticed suspicious-looking men lurking and roving around his residence. Deocadiz said that at first, he did not pay much attention to it and thought that maybe the men were just from another barangay visiting someone in his neighborhood. Deocadiz added that he was later convinced that the men were after him when the same men kept passing by their house for no apparent reason. Deocadiz then decided to move to a relatively safer place and inform his networks about his ordeal.
According to Deocadiz, although he is safe for now, he is not sure whether or not he would be safe in the coming days. Deocadiz said that the owner of his temporary safe house also received multiple death threats due to their line of work. Deocadiz is asking for a much safer place to hide for the meantime. Deocadiz said that he is currently in a dire situation and is badly in need of support from networks.
Background:
Deocadiz is one of the main organizers who assisted Felicidad Begonia Farm Workers Association (FBFWA), an organization of Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARB), that has a land dispute with VMC-Manapla Distillery. FBFWA then launched a mass action protest on February 9, 2022, in the hopes that their calls and claims would be heard by concerned government agencies. The mass protest almost came to a halt when the Manapla Philippine National Police (PNP) carried out a violent dispersal on February 17 that resulted in the arrest of four members and injury of several members.
Throughout the ARBs’ struggle for land claims, various ways and tactics were allegedly employed by VMC to harass and intimidate the ARBs. This past few months, FBFWA members reported different incidents of harassment they allegedly experienced. These alleged harassment incidents vary from simple surveillance to death threats and trumped-up cases. On July 13,, Rodan Berito, FBFWA’s chairperson, was shot dead while riding his motorcycle in Victorias City.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Surveillance
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Land rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Suspected state
- Source
Case shared by FORUM-ASIA member TFDP
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Aug 16, 2022
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- May 3, 2022
- Event Description
Alipio “Ador” Juat is no stranger to political repression.
A longtime unionist and community organizer for the labor center Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), Juat was one of the scores of activists who survived arrest and torture during the martial law regime of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s late father.
Since that period, labor and peasant organizers and political activists were considered destabilizers, KMU secretary general Jerome Adonis told reporters on Wednesday.
“But it is not a crime nor will it ever be a crime to organize communities,” Adonis said.
On May 3 — just days before the presidential elections that was won by the dictator’s son and namesake — history repeated itself for Juat. He and fellow community organizer Elizabeth Magbanua were abducted by armed men who said they were from the Philippine Navy, according to Adonis.
He said the martial law survivor “has now been victimized twice over by a Marcos.”
Juat and Magbanua and two peasant organizers, Elgene Mungcal and Elena Cortez, had gone missing in a string of disappearances in Central Luzon.
Their families have called on the Marcos administration to help find their loved ones and stop the wanton arrests and enforced disappearances of dissidents. Asking AFP
On Wednesday, they filed a formal complaint before the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and asked the state rights watchdog to help them investigate the cases.
The CHR said it would send a representative to Camp Aguinaldo, the Armed Forces headquarters in Quezon City, as soon as possible.
Juat supposedly was able to send word to his family that he was taken there by the men who had seized him.
The families of the missing are demanding that the authorities allow them to return home “without condition and immediately.”
They also want the new administration to junk Executive Order No. 70, which created the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac) that was created by Marcos’ predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte. Last call to family
The anti-communist task force has become notorious for Red-tagging critics of the government, many of whom were later persecuted, prosecuted or killed.
Representatives of the women’s group, Gabriela, and KMU accompanied the relatives of Juat and the three others to the CHR.
Magbanua, a longtime member of KMU, has been missing since May 3. Gabriela members Mungcal and Cortez disappeared on July 3.
Juat was able to make a call to his family recently, telling them he was being held in Camp Aguinaldo
Adonis believes that no one else “would have an interest in our four colleagues except the government and the military who wish to silence those who fight for true justice.”
Apparently, Magbanua and Juat were together in Valenzuela City on May 3 to attend a meeting related to their community organizing work, according to Ruth Maglalan, Magbanua’s partner.
In his brief phone call, Juat told his family that the police were waiting for him and Magbanua at the gate of the subdivision where they were to hold their meeting. After they were seized, they were whisked away in separate vehicles.
Juat demanded to know where Magbanua was taken but the men just told him not to fret about his colleague, his relatives said.
Juat said he was brought to Camp Aguinaldo without being told what charges he was being detained for. He has not been heard from since making that call. ‘No right to take her’
Maglalan tearfully told reporters that Magbanua had been a community organizer for the past three decades and “has done nothing but help people realize their rights.”
“There is no just reason for them to take her away from us, from me, from everyone who loves her,” she said. “They have no right to take her away from the masses that she has served her entire life.”
She challenged President Marcos to “prove that he is not like his father” in the way that the ousted dictator let human rights abuses “run rampant” under his martial law regime, and to show that he was different, he should order the military to surface Magbanua and all other victims of enforced disappearances.
Cortez’s daughter, Azaze Galang, was distraught over the disappearance of her mother years after her father, also a peasant organizer, went missing.
She asked the military “to open the camps and let us look for our loved ones freely.” Worst fears
The last time she saw her mother was when she was heading to a meeting with Mungcal in Moncada town, Tarlac province. A closed circuit television footage at Moncada’s Winfare Supermarket was the last image of her mother that she saw on July 3.
Cortez has not returned home since then.
There were no members of Mungcal’s family that met with the reporters and the CHR staff on Wednesday.
Galang fears that both her parents are victims of enforced disappearances, never to be heard from again.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- Abduction/Kidnapping
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Labour rights defender, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Suspected state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Aug 15, 2022
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jul 17, 2022
- Event Description
A Lumad teacher was arrested by the Philippine National Police (PNP) on Sunday, July 17, according to human rights group Karapatan-Caraga.
Gary S. Campos, a Lumad-Manobo, was on his way to a review center to prepare for the upcoming licensure examination for teachers when he was arrested in Tandag City, Surigao del Sur, the group said in an alert.
Campos was able to call his friends from a police station in Butuan and told them that he was arrested. The group said the police reportedly presented a warrant of arrest but the charges are yet to be disclosed as of this writing.
Save Our Schools Network denounced Campos saying that this is “another attempt by state agents to repress Lumad youth who have been proactive in giving back to their communities.”
“Even after his administration has ended, Duterte’s terror persists and has been passed down to the current, including, among other things, extensive trumped up charges, unlawful detentions, and other human rights violations,” the group said in a statement.
Campos, is a graduate of Tribal Filipino Program of Surigao del Sur (TRIFPSS) and Alternative Learning Center for Agricultural and Livelihood Development (ALCADEV). He also finished his education degree at St. Theresa’s College-Tandag through the help of the Indigenous Peoples Apostolate scholarship program of the Diocese of Tandag.
Karapatan-Caraga said Campos volunteered as a teacher in TRIFPSS after his graduation to serve back to the community.
He currently volunteers as a teacher at a local school in Tandag City under the Department of Education.
Campos is also a member of Malahutayong Pakigbisog Alang sa Sumusunod (MAPASU), a Lumad organization at the forefront in defending the Andap Valley Complex against foreign, large-scale coal mining.
“We call on all student and Indigenous peoples’ rights advocates to stand with Gary and seek accountability from the terror being unleashed by the Duterte-Marcos regime,” the group said.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention
- Rights Concerned
- Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Indigenous peoples' rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Jul 24, 2022
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jul 8, 2022
- Event Description
The Philippine Court of Appeals (CA) affirmed the cyber libel conviction of Rappler CEO and Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Ressa, and former Rappler researcher-writer Reynaldo Santos Jr., adding eight months to the prison sentence initially imposed by a lower court in Manila.
“The appeal is denied. The decision of the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 46 finding accused Reynaldo Santos Jr. and Maria Ressa guilty beyond reasonable doubt of violation of Section 4(c)4 of Republic Act 10175 otherwise known as the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 is affirmed with modification insofar as accused are sentenced to suffer the indeterminate penalty of imprisonment ranging from six months and one day as minimum to six years and eight months and twenty days as maximum,” said the decision by the Court of Appeals Fourth Division.
The CA ruling was signed by Associate Justices Roberto Quiroz, Ramon Bato, and Germano Francisco Legaspi. It is a different set of justices than the ones who handled the appeal earlier on and who had previously granted Ressa’s travel authorities.
The CA justices also imposed a longer prison sentence than what the Manila court imposed in June 2020 which was six months and one day as minimum to six years as maximum. This set of CA justices added eight months and 20 days to the maximum imprisonment penalty. The fines totaling P400,000 for moral and exemplary damages were retained.
“Both [Ressa and Santos] will avail of all legal remedies available to them, including elevating the decision to the Supreme Court for review,” said Rappler in a statement Friday, July 8. Constitutionality of cyber libel
The Manila court’s ruling, which the CA affirmed, interpreted the young cyber libel law as having a 12-year prescription period as opposed to having only a one-year prescription period as stated in the revised penal code. The 12-year period, which means you can be sued even after 12 years of publication, was a gray area in the highly-contested law, but was interpreted by the justice department using a pre-war statute to be able to prosecute Ressa and Santos.
The Manila court also ruled that republication is a separate offense. Rappler’s story in question, an investigative story about the use of one of complainant Wilfredo Keng’s vehicles by the late chief justice Renato Corona, was published in 2012 but months before the cybercrime law was even enacted. But a correction of a typographical error made two years later was considered a separate offense by the court. It was regarded as a republication of the story and legal experts have questioned the constitutionality of the ruling on these grounds.
Rappler said: “While the decision is unfortunate, it is also a good opportunity for the Supreme Court to take a second look at the constitutionality of cyber libel and the continuing criminalization of libel, especially in light of the freedom of expression and freedom of the press.”
Ressa won the Nobel Peace Prize in December 2021. Santos has pursued a career outside of journalism since 2016, and had told Rappler after their trial court conviction in June 2020: “I’m scared to go to jail, I’m not as fearless as Maria.”
Because cyber libel is bailable, neither has to go to jail while they exhaust their remedies up to the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court, in at least two separate decisions against broadcaster and now Senator Raffy Tulfo, has shown an inclination to decriminalize libel. In 2019, it affirmed the conviction against Tulfo but removed the prison sentence. In 2021, it acquitted Tulfo and said “the constitutionality of criminalizing libel is doubtful.” Cases against Rappler
Rappler received last week the decision by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) revoking its license and ordering its closure. Rappler’s legal counsel Francis Lim, former president of the Philippine Stock Exchange, said the order is appealable to the courts and the news organization can go on business as usual.
The SEC order stems from the Philippine Depositary Receipts (PDR) issue which has spurred five tax charges against Ressa and several board members. Two separate but related cases for violation of the anti-dummy and securities law have been remanded to prosecutors. Three other libel cases have now been junked.
“We call on our media colleagues, our community, and other advocates of a free and independent press to be vocal and vigilant now more than ever. This is not just about Maria Ressa, Rey Santos Jr., or Rappler. What is ultimately at stake is our democracy whose strength rests on a media that is not threatened by the state nor intimidated by forces out to silence critical voices,” said Rappler.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Online
- HRD
- Media Worker, WHRD
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Related Events
- Philippines: Maria Ressa and former Rappler reporter found guilty of cyberlibel (Update)
- Date added
- Jul 10, 2022
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jun 28, 2022
- Event Description
On the last two days of President Rodrigo Duterte, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued an order affirming one more time its decision to revoke the certificates of incorporation of Rappler.
“The company registration and monitoring department is hereby directed to effect the revocation of the certificates of incorporation in the records and system of the Commission,” read part of the order dated June 28, and signed by SEC chairperson Emilio Aquino; and Commissioners Javey Paul Francisco, Kelvin Lester Lee, Karlo Bello, and McJill Bryant Fernandez.
What does this mean? “We have existing legal remedies all the way up to the highest court of the land. It is business as usual for us since, in our view, this is not immediately executory without court approval,” said Rappler in its statement on Wednesday, June 29.
In a statement on Wednesday, the SEC said: “In this light, the latest order issued by the Commission En Banc merely puts in effect its earlier decision and those of the Court of Appeals.”
This comes after the National Security Council (NSC) blocked news websites, including Bulatlat.com, using the feared anti-terror law. Reasons
In July 2018, the Court of Appeals (CA) issued a decision siding with the findings of the SEC that Rappler’s issuance of Philippine Depositary Receipts (PDRs) to foreign investor Omidyar constituted some amount of foreign control that was prohibited by the Constitution. The Constitution requires that media companies should have zero foreign control.
But in the same decision, the CA said that when Omidyar donated its PDRs to Rappler’s Filipino managers, “the negative foreign control found objectionable by the SEC appears to have been permanently removed.” The CA remanded the case to the SEC to reevaluate, with a nudge to the Corporation Code’s clause allowing companies to have a grace period to cure their alleged defects.
The SEC stood by its findings in February 2021. Rappler filed a motion for reconsideration before the SEC. This latest order is an action to that motion.
SEC said in this latest order: “Considering that the object of the Donation (the Omidyar PDRs) was void for being contrary to law, the Donation itself was void under Article 1409(1) of the Civil Code for being contrary to law and public policy.”
SEC said that when the CA remanded the case, the appellate court did not order to reinvestigate but only to reevaluate. Rappler asked the SEC to receive additional evidence.
“The Commission’s compliance with the said directive could not have violated the due process rights of Rappler and RHC because, by the very nature and essence of the directive, Rappler and RHC were not entitled to participate in the said legal evaluation,” said the SEC.
In February 2019, the CA affirmed its 2018 decision. By September 2019, the Supreme Court issued a resolution declaring the case closed and terminated. The CA registered its books of entry of judgment, declaring it had attained finality in March 2019.
“Public interest will be served if the revocation of the Certificate of Incorporation of Rappler and Rappler Holdings Corporation is sustained because it will implement the policy of respecting and fully complying with the provisions of the Constitution, to which every Filipino owes allegiance,” said the SEC in its order.
Rappler told its staff in an internal memo sent late night Tuesday: “Clarity, agility, sobriety. Review our drills and the tasks assigned to you.”
“Meantime, it is business as usual for us. We will adapt, adjust, survive and thrive.”
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Administrative Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of association, Media freedom, Freedom of expression Online, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to work
- HRD
- Media Worker
- Perpetrator-State
- Government
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Jul 4, 2022
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jun 17, 2022
- Event Description
On June 21, Bulatlat obtained from a reliable source a copy of a government order for all internet service providers to block the website of Bulatlat and 26 others, including fellow alternative news outlet Pinoy Weekly and progressive organizations.
Bulatlat has condemned this move as prior restraint against protected speech, adding that this is based on hearsay of National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr.
“We raise the alarm that such arbitrary action sets a dangerous precedent for independent journalism in the Philippines,” the country’s longest-running online news said in a statement.
This report revisits what the public needs to know about the DNS blocking and what it means for press freedom in the Philippines.
- How was DNS blocking on Bulatlat and 26 other websites discovered?
On June 17, 2022, Bulatlat received queries from its readers asking why its website was inaccessible. These were forwarded to its web host, Qurium Media Foundation, which confirmed that users of Smart Broadband as their internet service provider were faced with returning errors related to failing DNS resolution. In its initial investigation, Qurium found out that the last DNS request coming from Smart Broadband was recorded on the 16th June at 6:24 UTC. Simply put, the ISP deliberately blocked access to the website.
This prompted Bulatlat to write to PLDT/Smart, the National Telecommunications Commission, and the Department of Information and Communications over the apparent DNS blocking on June 20. A day after, on June 21, Bulatlat was able to get, through a reliable source, a copy of the NTC memorandum and the letter of National Security Adviser and retired general Hermogenes Esperon Jr. requesting the blocking of Bulatlat and 26 other websites of independent media and progressive organizations over allegations that they are “affiliated to and are supporting terrorists and terrorist organizations.”
- What is DNS blocking?
A DNS (domain name server) block is a mechanism to prevent users from accessing suspicious websites. In this case, however, DNS blocking is being used for internet censorship, similar to what is implemented in Vietnam and Myanmar.
- What did the NSC “request”?
In its letter, the National Security Council cited as basis for the DNS blocking three resolutions of the controversial Anti-Terrorism Council designating revolutionary organizations and alleged members of the Communist Party of the Philippines Central Committee as terrorists.
Esperon, in his capacity as National Security Adviser, “requested” for the blocking of the 27 websites (28 were listed because perhaps for emphasis, Bulatlat was listed twice), without laying the grounds nor presenting evidence.
- What did NTC order?
Responding to the so-called request, the National Telecommunications Commission issued a June 8, 2022 “for strict and immediate compliance” order directing the immediate blocking of the reported websites. The NTC gave internet service providers no later than five days upon receipt of the order to carry out the blocking.
Bulatlat and the groups in the NSC list were never informed of the said blocking “request.”
- Why is it questionable and unconstitutional?
There is no provision in the Anti-Terror Act nor in the Cybercrime Prevention Act which provides authority for the NTC to order the blocking of websites.
The NTC memo violates the right of Bulatlat and other groups to publish, and the people’s right to freedom of thought, free speech and free expression.
- What does it mean for the Philippine independent news?
In a statement, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines has denounced the blocking, adding that while reporting may be critical of the government, “it is dangerous to equate this with affiliation or support that the government now claims.”
“Blocking access to these sites leave a gap in discourse and in flow of information and highlights and threats posed by the Anti-Terrorism Act on the freedom of expression and on freedom of the press,” the NUJP said.
- Impact of Event
- 27
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Censorship, Online Attack and Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Internet freedom, Media freedom, Freedom of expression Online, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Media Worker
- Perpetrator-State
- Government
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Related Events
- Philippines: alternative media outlets red-tagged
- Date added
- Jul 3, 2022
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jun 6, 2022
- Event Description
Bulatlat condemned the National Telecommunications Commission’s (NTC) latest memorandum targeting alternative media sites and organizations, calling it a “dangerous precedent for independent journalism in the Philippines.”
In a statement released Wednesday, June 22, Bulatlat expressed its shock and rage against the NTC’s memorandum instructing all internet service providers to immediately block access to 28 websites, including Bulatlat.
“Bulatlat […] condemns this brazen violation of our right to publish, and of the public’s right to free press and free expression,” the media outfit said in its statement.
The NTC cites in its memorandum a June 6, 2022 letter from the National Security Council (NSC) listing down over two dozen websites “found to be affiliated to and are supporting terrorists and terrorist organizations.” However, the NSC failed to provide basis for the inclusion of several independent and alternative media outlets in their list.
The letter was written and signed by National Security Advisor Hermogenes Esperon Jr., who is also the Anti-Terrorism Council Vice Chairperson.
Following reports that Bulatlat could not be accessed by readers since June 17, 2022, the news site also wrote a letter on June 20, 2022 addressed to the NTC and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) urging them to investigate Esperon’s claims. Bulatlat has not yet received any reply as of writing.
Bulatlat deplored this most recent state-sponsored cyber attack in its statement and called it “prior restraint against protected speech.”
“It is downright unacceptable as it is based on Esperon’s mere hearsay,” Bulatlat said.
The alternative media organization is no stranger to red-tagging and cyber attacks. Exactly one year ago, June 22, 2021, Qurium released a forensic report linking a 2021 cyber attack on Bulatlat to the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and the Philippine military.
Bulatlat called on the public to “stand against attempts to muzzle legitimate sources of information” as it continues its coverage.
“No matter who is in power, we have remained fearless in our truth-telling. We will continue our work while we also consider all legal remedies available to question, and stop yet another state-sponsored repression,” it said in its statement.
Meanwhile, the National Union of Journalists in the Philippines denounced what they call as arbitrary inclusion of Bulatlat, Pinoy Weekly and other news websites in the said list.
In a statement, the group said Bulatlat and Pinoy Weekly have existed for years and have built a track record of reporting on people’s issues.
“Sometimes, that reporting has been critical of the government and its policies, but it is dangerous to equate this with affiliation or support that the government now claims,” the group said.
“Blocking access to these sites leave a gap in discourse and in the flow of information and highlights the threats posed by the Anti-Terrorism Law on the freedom of expression and on freedom of the press,” the group said adding that what’s even more concerning is the danger that labeling puts the staff and correspondents of the listed websites in.
“We have repeatedly warned against the dangers of red-tagging and how the practice paints groups and people as legitimate targets for threats, harassment and physical attacks. This labeling, in the form of an official government document, magnifies that danger even more,” the group said.
- Impact of Event
- 26
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Vilification
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Online, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to protect reputation
- HRD
- Media Worker
- Perpetrator-State
- Government
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Jul 3, 2022
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jun 11, 2022
- Event Description
Progressives denounced the arrest of 68-year old environmental defender Daisy Macapanpan who was arrested on June 11, Sunday.
Cristina Palabay, secretary general of Karapatan, called for the immediate release of Macapanpan who, she said, is “a victim of warrantless arrest and unjust detention based on false charges, which are seen as reprisals on her advocacy work for the environment and her community.”
Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment described Macapanpan’s arrest as overkill.
Macapanpan was arrested in her home in Pakil, Laguna reportedly by 24 policemen.
In an online press conference on June 12, Macapanpan’s relative, Ryan, Macapanpan just came from a meeting in a church in their town in Pakil when the police came to their residence.
According to Kalikasan, Macapanpan has been leading the opposition against the construction of Ahunan Pumped-Storage Hydropower Project on top of the mountain in Pakil, Laguna.
Leon Dulce, national coordinator of Kalikasan, said that there is nothing wrong with airing disapproval and explaining opinions on why the Ahunan Hydropower Project should be shelved.
“The purpose of such discussions that locals have is to raise awareness and discourse over the matter at hand. Is there something that the proponents are trying to hide that Daisy has probably discovered,” Dulce said.
The said project, according to Dulce, will be constructed in Mt. Inumpong of the Sierra Madre mountain range along Pakil, Laguna. He said that the biodiverse area also has water resources flowing from the Dakil river ecosystems, including the Sirena Falls.
He said that the Ahunan Power Inc., a joint venture of tycoon Enrique Razon’s Prime Metro Power Holdings Corp. and JBD Water Power Inc., is one of the proponents of the hydropower project that will affect 300 hectares of land.
The project will result in more flooding brought about by larger typhoons in floodplains along the shores of Laguna de Bay. The location of the said project is also prone to landslide, said Dulce.
Agham (Advocates of Scientist and Technology for the People) said the proposed project is envisioned to produce 1,400-MW electricity. The group said that the water from the Laguna Lake will be pumped into a reservoir on top of the Sierra Madre in Pakil which will be dropped thereafter to produce hydroelectric power.
They said that the residents fear that the hydropower dam will affect their source of drinking water as well as religious practices in the natural pools in Pakil.
“The construction of the Ahunan hydropower dam will also involve the destruction of trees in Sierra Madre, which will also affect wildlife. The destruction of forests will also increase the likelihood of landslides and heavy flooding,” the group said in a statement.
The group recognizes that the Ahunan hydropower dam is seen as a renewable energy source that could become an alternative to coal-fired power plants. “However, the development of such renewable energy sources should not be at the expense of the environment and people. Additionally, such renewable energy would still be under the control of a private corporation, thus cheap electricity prices are still not guaranteed,” the group added.
More arrests foreseen
Ryan denounced the ill-treatment of her aunt by the arresting officers.
“Some of the policemen who did not have name patches and were carrying firearms, forcibly entered the house of my aunt Daisy. She was alone then. I tried to run to her because I was afraid they might kill her and say that she fought back. The police won’t let me. They were able to get my aunt. Male police officers carried her through her arms and feet and forcibly took her to their mobile,” Ryan said.
He added that the police did not wear body cameras and did not present any warrant of arrest.
Karapatan said it was only when Macapanpan was at the Quezon Provincial Police Office in Camp General Nakar, Lucena City when she learned that she was charged with rebellion for an incident in Infanta, Quezon.
Karapatan added that the charges against Macapanpan and other activists in Southern Tagalog were filed in 2008.
“The rebellion case filed before the Regional Trial Court Branch 65 in Infanta, Quezon was the same case levelled against peasant organizer Dana Marcellana, daughter of peasant leader Orly Marcellana and slain human rights worker Eden Marcellana, who was arrested last year,” Palabay said in a statement.
“At this rate, this rebellion charge may be used repeatedly against activists in Southern Tagalog as the government continues its harassment against activists and government critics,” Palabay added.
Agham meanwhile expressed their alarm over the increasing number of rights violations against environmental and land rights defenders as the President Duterte’s term is about to end.
“Prior to Daisy’s arrest, at least 90 agrarian reform beneficiaries and peasant advocates were illegally arrested in Tarlac. With the worsening global climate crisis, it is imperative that the government afford protection on environmental defenders who serve as frontliners in protecting and conserving the environment,” the group said.
Palabay meanwhile said that they believe that the policy of repression and terror will continue under the new government following the mass arrests of farmers and supporters in Tarlac as well as the preparations for president-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s inauguration including restrictions on rallies and mass actions.
“Nevertheless, we will continue to call and work for Macapanpan’s release and that of all political prisoners who face trumped up charges and other forms of attacks,” Palabay said.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Environmental rights defender, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Jun 18, 2022
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jun 9, 2022
- Event Description
Filipino environmentalist groups have assailed the new wave of surveillance, harassment, and red-tagging of their members in the past five days..
The Center for Environmental Concerns-Philippines (CEC) and Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment (Kalikasan PNE) said men believed to be police officers in plainclothes knocked on their office on Thursday, June 9, and took photos of their staff.
The groups said their staff did not consent to being photographed and that no search warrant was also presented.
Earlier today, men believed to be police officers were once again seen taking photos of their office, the green groups added in their joint statement.
The wave of harassment and red-tagging happened following the mass arrests of 93 farmers and land reform advocates in Hacienda Tinang in Concepcion, Tarlac, and the recent arrest of an anti-dam activist in Pakil, Laguna.
Apart from the two environmentalist groups, they also noted the spate in red-tagging incidents on progressive partylists.
“We fear that this is the beginning of a crackdown against land and environmental defenders under the incoming authoritarian Marcos-Duterte regime,” the group said.
This is not the first time that Kalikasan and CEC were subjected to red-tagging. In 2018, there was an attempt to raid their office, they said, citing their then collaborations with the Commission on Human Rights and international groups such as the United Nations Human Rights System, Global Witness and the International Union for Conservation of Nature for their work on the issues and challenges being faced by environmental defenders.
They said, “We call on the CHR and the various UN human rights and environmental offices we have worked with in the past years to undertake preventive interventions against these human rights abuses and threats.”
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats, Surveillance
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Environmental rights defender, NGO
- Perpetrator-State
- Suspected state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Jun 18, 2022
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jun 9, 2022
- Event Description
Groups condemned the violent arrest of 93 individuals, including agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs), in Hacienda Tinang, Concepcion, Tarlac on Thursday, June 9.
According to the report of the Unyon ng mga Manggagawa sa Agrikultura (UMA), the ARBs together with peasant advocates were peacefully holding a bungkalan or collective farming when members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and regional mobile group patrol came to the area, some bearing long firearms.
Authorities forcibly took peasant leaders of agrarian reform beneficiaries group, Malayang Kilusang Samahan ng Magsasaka ng Tinang (Makisama-Tinang) namely Ophelia Cunanan, Alvin Dimarucot and three others members along with volunteers, supporters, peasant advocates who were members of Sama-Samang Artista para sa Kilusang Agraryo (SAKA, Artists’ Alliance for Genuine Agrarian Reform).
UMA said that those arrested are in police custody and reportedly charged with malicious mischief and obstruction of justice.
Cathy Estavillo, secretary-general of women peasant group Amihan said that the mass arrest and harassment faced by farmers and advocates at Hacienda Tinang showed “the uselessness of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).”
“Deprived farmers are faced with violent reprisal when they assert their rightful claim to land. This exposes CARP as instrumental to landlords while the majority of our farmers remain landless, poor, and hungry,” Estavillo said, adding their call for the immediate release of the farmers and their supporters and holding the police accountable.
Non-installation of agrarian reform beneficiaries
Farmers who are beneficiaries of agrarian reform have made their calls clear when they trooped to the Department of Agrarian Reform office in Quezon City on Tuesday, June 7, demanding the installation of some 236 legitimate ARBs who are all holders of Certificate of Land Ownership Awards (CLOAs).
They also submitted a manifestation opposing the DAR’s proposal for what they described as a tedious revalidation process, which they said will only favor the family of Tarlac Rep. Noel Villanueva.
The group said Villanueva is claiming ownership of the disputed land.
They added that Villanueva is reportedly attempting to install some 468 members of a local farmers cooperative, half of which already sold their rights to the family of the Tarlac solon.
UMA said that the disputed land is a 200-hectare sugarcane landholding which is part of the more than 1,200-hectares of land formerly owned by Benigno Aquino Sr. and inherited by the Aquino siblings including Antonio Urquico Aquino who later sold the land to Dominican priests.
“In 1988, the said landholding was placed under voluntary land transfer (VLT) by the Dominican Priests of the Phils. Inc. under Cory Aquino’s Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law (CARL). The farmer-tenants then applied to become beneficiaries. They were awarded their CLOAS in 1998,” the group
In an earlier statement, Abby Bucad of Makisama-Tinang said the farmers decided to collectively cultivate the land in 2016 due to decades of non-installation (of land reform beneficiaries).
The following year, they filed a petition for installation and in 2018 and 2019, DAR issued a writ of execution and ordered with finality the distribution and installation of the ARBs. However, Bucad said that the order did not take effect.
“President Duterte’s term and that of DAR Secretary Bernie Cruz are ending but the farmers still do not have their land. DAR and Sec. Cruz only have less than a month to proceed with the installation of farmers in their land, Bucad said in Filipino.
“DAR has been remiss of its duty and obligation to implement a comprehensive and genuine agrarian reform. More than three decades after CARP was enacted, nine out of ten farmers remain landless. ARBs on the other hand, still cannot pay the land amortization under CARP,” UMA said.
Members of the NPA?
Supporters were also accused of being members of the New People’s Army, said SAKA in a statement.
When they asked for the basis of their arrest, one police officer replied: “NPA kayo.”
SAKA is a peasant advocate group whose members are artists.
The group said that “the police cornered them in a hut, dismantled its doors, then forced themselves into it to drive the others out. It was the local police chief, at the time wearing civilian clothes, who ordered that everyone be rounded up and brought to the Concepcion police station.”
“Such land cultivation, called ‘bungkalan,’ is a form of protest in which peasants—usually ARBs—assert ownership of land by planting agricultural products that primarily address their immediate need for food. It is a method of guaranteeing a peasant community’s own food security,” the group said in a statement.
“In the case of MAKISAMA, they aimed to grow rice and vegetables on land granted to them by DAR as early as 1998, but whose collective CLOA was seized by a cooperative run by a local family of bureaucrats, including the incoming Mayor,” they added.
Meanwhile, Agham Advocates of Science and Technology for the People called for the immediate release and dropping of all charges against the 87 persons arrested by the police. They also called on DAR and the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to conduct an immediate and impartial investigation on such human rights violations against the ARBs and peasant advocates.
“We also challenge DAR to immediately resolve the chronic problem of landlessness among peasants in the country by fast-tracking the granting of lands. As we face another economic crisis brought by increasing fuel and food insecurity, we demand the government to provide more support to our farmers who provide food to our tables,” the group said.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community), Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Land rights, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Land rights defender, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Jun 11, 2022
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- May 25, 2022
- Event Description
Karapatan condemns in strongest possible terms the attempt of the Philippine National Police (PNP) to disperse the peaceful indignation protest today at the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) compound using violent force. According to health marshals, at least 10 individuals were reportedly injured after being hit with truncheons and shields while the protest was being bombed with water from a firetruck.
The right to peaceful assembly and protest is a basic right enshrined in our constitution; even our laws guarantee the exercise of this right, especially in a designated freedom park such the CHR’s Liwasang Diokno. Is the violent dispersal today a prelude of things to come under a Marcos-Duterte administration — where exercising our basic rights and freedoms are met with brazen State violence?
We will not take these violations sitting down, and in the face of the looming return of the forces of tyranny and fascism, all the more that we will protest and resist any and all attempts to unleash the horrors of Marcosian martial law and State repression. All the more that we should take to the streets and denounce a despotic tandem that has cheated their way to victory through lies, historical distortions, and mass deception.
We call on the CHR to investigate and condemn the PNP’s attempt to violently disperse a peaceful assembly right within their premises, and to hold the responsible PNP officials accountable for the incident. Above all, we call on all freedom-loving Filipinos to bravely stand to defend our hard-won rights and freedoms, and to reject the Marcos-Duterte tandem.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Violence (physical), Wounds and Injuries
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- May 28, 2022
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- May 18, 2022
- Event Description
Various groups condemned the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict for the latest red-tagging of journalism professor Danilo Arao and election watchdog Kontra Daya.
The recent red-tagging spree was published by the Philippine News Agency (PNA), with Jeffrey “Ka Eric” Celiz as their lone source.
Celiz claims to have held several positions in the underground movement in the Philippines. Of late, he has been notoriously red-tagging progressive organizations as part of the NTF-ELCAC.
In their published articles, the PNA wrote that Kontra Daya and Arao are affliated the Communist Party of the Philippines. The report also alleged that Kontra Daya is a project used to manipulate public opinion on the elections.
In a statement, Kontra Daya denounced this, saying that Celiz’ claims are “grounded in falsehoods” which had long been refuted.
“Given his propensity for weaving a web of lies, it comes as no surprise that the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflicts finds him useful for red-tagging which is considered the highest form of ‘fake news’ as it can get a person arrested, tortured or even killed,” said Kontra Daya in their released statement.
IBON Foundation, who had worked with Arao for many years, claimed that the professor was one of their senior staff in 1999, during the time that a “former cadre” accused him of involvement with armed groups.
As an education and advocacy institution, IBON had also held countless trainings and seminars with Arao as one of the resource speakers but it was never as a front for any terrorist group.
“It is delusional and malicious to say that these simple capacity-building activities are organized by the Central Committee of the CPP through Arao as alleged,” said IBON.
Bulatlat, for its part, called out the PNA, and urged them to uphold journalism ethics and not to parrot disinformation that is being spread by the NTF-ELCAC.
“As a state-run news agency, PNA should observe the ethical standards of journalism, as government resources should be utilized for the public good,” said Bulatlat managing editor Ronalyn Olea in a statement.
She added that government resources, “should not be spent endangering the lives of the people, particularly those who are critical of the government.”
--
A former cadre of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) on Wednesday said he has “direct personal knowledge” about Kontra Daya convenor Danilo Arao’s link with the communist terrorist group (CTG).
“Proof of my claims that Danilo Arao and the leaders and core operatives of Kontra Daya are CPP-NPA-NDF urban operators? And that CPP-NPA-NDF created Kontra Daya? I have direct personal knowledge about Danilo Arao's involvement with the CPP-NPA-NDF as among the local communist terrorists' urban operatives,” said Jeffrey 'Ka Eric' Celiz in a statement.
Celiz, the current secretary-general of a national organization of former rebels dubbed Sentrong Alyansa Ng Mga Mamamayan Para Sa Bayan (Sambayanan), said he personally met Arao with other CPP-NPA-NDF urban operatives in a resort in Laguna during a five-day training and seminar-workshop on urban mass movement campaigns and propaganda operations, including the conduct of media operations in urban mass movement activities, in April 1999.
He said the seminar-workshop was actually a joint activity called upon by the CPP Central Committee staff organs known as CPP National Organizations Department (NOD) and National United Front Commission (NUFC) where Arao was among those who helped facilitate the event.
Similar activities, Celiz said, were also held in March 2001 in preparation for the May 2001 elections in which Arao also participated.
Celiz said it might have been better if he was invited by the ANC when it interviewed Arao on its program on Tuesday.
He said the revolutionary tactic of the CPP-NPA-NDF of using front organizations and activities as cover were “masterfully exhibited and displayed by Danilo Arao in his interview with ANC”.
“How I wish that ANC could have also made due diligence in reaching out to me so that I can confront Danilo Arao, right before a public discussion and be able to tell ANC and the people, how the CPP-NPA-NDF and Danilo Arao operated in order to establish their cover and front electoral project known as Kontra Daya so that their pretensions and hypocrisy could have been exposed more distinctly in a public discourse,” Celiz said.
During the interview, Arao criticized and insulted the government's official media and information group, including the Philippine News Agency, and the media network SMNI and Remate.
Arao challenged Celiz to prove his accusations.
On Monday, the PNA published an article entitled “Watchdog ‘Kontra Daya’ brainchild of CPP-NPA-NDF: ex-cadre” based on a statement issued by Celiz linking Kontra Daya with the CTG.
Celiz, the top nominee of Abante Sambayanan party-list, said their group has been one of the victims of prejudiced and partisan public opinion manipulation, which he called a “mind frame game and conditioning modus operandi.”
Arao accused Celiz and the PNA of red tagging him and the Kontra Daya.
“Truth hurts for the CPP-NPA-NDF and their operatives and functionaries such as Danilo Arao when they are exposed to the people,” Celiz said.
Celiz said there is no such thing as red-tagging, adding that this word is an “invention of the CPP-NPA-NDF” as a defense and an escape switch to deceive the people.
“Conveniently, Arao and his group Kontra Daya used the CPP-NPA-NDF masquerade of 'red tagging' claim as his defense, while doing references to their so-called dangers of 'red tagging' against their personal safety,” he said.
He said Arao's pathetic use of “red tagging” claim as his defense also “blew him away when he parroted the CPP-NPA-NDF personalities.”
Celiz added that truth shall liberate the people from the clutches of communist terrorism that has destroyed the country and the people, most especially the youth, “and Danilo Arao and his Kontra Daya group are part of the conspirators and enablers of the CPP-NPA-NDF”.
“And the proof of it is my direct personal knowledge of the matters that I expose, and I am standing by the truth of what I declare,” Celiz said.
The CPP-NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines.
The NDF has been formally designated as a terrorist organization by the Anti-Terrorism Council on June 23, 2021, citing it as “an integral and inseparable part” of the CPP-NPA created in April 1973. (PNA)
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Vilification
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to protect reputation
- HRD
- Academic
- Perpetrator-State
- Government
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- May 28, 2022
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Apr 19, 2022
- Event Description
Karapatan condemns in the strongest terms the shooting incident against indigenous Manobo-Pulangiyon leaders and community members in Quezon, Bukidnon earlier today during their consultation meeting with presidential aspirant Leody de Guzman and senatorial candidates Roy Cabonegro and David D’ Angelo. The incident was livestreamed on Facebook and several were reportedly injured, including a local peasant organizer and a Manobo-Pulangiyon leader.
This act of violence is not merely a flagrant violation of election gun bans: it is a shameless attack which clearly aims to intimidate the indigenous Manobo-Pulangiyon community from asserting their rights to ancestral domains against land-grabbing. That this attack was committed in broad daylight speaks of the brazenness and impunity enjoyed by its perpetrators as well as of other cases of land-grabbing against indigenous communities in Mindanao. It also threatens the safety and integrity of our elections.
We call on the Commission on Elections to immediately investigate this incident. The perpetrators of this incident should be held accountable. We also call on all candidates in the upcoming elections and all freedom-loving Filipinos to condemn this attack and to stand in solidarity with our indigenous brethren in their struggle for their rights to their ancestral domains and self-determination, and in asserting the call for free, safe, and fair elections.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats, Violence (physical), Wounds and Injuries
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of Religion and Belief, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Indigenous peoples' rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- May 2, 2022
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Apr 7, 2022
- Event Description
Frontliners led by the Alliance of Health Workers (AHW) filed charges against the anti-insurgency task force’s spokesperson Lorraine Badoy before the Office of the Ombudsman on Thursday, April 7, World Health Day.
The group, together with union leaders from different government hospitals, filed their complaint on the same day when Badoy tagged the AHW along with other progressive groups as a “creation of the CPP-NPA-NDF” to infiltrate the government.
Speaking to members of the press, Antonio La Viña, who serves as counsel for the health workers, said they are filing the complaint against Badoy to make her stop her red-tagging activities.
“As we can see, all those who are doing good things are being red-tagged, even Vice President Leni Robredo and her supporters,” La Viña said in Filipino, adding that red-tagging should be stopped.
“USec. Badoy insulted and demeaned our dignity as leaders and damaged the good reputation of our organization,” said Robert Mendoza, AHW national president, adding, “As we fight the COVID-19 pandemic, we have been at the forefront in consistently and wholeheartedly serving the Filipino people as we also fight for our safety, protection and welfare.”
After red-tagging AHW, Mendoza said that last April 12, 2021 Badoy accused him and Benjamin Santos Jr., AHW’s secretary general as operatives and cadres of the CPP-NPA-NDF.
In a position paper, Filipino Nurses United said that some of their colleagues experienced threat, harassment and vilification from state forces.
“There have been instances when hospital workers engaged in union activities were stalked in their workplaces and/or red-tagged and caricatured in social media to denigrate their persons and even portray them as enemies of the state,” the group said.
In a statement, Santos asserted that vilifying their organization is putting their lives in imminent danger, citing cases of leaders of legal organizations who, after being red-tagged, were arrested due to trumped-up charges or are even killed.
In December 2020, Dr. Mary Rose Sancelan and her husband were killed in Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental. This after her name was included in a hitl ist tagging her as JB Regalado, spokesperson of the New People’s Army in Central Negros. However, Sancelan was working as city health officer and head of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) in the province.
Community health workers and human rights defender Zara Alvarez was also killed in Bacolod City. She was also relentlessly red-tagged by the state forces.
Recently, Dr. Natividad Castro who was also red-tagged and arrested, but fortunately was released from prison after the court dismissed the charges against her.
Another health worker, 72-year old Vilma Yecyec, remains in prison after authorities arrested her last February of this year. She is accused of being a member of the NPA.
FNU said that red-tagging by the State is a “blatant violation of one’s right to speak up about issues and concerns affecting our role as health care providers.”
“When we raise our grievances about work life conditions, for instance, and assert our rights to fair wages and humane work conditions, we are justly exercising our fundamental rights to free speech as an organization. But an extreme response by some state forces is to stifle the exercise of legitimate rights, sow fear by red-tagging, hurl trumped-up charges to exact arrest and worse, as has happened, even physically eliminate the targets,” the group said.
Meanwhile, the AHW assert the legality of their organization which, for the past four decades, has championed the rights not only of health workers but also of the people’s right to health.
The group is also behind the legislation of significant laws such as Republic Act 7305 or the Magna Carta of Public Health Workers that ensures the benefits and well-being of government health workers. It also significantly contributed to the proclamation of May 7 as “National Health Workers Day” under Republic Act 10069.
“AHW also played a major role in fighting for salary increase and just benefits of both public and private health workers and made various concerted efforts to seek and improve the living and working conditions of public and private health workers,” Mendoza said.
Mendoza said the AHW was also established in accordance with Executive Order No. 180, s.1987, otherwise known as the Public Sector Unionism. It is also registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission and its member organizations are registered and accredited by the Civil Service Commission (CSC) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
“For the longest time, the so-called ‘modern-day heroes’ have been fully committed to render service to our country, even risking their lives in battling the deadly virus. Yet, they remain overworked and underpaid while the promised COVID-19 benefits were not equally and fully provided to them,” said Mendoza.
“Instead of addressing and supporting our just call for safety, protection, rights and welfare, Usec. Badoy managed to red-tag us. This is grave misconduct and conduct unbecoming of a government official and as a medical doctor. She has no sympathy with us as her colleagues in the health profession,” Mendoza added.
Santos said filing a case against red-taggers is one way of protecting their loved ones and their organization.
“Thus, we earnestly urge the Office of the Ombudsman to issue an immediate preventive suspension and ultimately dismiss USec. Badoy from the service, cancel her civil service eligibility and permanently disqualify her to enter any government service,” Santos said.
Prior to this filing by AHW, several groups and individuals have already filed complaints against Badoy at the Office of the Ombudsman after her relentless red-tagging of Robredo, her supporters and groups who are supporting her candidacy.
Groups maintained that Badoy, as a government official, should not be using government resources in attacking the opposition.
- 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
- Perpetrator-State
- Government
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Apr 14, 2022
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Apr 10, 2022
- Event Description
The family of a church worker who was arrested in Cagayan De Oro denied the claims of authorities that there were firearms and ammunition found in his home.
Aldeem Yañez, a member of Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI), was arrested when combined members of the Philippine military and the Philippine National Police raided his home early morning of Sunday, April 10.
The Promotion of Church People’s Response described Yañez’s arrest as an “established pattern where authorities have planted firearms and ammunition during the operations.”
In a video uploaded in social media, Yañez’s mother, Kathleen, said that her son is known as a good man in their village and in the IFI national office, dedicating his life to serve the marginalized.
She thanked all those who are supporting their Yañez and their fight for justice and the truth.
On Monday, April 11, church groups held an online indignation rally to condemn Yañez’s arrest.
Last June 4, 2018, Yañez was among 13 activists and church workers who were arrested during a program consultation of the IFI’s Visayas-Mindanao Regional Office for Development regarding issues of farmers and the lumad communities in General Santos City, South Cotabato.
IFI priest Fr. June Mark said that the allegations against his brother is impossible because he has been taking care of their sick father at their home for the past months. “Who in their right mind will bring firearms and ammunition in this kind of situation? He also does not have a record of being a gun smuggler or drug dealer for him to bring firearms and ammunition where our parents live,” June Mark said.
“He is not a priest like me, or bishop like my other brother but he is eager to serve the people. Guitar is his most favorite instrument of proclaiming the good news as well as what we can call a weapon of resistance as an activist, not guns and ammunition as claimed by the state agents,” he said.
In a statement, IFI Supreme Bishop Rhee Timbang decried what he described as a “grave abuse of police and the military power and the cooptation of the civil courts.”
“We root this in the tyrannical rule of the present dispensation which has no regard and respect for the law, human rights, social justice and human dignity,” Timbang said in a statement.
Yañez is currently detained at Camp Evangelista, Patag, Cagayan de Oro City with charges of illegal possession of firearms.
Timbang said Yañez is in good standing as a member of the IFI. “He is active and committed in his participation to the life and work of the Church as being a consistent church youth leader in the parish, diocesan, regional [Mindanao], and national level,” Timbang said adding that Yañez also served as the national youth president of the church.
Yañez also served as a volunteer staff of Visayas-Mindanao Regional Office for Development (VIMROD), a development program of the IFI, and of Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform (PEPP).
“He is a musician and songwriter of many church songs used popularly within and outside the IFI,” Timbang said.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Community-based HRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military, Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Apr 14, 2022
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Apr 5, 2022
- Event Description
On April 5, Kadamay-Negros education officer Iver Larit is reported missing after he left his residence in Bacolod City. According to Karapatan, Larit left his house around 9:00 a.m. that day but he reportedly did not arrive at an appointment with an urban poor community which he was helping to organize against threats of demolition. By 10:00 a.m. Larit’s son could no longer reach him through his mobile number.
Larit is a former political prisoner and has been a target of harassment and other attacks throughout the years, Karapatan said. In 2011, he was detained for eight months over a trumped-up robbery-in-band charge. He was eventually released after the court dismissed the charges against him due to lack of substantial evidence.
Karapatan said Larit’s name was also included in a ‘kill, kill, kill’ list of activists in Negros which was sent to the Karapatan national office’s public information desk through a text message just mere hours after the Bloody Sunday raids throughout the Southern Tagalog region last year.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Abduction/Kidnapping
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Community-based HRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Suspected state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Apr 14, 2022
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Mar 18, 2022
- Event Description
A Lumad council leader was arrested by state forces last March 18, Friday.
In a statement, the Save Our Schools Network said that Lumad leader Edwin Oribawan Sr. was arrested by combined forces of the Philippine National Police and the 72nd Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army at 4:00 a.m. in sitio Aguila, Kabalantian, Arakan, North Cotabato.
The group said authorities forcibly entered the residence of Oribawan, threatening his daughter and two other children.
“They held them at gunpoint while asking about their father’s whereabouts. At 5:00 a.m., elements of the 72nd IBPA illegally arrested and handcuffed Oribawan. The elements of the PNP and 72nd IBPA planted bullets in order to prove their allegations,” the SOS Network said.
Oribawan was then brought to the Arakan Police Station and was reportedly charged with attempted murder, rebellion, and use of illegal drugs.
SOS said Oribawan was also instrumental in the establishment of the Mindanao Interfaith School Foundation, Inc. (MISFI) in Arakan, North Cotabato and was part of its Parents Teachers and Community Association (PTCA).
This was also not the first time that Oribawan was falsely accused by the authorities. In 2017, the SOS Network said he was falsely implicated in an ambush in sitio Gambodes.
The group condemned the illegal arrest of Oribawan.
“We also urge everyone to stand with us in condemning the intensified attacks on Lumad schools and communities,” the group said.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Intimidation and Threats, Judicial Harassment, Raid
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Family of HRD, Indigenous peoples' rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Mar 29, 2022
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Mar 18, 2022
- Event Description
A peasant youth organizer was arrested by soldiers in Quezon province, March 18.
Carlo Reduta, a member of the peasant organization Coco Levy Funds Ibalik sa Amin (CLAIM Quezon), was arrested by elements of the Philippine Army’s 85th Infantry Battalion at barangay Cawayan, Gumaca, Quezon province while engaged in field work with the local farmers in the area. He was charged with violations of Section 4 of the Anti-Terror Act, murder and frustrated murder and is currently detained at the Gumaca Munipical Police Station, according to Karapatan-Southern Tagalog.
Section 4 of the Anti-Terror Act defines acts of terrorism, which implicitly includes “advocacy, protest, [and] dissent” which are intended to “cause death or serious physical harm to a person, … endanger a person’s life, or … create a serious risk to public safety.”
Reduta comes from a family of coconut farmers and peasant organizers. According to human rights watchdog Karapatan Southern Tagalog, the Redutas have “a long history of being victims of state terrorism, surveillance, and harassment from the military.”
Reduta’s father Maximo is a longtime political prisoner who died due to illnesses last 2021. Maximo passed away at the Gumaca District Jail without seeing freedom. He was the third political prisoner from the Southern Tagalog region to die while imprisoned under President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration.
Carlo also has a brother who faced similar charges. According to Karapatan ST, those charges were eventually dismissed.
Under CLAIM Quezon, the Reduta family pushed for the rights of coconut farmers in the province, including the return of the coco levy funds stolen by the Marcos dictatorship and its cronies during Martial Law. As of 2021, these funds now amount to some P75 billion.
The coconut industry remains an important part of agricultural life in Quezon and a major source of export income for the Philippines – in 2017, total exports from the industry amounted to over 70 percent of coconut production and were worth over 1.5 trillion USD.
Despite this, however, attacks against coconut farmers and CLAIM members in particular have intensified under the Duterte administration. Last March 6, CLAIM member Felizardo Repaso and his wife received threats and repeated harassment from military units, including surveillance and visits to their home in Atimonan.
Last August 30, 2021, at least 50 CLAIM members were forced to ‘surrender’ as members of the New People’s Army in a ceremony headed by the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), an inter-agency task force and the centerpiece of the Duterte administration’s “whole-of-nation approach” in attempting to solve the over five decades’ long revolutionary war waged by the Communist Party of the Philippines.
In November 2020, CLAIM General Luna chapter President Armando Buisan was shot dead by two unidentified gunmen in a hit and run operation. The Philippine Army’s 201st Infantry Battalion claimed that Buisan was an “NPA supporter” and a member of the NPA’s “milisyang bayan” (people’s militia).
Given the Reduta family’s history of encounters with the police and military, Karapatan ST said that they are “deeply worried about Carlo’s condition, especially the threat of mental torture, harassment, and repeated jail transfers in an attempt to ensure that the family doesn’t see him while he is under police custody.”
Both Karapatan ST and the Reduta family maintain that the charges against Carlo are “trumped up.” Karapatan ST is calling for Reduta’s immediate release and the junking of the Anti-Terror Law.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Labour rights defender, Youth
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Mar 29, 2022
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Feb 5, 2022
- Event Description
Philippine authorities must drop their legal threats against the independent news outlet Rappler and allow the press to work without fear of legal harassment, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday.
On Saturday, February 5, Lorraine Marie T. Badoy, a spokesperson for the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, a body tasked with responding to and raising awareness about communist activities in the country, published a statement on her official Facebook page saying that the task force “is taking legal action” against Rappler, according to news reports.
The statement accused Rappler of spreading “disinformation” in a January 31 article fact-checking statements by Badoy. She also said the task force would act against Facebook for allowing Rappler and Vera Files, the two local news outlets approved by Facebook to serve as fact-checkers, to “abuse the immense powers of [that] designation” and harm national security.
Gemma Mendoza, head of digital strategy at Rappler, told CPJ in a phone interview that the outlet had not received any official legal complaint, and that it was not clear under which law it could be charged.
“Philippine authorities must drop their frivolous legal threat against Rappler and stop harassing the independent news group and its employees,” said Shawn Crispin, CPJ’s senior Southeast Asia representative. “Even in its waning days, the Duterte administration will stop at nothing to silence one of the Philippines’ most credible independent news outlets.”
The January 31 Rappler article labeled as “false” statements by Badoy claiming that members of the Makabayan Bloc minority political coalition included operatives affiliated with “communist guerillas.”
Previously, in March 2021, the task force accused Rappler of being a “friend and ally” of communist rebels over a separate fact-check, according to news reports.
The government practice of claiming journalists and activists are associated with banned communist or leftist groups is known as “red-tagging” in the Philippines, and has resulted in the wrongful criminal suits, detentions, and deaths, according to Rappler.
CPJ sent requests for comment to Badoy and the task force’s official Facebook pages, but did not receive any replies.
Last year, Rappler founder Maria Ressa received the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to safeguard press freedom amid legal threats in the Philippines. She also received CPJ’s Gwen Ifill Press Freedom Award in 2018.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats, Vilification
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to protect reputation
- HRD
- Media Worker, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Government
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Related Events
- Philippines: Justice department indicts Maria Ressa and former Rappler reporter for cyberlibel, Philippines: Maria Ressa challenges a second arrest warrant on cyberlibel charges, Philippines: Maria Ressa, another reporter issued arrest warrant over another cyber libel charge
- Date added
- Mar 7, 2022
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Feb 27, 2022
- Event Description
The Commission on Human Rights condemned the ambush of Infanta, Quezon mayor Filipina Grace America on Wednesday as it vowed to launch its own probe into the attempted killing.
To recall, local police reported that the mayor was on her way home from church when her vehicle was repeatedly shot by unidentified gunmen in Poblacion Uno, Infanta, Quezon on Sunday, February 27.
In a statement, the CHR said that it launched its investigation "in hopes that our independent investigation may help in holding perpetrators to account."
"It is deeply alarming that violations of human rights are becoming more brazen—committed in broad daylight and without regard for human life," lawyer Jacqueline de Guia, CHR spokesperson said.
"Under a democratic society, any dispute—may it be politically-motivated or otherwise—should never be settled through the barrel of a gun."
America is running for re-election in Infanta.
She and her office also voiced strong opposition to the construction of Kaliwa Dam, which advocates say will submerge parts of Quezon and Rizal provinces, threaten wildlife and biodiversity, and displace indigenous communities in the area.
She is still recovering after sustaining gunshot wounds in different parts of her body, the Philippine National Police.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- Violence (physical), Wounds and Injuries
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Public Servant, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Mar 6, 2022
- Country
- Philippines
- Event Description
Policemen arrested a human right defender in Aparri, Cagayan at around 8 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 28. Agnes Mesina, Makabayan-Cagayan Valley coordinator was with the community mercy outreach team when policemen came.
A member of the team was able to stream the arrest live via social media platform Facebook.
According to the officer, Mesina is being arrested for murder charges.
But on July 21, 2021, charges of murder against Mesina, along with Cordillera Peoples Alliance Chairperson Windel Bolinget and four other activists, were dismissed by Tagum Regional Trial Court Branch 30.
Ephraim Cortez, secretary general of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL), said that “the arrest is illegal since the warrant had already lost its force and effect.”
“The PNP [Philippine National Police] definitely knows this, and should immediately release her,” Cortez said in a Facebook post.
Mesina was also subjected to red-tagging.
As of this writing, no information is available if new charges have been filed against Mesina.
The community outreach team was supposed to provide humanitarian aid, relief and psychological services to residents of barangay Sta. Clara, Gonzaga, Cagayan who experienced aerial bombing in the last week of January.
According to the Karapatan-Cagayan Valley, the team was blocked by a group of men holding tarpaulins bearing the names and photos of Mesina and Anakpawis Partylist 4th Nominee Isabelo “Ka Buting” Adviento. The humanitarian mission was also not allowed to enter the community.
“Due to intimidation and harassment, the team decided to not push through. Some of the men in motorcycles even tailed the team,” the group said.
In a statement, human rights group Karapatan said that “clearly, Mesina’s arrest is illegal and is meant to further block and intimidate the team from reaching the community in Gonzaga, Cagayan.”
“That her illegal arrest occurred amid the ongoing election campaign period also makes it clear that her arrest is part of ongoing efforts to harass, vilify, and suppress the Makabayan coalition and the political opposition,” the group added.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Mar 6, 2022
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Feb 24, 2022
- Event Description
The military said that five alleged New People’s Army (NPA) rebels were killed after a series of encounters with soldiers in Davao de Oro on Thursday morning, February 24. Two of those slain, however, were known teachers of Lumad schools.
Captain Mark Anthony Tito, information officer of the Army’s 10th Infantry Division, identified one of those killed as activist and volunteer community school teacher Chad Booc, who gained prominence after he and several others were accused of training Lumad “child warriors” at the University of San Carlos Talamban campus in Cebu City in early 2021. The university denied that the children received military training in its campus.
Tito said the other one who died was Jojarain Alce Nguho III, a volunteer teacher at the Community Technical College of Southern Mindanao in Barangay Lapu-lapu, Maco, Davao de Oro.
The military referred to the two as among the alleged NPA members killed in a series of encounters with soldiers in Purok 8, Barangay Andap, New Bataan town in Davao de Oro on Thursday.
Tito said the soldiers did not immediately know that Booc was one of the casualities. “The soldiers did not know it was Booc until he was positively identified by one former rebel,” he added.
Tito said civilian residents had alerted soldiers of the 1001st Infantry Brigade to the presence of rebels foraging for food in a hinterland village.
“The firefight started at around 4 am and lasted throughout the morning. There were three encounters in the forested section of the village,” Tito said.
Tito said that based on the documents found at the scene, the estimated 20 rebels apparently belonged to the NPA-Southern Mindanao Regional Committee and its regional operational command. He said they fled after the firefights and left behind the slain victims.
Also found in the area were an M653 rifle, a caliber .45 pistol, a grenade, and an anti-personnel landmine, according to Tito.
Booc graduated cum laude from the University of the Philippines-Diliman with a degree of Bachelor of Science in Computer Science. After he graduated, Booc volunteered as a Mathematics teacher at the Alternative Learning Center Agricultural Development (ALCADEV), a school for lumad children in Lianga, Surigao del Sur.
The military has repeatedly tagged ALCADEV and other lumad schools as NPA fronts, and the government has since closed down the schools in Mindanao.
Police in February 2021 charged Booc and several others for allegedly trafficking children in Cebu City. The court dismissed the charges and Booc was released from jail. ‘Bloody massacre’ of civilians
Save Our Schools Network (SOS) condemned the incident as a “bloody massacre” of civilians.
SOS said in a statement on Friday that according to residents of Barangay Andap in New Bataan, there was “no encounter between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the New People’s Army” in the area.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to life
- HRD
- Indigenous peoples' rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Feb 27, 2022
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Feb 18, 2022
- Event Description
The family, lawyers and colleagues of development worker Dr. Ma. Natividad Marian Castro called on the authorities to surface her.
Castro, or Doc Naty, was arrested on Feb. 18 in her house in San Juan City allegedly based on an arrest warrant on trumped-up charges of kidnapping and serious illegal detention in Caraga.
According to lawyer Theodor Te, Castro’s whereabouts are still unknown. She was reportedly last seen by her relatives at Camp Crame. Upon inquiry, Te said police officers told the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG) that Castro is no longer at Camp Crame as “she was supposedly brought to the airport to be delivered to the court in Butuan City.”
Her lawyers waited at the airport yesterday afternoon but they did not see Castro nor the arresting team. As of press time, Castro is yet to be found.
Former Commission on Elections Luie Tito Guia who was with Castro’s family yesterday said they were given a runaround. In a Facebook post, Guia said he was only allowed to talk to his client for a few minutes while at the Quirino Memorial Medical Center. When Castro was taken out of a building, Guia said he asked for the names of the arresting team but he was ignored and the police vehicle sped away.
Before her arrest, Castro was red-tagged along with 32 other progressive leaders in November 2020. Their photos and names appeared on tarpaulins in Lianga, Surigao del Sur and Butuan City, Agusan del Norte. On March 21, 2021, one of those who were red-tagged, Lumad human rights worker Renalyn Tejero, was arrested in Cagayan de Oro City.
Karapatan said the arrest of Castro is another form of attack against human rights defenders.
“This despicable policy and practice of the Duterte regime of filing trumped up charges against rights defenders in an attempt to silence them should stop,” the group said.
Karapatan Secretary Deneral Cristina Palabay lamented that those who are guilty of seven counts of graft are still at large while a doctor who is helping the poor is being accused of being a criminal.
The group said Castro could have made a prominent career in medicine in the urban areas or even abroad after her graduation, but she chose to work in the rural areas of Mindanao.
Castro, is, in fact, a cum laude in BS Zoology in University of the Philippines-Diliman in 1990. In 1995, she graduated with a degree in Medicine at the UP College of Medicine. She was also a Scholastican High School Valedictorian in 1986.
In 2006, Castro’s alma mater, St. Scholastica’s College-Manila honored her with the Centennial Award as one of the 100 Outstanding Graduates in the last century.
“There is a huge lack of doctors in the rural areas where one out of 10 Filipinos die without even being able to have a health consultation. There are only a few doctors who choose to work for the poor. Why arrest her?” the Health Alliance for Human Rights said.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Abduction/Kidnapping, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Feb 23, 2022
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jan 28, 2022
- Event Description
Security guards and armed goons opened fire at farmers in Sitio Ricafort, Barangay Tungkong Mangga, San Jose del Monte, Bulacan, according to Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas.
Security guards armed with high-powered rifles fired at the members of a fact-finding team and 20 farmers, including seven minors at around noon today, Jan. 28. According to peasant women’s group Amihan, more than 20 shots were heard which lasted for more than 10 minutes. Cellphones, bags, wallets and relief goods for the peasant families were taken by the guards.
Two days ago, four houses were demolished by the security guards.
“These series of harassment and rights violations should be investigated and hold the perpetrators accountable. We are calling for democracy loving Filipinos to stand with farmers in asserting their rights to land and livelihood,” Amihan National Chairperson Zenaida Soriano said.
Local farmers group said that Araneta Properties Inc., led by Gregorio “Greggy” Araneta III, has been trying to evict the farmers of Lupang Teresa since January 2013.
The farmers have been asserting for their rights to the land since 1997 after the Department of Agrarian Reform issued an exemption order from land reform coverage.
Greggy Araneta is the brother in law of convicted tax evader and presidentiable Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.
Araneta, the brother-in-law of presidential aspirant Ferdinand Marcos Jr., reportedly plans to construct a private subdivision in the disputed land.
As of press time, no one has been reported wounded.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Land rights defender
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Corporation Corporation (others)
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Feb 1, 2022
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Dec 19, 2021
- Event Description
No journalist should be threatened for doing their job, said the National Union of Journalists in the Philippines.
This after the reported threats against Adrian Puse, a journalist and safety officer of Altermidya.
In a statement, Altermidya said Puse received multiple death threats on Sunday, Dec. 19 from a Facebook user named “Bob Dinelli.”
Among the threats that Puse received were “uunti-untiin kita”, “alam ko bahay mo at pinagtatrabahuhan mo” (I know where you work and live), and “huling pasko (mo) na ito” (this is your last Christmas).
The sender also named Puse’s sister, her address, and his girlfriend’s name and email address.
“Days before, Adrian’s girlfriend received a message asking her to ‘cooperate’ with the sender in settling a certain ‘injustice’ that Adrian had supposedly done. The sender also mentioned specific details of Adrian’s whereabouts, which are all obviously fabricated and could easily be disproved,” the group said in a statement.
Puse has been with Altermidya for two years.
Facebook has since taken down what appears to be a newly-created “Bob Dinelli” account.
“We condemn the continuing attempts to silence media practitioners with threats, harassment, cyberattacks, and intimidation. Independent journalists will not be coerced against these attacks against media freedom, especially now when our responsibility of truth-telling is more urgent than ever,” Altermidya said.
They added that these acts, “clearly meant to intimidate Adrian in his task as a journalist, are a serious concern amid unrelenting attacks against independent media, rights defenders, and the administration’s perceived critics.”
The threats against Puse happened just after the news of distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks against Rappler, Vera Files as well network giant ABS-CBN’s news website.
The NUJP meanwhile said that they stand with Altermidya in condemning the harassment against Puse.
“No journalist should be threatened for doing their jobs in delivering news and information to communities. We reiterate our call to defend press freedom and stop the attacks against the Filipino press,” the group said.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Death threat, Intimidation and Threats
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Media Worker
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Jan 12, 2022
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Dec 11, 2021
- Event Description
A group of Filipino journalists has assailed the series of cyber-attacks targeting the Philippine media and called on government agencies to investigate and stop these attacks.
In its statement, ABS-CBN said their news website was shut down on Dec. 11, and became inaccessible to their readers at 10:30 a.m. The news network confirmed that it was a distributed denial of service attack, which lasted for almost six hours.
DDoS refers to the flooding of a website server until it becomes inaccessible to its readers.
Four days later, online news Rappler said the website was also subjected to a DDoS attack, and that it shut down their website for two hours. Later in the evening, at 9:56 p.m., their website had already received over six million requests. At the peak of the attack, the site had reportedly received over 650,000 requests per second. Rappler also mentioned that 95 percent of the requests barraging their site were targeting the recently published story on the Senate’s approval of the bill which allowed 100% foreign ownership of public utility services.
Among the latest was that of Vera Files, an independent media known for its fact-checking arm, which was subjected to DDoS on Dec. 16.
In a report, Vera Files said their website security service recorded “almost 4,000 of unique IP addresses issued more than 70 million” against them.
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) condemned the consecutive attacks on media, and said in their statement that these attacks continue to happen amid the urgent need for information as the country is faced with Typhoon Odette.
“NUJP stands with colleagues under cyber-attack and is ready to work with them to document, trace and hold the perpetrators accountable,” the group said.
This is not the first time that news agencies have been subjected to cyber-attacks.
Last month, alternative news Pinoy Weekly has been subjected to another wave of cyberattacks, leading to the shutdown of their website for almost two days.
Pinoy Weekly, Bulatlat, Kodao Productions, and AlterMidya – People’s Alternative Media Network have been subjected to relentless cyberattacks since 2018. This year, Sweden-based Qurium Media Foundation was able to trace the attacks to the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and the Philippine Army.
“That these attacks are happening as we near the elections — when vetted information will be crucial in addressing disinformation, misinformation, and political rhetoric — is the most concerning of all,” NUJP said.
- Impact of Event
- 3
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Online Attack and Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Internet freedom, Freedom of expression Online, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to work
- HRD
- Media Worker
- Perpetrator-State
- Suspected state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Jan 12, 2022
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Nov 17, 2021
- Event Description
Alternative news Pinoy Weekly has been subjected to another wave of cyberattacks, leading to the shutdown their website for almost two days.
In a statement issued by its publisher Pinoy Media Center, the distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks happened on Nov. 17 and 18, where at least 10 gigabytes of requests were made to their server. While the website is now back online, the Pinoy Media Center said they “fear it may again be subject to an attack in the next few hours and days.”
DDoS refers to the flooding of a website server until it becomes inaccessible to its readers. PMC’s Board of Trustees assailed this as a press freedom violation.
Among the stories that were published around the time of attacks were an editorial on the ongoing alliance between the son of the dictator’s namesake Marcos Jr. and the president’s daughter Sara Duterte-Carpio, an in-depth report on price hikes, and a news analysis on the people’s agenda for the 2022 elections.
Back in 2018 and 2019, Pinoy Weekly was among those subjected to continuous DDoS attacks along with other alternative online news such as Altermidya, Bulatlat, and Kodao. Sweden-based digital rights advocacy group Qurium Foundation later traced the attacks to two Philippine IT firms.
This year, amid another round of cyberattacks, Qurium’s forensic investigation on the attacks against Bulatlat and Altermidya led them to the doors of the Philippine government, particularly the Department of Science and Technology and the Philippine Army.
“We condemn these attacks against alternative and independent media groups like Pinoy Weekly of Pinoy Media Center. We call on the public to join us in resisting attempts to muzzle our voices online, and make these attacks accountable to law and the people,” the PMC said.
Pinoy Weekly, like other alternative media outfits in the Philippines, has been red-tagged by the government’s anti-communist task force and the Philippine National Police.
“We warn those responsible for the cyberattacks that we will not be cowed by attempts to silence us. We will not be intimidated and will fight back with everything at our disposal. We will soon take legal and other actions to make them accountable,” they added.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Censorship, Online Attack and Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Internet freedom, Media freedom, Freedom of expression Online, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Media Worker
- Perpetrator-State
- Suspected state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Nov 26, 2021
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Nov 24, 2021
- Event Description
Karapatan today expressed disappointment over the Calamba City Regional Trial Court Branch 37’s denial of elderly human rights worker Nimfa Lanzanas’ omnibus motion to quash search warrants and suppress evidence in a resolution released on November 24, 2021.
Lanzanas, 61 years old, was among those arbitrarily arrested on March 7 this year in what has been dubbed as the “Bloody Sunday” raids of State forces in Southern Tagalog, where nine activists and indigenous farmers were killed and four including Lanzanas were arrested.
“It has been more than eight months since Lanzanas was arrested in the wee hours of the morning, in the presence of her young grandchildren. There is absolutely no truth to the statements of the police and military officers who alleged that she is part of a band of gun runners. She has been a paralegal of Karapatan Southern Tagalog since 2014 when her son Edward fell victim to almost the same kind of injustice that she faces now. We hope that the court will reconsider its decision and enable the release of Lanzanas, after months of being unjustly incarcerated,” said Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay.
In her motion, Lanzanas stated that the place searched was not covered by the search warrants issued by Manila City 3rd Vice Executive Judge Jason Zapanta, and asserted the important defect in the warrant on the particularity of the place of search. Lanzanas also averred that police and their alleged informant stated deliberate falsehoods during the application for search warrants, showing inconsistencies in their statements. She also questioned how probable cause was not established during the application of search warrants.
Lanzanas and her family have stated that the alleged evidence found in their home were planted by the soldiers and cops who conducted the raid. “It is highly improbable that guns and explosives were stored in that small house with three small grandchildren of Lanzanas. There were several instances during the said raid when the State forces may have had the opportunity to plant these weapons,” Palabay said.
Karapatan reiterated their call for the release of all 709 political prisoners, including Lanzanas and the 57 other elderly political prisoners, all of them victims of the same modus of planted evidence and perjured testimonies.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, 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
- Nov 26, 2021
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Nov 14, 2021
- Event Description
A long-time women and child rights advocate was arrested in her Bulacan home on Sunday, Nov. 14, over a rebellion case filed back in 2005.
Ma. Salome Crisistomo Ujano, 64, national coordinator of Philippine Against Child Trafficking (PACT), was presented with a warrant of arrest and was brought to Camp Crame in Quezon City.
Referring to Ujano as one of the country’s “topmost wanted persons,” the Bulacan police said the arrest warrant was issued by a Lucena court on June 28, 2006, with no bail recommendations.
“The case is baseless as she was actively involved as executive director of Women’s Crisis Center back in 2005. She never heard of this case before,” her daughter Karla wrote on Facebook.
Ujano was with the Women’s Crisis Center from 1990 to 2007, of which she served as its executive director from 2000 to 2006.
In a statement, House Assistant Minority Leader and Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Arlene Brosas condemned the arrest, adding that it happened in November where activities are slated in commemoration of Children’s Month.
“Her arrest points to the absurdity of the PNP’s operations against perceived enemies of the state. It is perhaps the first arrest of a women and children’s rights advocate under the new PNP chief Dionardo Carlos,” she said.
Her colleagues, on the other hand, refuted police claims that she was in hiding for the past 15 years as Ujano has been attending public events as a child rights advocate, including gatherings that were organized in relation to the 30th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Here she talked about how government agencies can better protect children and women from human trafficking.
This 2019 gathering, too, dubbed as “Ako Para sa Bata,” was attended by ranking government officials.
Relatives and colleagues of Ujano called for her immediate release and the dropping of baseless charges against her.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Offline, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Nov 18, 2021
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Nov 6, 2021
- Event Description
The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) has started investigating the reported abduction of an organizer of the militant group Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) in Central Luzon last week.
Lawyer Leorae Valmonte, the CHR regional director, on Tuesday said his office received an urgent alert from rights group Karapatan about the “forced disappearance” of Steve Abua, 34, who helped KMP organize farmers and indigenous peoples.
Abua has been missing since Nov. 6, on the day he was heading to a meeting in Dinalupihan town, Bataan province, his wife, Johanna, 35, told the Inquirer by phone.
According to Johanna, the supposed captors of her husband contacted her thrice since he was forcibly taken either at a transport terminal in Lubao town, Pampanga province, or in Dinalupihan.
She said a motorcycle driver reported dropping off Abua in front of a terminal at Barangay Sta. Cruz, Lubao. NPA member?
Johanna recalled one of the abductors as telling her by phone that they were holding her husband and that she needed to cooperate with them.
The men described their group as a “different government,” she said, adding that they were asking her to convince Abuan to admit that he is a member of the New People’s Army (NPA).In response, Johanna said she had no reason to cooperate with them because Abua is not an NPA member.
A native of Parañaque City, Abua graduated cum laude at the University of the Philippines (UP) in Diliman with a bachelor of science degree in statistics in 2007. Blindfolded, gagged
Johanna said her third communication with the abductors was a video call, through a private chat using the account of one Michelle de la Cruz.
According to Johanna, a male caller sent a 10-second video clip showing Abua wearing a white shirt and sitting on the floor beside a double-deck bed.
She said Abua’s hands were tied. He was blindfolded and his mouth was stuffed with cloth, later removed to show his face.
Johanna said she refused the captors’ demands to meet with them, reveal her address or bring along their young daughter.
“My appeal is for them to surface Steve alive and well,” she said, noting that the abductors stopped sending her text messages when they learned that alerts for Abua’s forced disappearance went viral on social media on Monday.
Pia Montalban, Karapatan coordinator in Central Luzon, said the manner of Abua’s abduction and the negotiation that followed it was done differently but “nonetheless threatening to his liberty and rights.”
In a separate interview, Lt. Col. Eugene Garce, commander of the Philippine Army’s 70th Infantry Battalion based in Bulacan province, said none of the units under his command in the region was holding Abua.
All police units in the region did not have reports on any arrest involving Abua, said Police Lt. Col. Soledad Elefanio, public information head of the Central Luzon police.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Abduction/Kidnapping
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Indigenous peoples' rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Nov 15, 2021
- Country
- Philippines
- Event Description
The Center for Trade Union and Human Rights (CTUHR) expressed their concern over the harassment of their staff by men who introduced themselves as “people from the government.”
CTUHR, an institution established to defend trade unionists and workers from human rights violations, said that on October 9, one of their staff, Giebdhart “Nico” Canave, 38, was abducted, threatened, and interrogated by unidentified men.
In a statement, CTUHR said that Canave was on his way to photograph a baptism in Dasmariñas, Cavite as he was hired by a certain Carl, who recently rented a room in his house. He was accompanied by Carl and a certain Kiko, a childhood friend of Carl. Stopping over at a gas station along the expressway, he was sandwiched and accosted by two unidentified men, who then subjected him to a series of accusations, threats and questions.
The group told Canave that he has been under surveillance for months, revealing to him his whereabouts and that of his family and then adding that he “should have been dead a long time ago.”
CTUHR related that Canave was then bombarded with a series of questions like “when did he become an activist, who recruited him, what educational discussions he has taken, what he does at work, who are his workmates, etc.” He was then shown pictures and names, forcing him to identify the people in the picture while asking him if he worked with them.
They also accused Canave of being involved with an “armed group’s activities” of which Canave strongly denied, asserting that he works as a researcher at CTUHR while finishing his post graduate degree.
He was then given an envelope filled with cash and was told to cooperate with them and not to tell anyone about the incident.
This episode traumatized Canave who said, “I feared for my life and for my family. They were forcing me to cooperate with them, to report my activities and the people I meet and work with. Due to fear, I simply agreed. But where do I help them? For the contentious attacks against people like me promoting and advocating human rights?”
The CTUHR said they are “highly alarmed by this threat as the human rights situation in the country continues to deteriorate and lives of human rights defenders are put at risk.”
The group added that under President Duterte, 56 labor rights defenders were already killed and no one was brought to justice.
“It is enraging that the state invests so much time and funds to these kinds of activities while workers and the people continue to suffer the impacts of the pandemic and the consequences of poor pandemic response,” said CTUHR Executive Director Daisy Arago.
Last Friday, Oct. 22, Canave with his colleagues at the CTUHR filed a formal complaint at the Commission on Human Rights to investigate the case.
“Human rights defenders do not deserve this kind of harassment and threats. We have enough problems to contend with and threats are totally inhumane. We appeal for CHR intervention to look into this case, so it won’t happen to any HR [human rights] worker,” said Arago.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Abduction/Kidnapping, Intimidation and Threats, Surveillance
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of association, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to work
- HRD
- Labour rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Oct 30, 2021
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Sep 27, 2021
- Event Description
House committee on good government and public accountability chairman Michael Aglipay unceremoniously removed Rappler journalist Rambo Talabong from a Viber group with reporters on Monday, September 27.
Aglipay kicked out Talabong after the journalist wrote a story on the DIWA representative’s latest defense of the Duterte administration.
Aglipay's comment was about the Senate hearing's revelation that the production stickers on the face masks procured by the government from Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corporation were tampered. The tampering of the production stickers effectively also changed the expiry dates.
For Aglipay, the changing of expiry dates was not a problem, as he asked a Department of Health (DOH) official if the alleged expired face masks hurt or killed any of the health workers who used them. DOH undersecretary Carolina Taino said no.
This exchange was the subject of Talabong’s story, which included a video excerpt on Aglipay’s interpellation during the good government and public accountability panel hearing.
Aglipay then singled out Talabong during the hearing – even if CNN Philippines also published a similar article with the same angle.
The congressman argued Talabong’s article was “one-sided” as it did not include DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III’s remarks that the shelf life of face shields was 36 months.
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“So it is one-sided, and I’m calling him out to be balanced, because they are claiming to be a balanced organization, but this article of his never mentioned that Secretary Duque said that the shelf life is 36 months, and he only focused on my comment, making it appear that we are one-sided here, and covering up the government,” said the ally of Speaker Lord Allan Velasco. The House's line of questioning in its hearings veers at countering findings at the Senate, defending the Duterte government's deals with Pharmally.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Administrative Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Online, Right to information
- HRD
- Media Worker
- Perpetrator-State
- Government
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Oct 14, 2021
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Oct 6, 2021
- Event Description
Two more were arrested by combined elements of the police and military in Quezon province, yesteray, October 6, at around 2:00 am.
According to Karapatan-Southern Tagalog, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) Batangas Spokesperson Erlindo “Lino” Baez and Anakpawis Partylist Batangas Coordinator Willy Capareño were arrested in sitio Centro, barangay Manggalang 1, Sariaya, Quezon province by no less than 50 members of the Sariaya police and the Philippine Army’s 59th Infantry Battalion.
The arrest was made by virtue of a warrant of arrest on charges against Baez for illegal possession of firearms and explosives. A press release from the CALABARZON Police Regional Office meanwhile tagged Baez and Capareño as “high-ranking members” of the Communist Party of the Philippines.
Both Baez and Capareño are no strangers to red-tagging and state harassment. The warrant issued against Baez came from the March 7 raid of his home in Santo Tomas, Batangas, where police and military supposedly “found” firearms and explosives. The raid was part of “Bloody Sunday”, which resulted in the deaths of nine activists and the arrests of seven others.
No warrant was issued for Capareño; however, he was allegedly found to be in possession of one hand-grenade. It is not yet clear what the charges against Capareño are.
Baez is the head of a family of activists. His son, Ronilo, is a political prisoner currently detained since June 3, 2010 on charges of illegal possession of firearms and explosives. He was one of three activists arrested in Taysan while they were integrating in a farming community.
Another son, Edrean, was a member of Anakbayan before he was killed by state forces on May 26, 2021 near Padre Garcia, Batangas, in a supposed “encounter” between members of the New People’s Army.
In 2019, Capareño received a text message from someone he does not know, telling him to go back to his home in San Juan, Batangas or else he would be arrested. This threat was part of a series of harassment against known leaders and progressives in the province.
Baez and Capareño’s arrest come one day shy of seven months since Bloody Sunday. Progressives in Southern Tagalog have long since contended that Bloody Sunday marked an “intensification of crackdown” against activists and community leaders in the region.
Multiple reports of human rights violations have come to light since March 7, including the murder of labor leader Dandy Miguel on March 28; the disappearance of former Kabataan Partylist coordinator Kemuel Ian Cometa on May 21; the arrest of peasant organizers Dana Marcellana and Christian Relao on June 25, as well as multiple icidents of threats, harassment, and intimidation by state forces.
Youth organization Gabriela Youth Quezon has called the arrests “a manifestation that despite the crisis caused by the pandemic, there is a proliferation of harassment of silencing against progressive individuals who are fighting for people’s rights.” Other groups have similarly called for the immediate release of Baez and Capareño.
Both Baez and Capareño’s families have yet to make contact with their loved ones. Initial reports indicate that they were brought to the Sariaya Municipal Police Station but no confirmation has been made yet as of press time. Karapatan-Southern Tagalog is currently spearheading efforts to locate the two activists and ensure their safety.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment, Vilification
- Rights Concerned
- Right to liberty and security, Right to protect reputation
- HRD
- Community-based HRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military, Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Oct 14, 2021
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Sep 21, 2021
- Event Description
Mao Hermitanio’s face was wet and red when she reached Liwasang Bonifacio this afternoon, Sept. 21, the 49th anniversary of the declaration of Martial Law. She and her colleagues played cat and mouse with the Manila police. The chase, however, was not at all fun.
Hermitanio, deputy secretary general of Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP), and her companions assembled at around 1:30 p.m. on Carriedo street, where they were prohibited by the police from holding a program. The contingent, composed mainly of farmers, workers, youth and urban poor, decided to go to Sta. Cruz Church. After a short program, they started marching toward Liwasang Bonifacio. The police blocked them from setting foot on the bridge, and dispersed them with water canon.
Amid the chaos, former Anakpawis Rep. Ariel Casilao and Kilusang Mayo Uno Secretary General Jerome Adonis tried to negotiate with the police, but the latter refused to even identify their ground commander. The protesters then dispersed, and found ways, literally, to get to the site of the protest.
A few meters away from Liwasang Bonifacio, former Gabriela Women’s Party Liza Maza was also blocked several times by policemen in fatigue. She tried to cross the underpass from the Metropolitan Theater but was prevented from proceeding. She walked along the Jones bridge, hoping she would be finally allowed to join the other activists. Policemen told her and her colleagues they could not pass through. Asked for a reason, a policeman just said, “That’s the order.”
Fuming, Maza told the media in Filipino, “I remember when I was still in college, when lighting rallies were still prohibited during Martial Law. The people were not allowed to express themselves freely just like what is happening now.”
“Everything came back to me. I was just waiting for someone to shout, ‘Marcos, Diktator! Tuta!Duterte at Marcos, parehong-pareho ang pakana,’” (Marcos, Dictator! Puppet! Duterte and Marcos have the same tactics.) she said.
Eventually, Maza and hundreds of other protesters managed to hurdle the obstacles.
“On the anniversary of Martial Law, they tried to suppress the rights of the people to peaceably assemble and to free expression,” Obet de Castro of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) said in a Facebook post in Filipino hours after the protest. “Duterte is so much like Marcos. And just as how the Filipino people toppled the Marcos dictatorship, the corrupt and fascist in Malacañang failed to stop the militant action of the Filipino people earlier today.”
Marcos-level corruption, tyranny
Progressive groups denounced what they called as Duterte’s Marcosian tactics.
In his speech, Antonio La Viña, former dean of the Ateneo School of Government, said Duterte proves to be similar to Marcos when it comes to corruption and tyranny. He cited the purchase of overpriced pandemic items from Pharmaly, and the killings of activists and drug suspects.
Renato Reyes Jr., BAYAN secretary general, meanwhile, called on fellow protesters to make their choices clear in the coming elections.
“We reject everything that is destructive to the country. We reject those who act as dictators, the son of the dictator, and the lackeys of dictators. We reject corruption, killings, apathy and subservience to foreign interests,” Reyes said in Filipino.
Former ACT Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio, who represented 1Sambayan, said the Filipino people should “unite in restoring democracy back.”
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community), Woman
- Violation
- Administrative Harassment, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, WHRD, Youth
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 24, 2021
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Sep 15, 2021
- Event Description
Another peoples’ lawyer was killed Wednesday, Sept. 15.
Lawyer Juan Macababbad, Union of Peoples’ Lawyers in Mindanao (UPLM) vice chairperson and member of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyer (NUPL), was shot by two gunmen in front of his residence in Surrallah, South Cotabato.
Macababbad was the third member of the NUPL and 58th lawyer who was gunned down under President Duterte’s administration.
“While the case may go through the usual investigation, as with the other growing number of unresolved cases, it is clear that the murder of Atty. Macababbad is connected to his vocation of lawyering for the people,” said UPLM Chairperson Antonio C. Azarcon in a statement.
Azarcon said Macababbad had been receiving death threats prior to the incident.
Defender of indigenous peoples, environment
Macababbad handled several cases, particularly in defense of indigenous peoples and protection of the environment.
He served as the legal counsel of the Lumad victims in the Lake Sebu massacre in 2017.
Cristina Palabay, secretary general of Karapatan, said that Macababbad also joined several fact-finding mission and served as the legal counsel to indigenous peoples, teachers and community members in the SOCSKSARGEN.
“Such attacks against those in the legal profession, particularly against the committed and tireless human rights defenders among them, should stop. We demand justice for Atty. Macababbad and all lawyers killed under this administration,” Palabay said.
Macababbad was also one of those who opposed the coal mining applications of DM Consunji at the Daguma Mountain Range in the SOCCSKSARGEN region.
In 2015, Macababbad was slapped with Strategic Lawsuit Againt Public Participation (SLAPP) after “their local mass movements barricaded the aerial spraying facilities of Sumifru’s Banana plantation,” according to Leon Dulce, national coordinator for Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment.
“This is why it is urgent to enact policies such as House Bill 8170 or the Environmental Defense Bill that grants protection mechanisms and various remedies to human rights abuses against defenders. This is why we need to #DefendTheDefenders,” Leon added.
The groups demand justice for the slain lawyer.
“The climate of impunity pervades with the lack of serious investigation and prosecution over thousands of extrajudicial killings in the country. The legal profession is not spared, and our colleagues have become main targets especially those who resist tyranny and defend human rights,” Azarcon said.
Just last month, lawyer Rex JMA Fernandez was killed in Cebu City in broad daylight.
Different lawyers groups have been calling the Supreme Court to take action on the increasing attacks on the members of the judiciary.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to life
- HRD
- Lawyer
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 17, 2021
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Aug 26, 2021
- Event Description
A veteran lawyer, who recently held a “hunger strike” after the management of the condominium he was living in cut his water supply, was shot dead by a still unknown assailant along R. Duterte Street in Barangay Guadalupe, Cebu City on Thursday, August 26.
Lawyer Rex Jose Mario Fernandez, 62, was on board his car when he was shot by the gunman who waited for him in a corner at around 4:10 p.m., according to Police Major Jonathan Dela Cerna, chief of the Guadalupe Police Station.
Fernandez’s driver, who police investigators have not yet identified, sustained gunshot wounds to his body and was taken to the hospital for treatment.
A woman in the back seat of the car survived although investigators have yet to determine her identity.
A closed-circuit television (CCTV) in the area showed that the lone gunman, who wore a red jacket, immediately boarded a getaway motorcycle driven by another person.
At least six empty shells of a .45 caliber pistol were recovered at the crime scene.
In a tally made by the Inquirer, at least 15 lawyers in Cebu had been killed since 2004.
Last November 23, 2020, lawyer Joey Luis Wee was also killed while he was walking from his car up to the stairs of his office in Barangay Kasambagan, Cebu City.
Lawyer Edre Olalia, president of the National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL), decried the murder of Fernandez, who was a founding member of the group in 2007 and a counsel of human rights organization Karapatan.
“No words, indeed. Another colleague has fallen with his boots on. We had lost count. It has not stopped and every lawyer is a sitting duck,” he said in a statement.
Olalia described Fernandez as “passionate, intense and brave, even as he was unique in many ways.”
Fernandez, he added, handled many cases of activists.
“Even after he became inactive in NUPL later, he continued to collaborate with fellow human rights lawyers in public interest cases,” Olalia said.
“Before he was silenced, he castigated the present administration which he had hitherto placed his sincere hope on would bring change. He died disillusioned that it was not meant to be. Rest in peace already Rex. You fought a good fight,” he added. Hunger strike
Last August 13, 2021, Fernandez held a “hunger strike” after the management of the condominium he was living in cut his water supply even though he secured an injunction against the developer.
He placed a tent at the condominium entrance in Barangay Subangdaku, Mandaue City and expressed his sentiments through the media.
In an earlier interview, Fernandez said he conducted the hunger strike to send a message to Contempo Property Holdings Inc., who developed and managed the condominium, that their gesture of cutting his water supply for non-payment of condominium corporation dues deprived him of his right to live.
A representative of the developer claimed that the payment of condominium corporation dues was necessary as it helps sustain their operations.
Since Fernandez started occupying his condo unit in 2018, the lawyer said the management asked him for condominium corporation dues worth P90 per square meter or equivalent to P3,240 per month.
Fernandez questioned the management and asked them for the computation of his condominium dues. However, the management reportedly didn’t respond to his concern, prompting Fernandez to not pay the condominium dues since then.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to life
- HRD
- Lawyer
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 2, 2021
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Mar 10, 2021
- Event Description
For union leader Roselle Eugenio, it only took one government-issued memorandum for her life to change.
On March 10, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) released a memorandum advising government agencies to initiate an investigation of employees who are members of the umbrella organization of labor unions COURAGE.
“It is advised further, to fend off and discourage existing employees association or organization in your office to affiliate with known Communist Terrorist Group (CTG) organization,” the memorandum read.
Eugenio, president of SENADO, the union of government employees in the Philippine Senate, is among those accused by state forces as alleged leaders, recruiters, or members of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and the New People’s Army (NPA).
At 54, Eugenio has dedicated almost half of her life in service to SENADO. It is apparent that the red-tagging against her is also an attack on unionism in the government sector.
Facing the fear
Eugenio was named by the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) Spokesperson Lorraine Badoy as among the “operatives” of the CPP and NPA.
To Eugenio, there are baseless accusations that do not even have proper research. She was identified as a male in Badoy’s column, calling her a “he”.
“She does not even know me…She claimed that I am the eyes and ears ng CPP-NPA,” Eugenio told Bulatlat in an online interview.
Eugenio could not help but feel scared.
“Of course, I was afraid. At that time, I was also in quarantine. I have not yet surpassed my health problem when the red-tagging intensified,” Eugenio said.
The red-tagging incident also affected her family. Upon hearing the accusations hurled against her, Eugenio’s mother insisted that she stop joining the union.
Eugenio told her family it is part of her job as president of the union. “Of course they continue to worry about my safety but in the end, they cannot stop me,” she said.
Unionism
With a union to lead, and members to look after, Eugenio said that she decided to keep going because she knew she was fighting for the truth.
“Who would not feel afraid when you are wrongfully accused? But of course, I have no choice but to assert the legitimacy of what we are fighting for, of our principles which do not violate the law,” Eugenio said in Filipino.
Eugenio was once president of SENADO back from 2010 to 2013. Two years ago, she was again elected as president.
It was during Eugenio’s term that the union gained victories. They were able to raise employee benefits such as transportation and education assistance, increase the salary grade of drivers, provide free mass testing to Senate employees, and have Civil Service Commission (CSC) review classes for the employees who will take the CSC test, among others.
Courage Secretary General Manuel Baclagon also said that red-tagging affects the unions. He said that there were times when some of their members became hesitant in joining their activities due to the red-tagging.
But when members experience doubts or fears, Baclagon said that they talk and explain to their members that what they are doing is legal and just.
“We are fighting for jobs, salaries and rights as workers. There’s nothing wrong with what we’re doing,” said Baclagon.
Courage has about 200 affiliate unions and employees’ associations from government agencies, local government units, state colleges and universities and government-owned and controlled corporations in the country.
Under the Philippine Constitution, workers have the right to self-organize, collective bargain and negotiate and have peaceful concerted activities like the right to strike. But despite these constitutional assurances, unions like SENADO and Courage still experience attacks like red-tagging that affect their rights as workers.
Eugenio could not agree more with Baclagon. “I need to remind our officers and members that the attacks against me is also an attack on SENADO, aiming to silence unionists, activists, and to prevent us from airing our grievances,” Eugenio said.
Inspiration
Amid all the forms of attacks that were made to discredit and stain her name, Eugenio said she continues to stand tall because of her main source of inspiration— her union mates.
“Fear is still there, but the need to stand by our principles always wins. We also need to continue campaigning for the welfare of our fellow government workers,” said Eugenio.
On one hand, there is also a need to make the workers understand that their union struggle branches out to the other struggles faced by the nation and other sectors in the country, Eugenio said.
“This is not a local concern but part of the larger issues faced by other sectors, that this [red-tagging] is part of a national policy,” the union leader said.
The female union leader said the red-tagging she experienced still could not compare to the lives sacrificed by other activists.
“This is nothing compared to the martyrs who gave up their lives. They are among our inspiration,” said Eugenio.
Criminalize red-tagging
Both Eugenio and Baclagon support the moves to criminalize red-tagging.
The Makabayan bloc filed a bill in the House of Representatives that seeks to penalize and criminalize red-tagging.
“The victims live in constant fear for their lives, liberty and security. Adding insult to injury, even their families suffer the same. They deliberately singled out as the public is conditioned that they must have done something wrong to justify an extrajudicial punishment,” the bill read.
For a red-tagging victim, Eugenio said it is just rightful that a bill penalizing the act of red-tagging is passed into law.
She also maintained that the Anti-Terrorism Law (ATL) of 2020 legitimizes the attacks and accusations towards progressive groups and individuals.
The law allows government-appointed Anti-Terrorism Council to tag any person or group they suspect as “terrorist” without any solid basis, she said.
Baclagon said that he believes there is nothing wrong with being leftist. What is wrong, he said, is that the red-tagging itself violates the constitutional rights of the people to organize, to express their grievances, and to voice out their beliefs.
Courage is hopeful that the Supreme Court would strike down the law as unconstitutional.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats, Vilification
- Rights Concerned
- Labour rights, Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to protect reputation
- HRD
- Labour rights defender, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Government
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Aug 23, 2021
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jul 29, 2021
- Event Description
The website of human rights group Karapatan is being attacked, Sweden-based forensics experts revealed.
In its August 18 report, Qurium noted that the cyberattacks against the group’s website, in the form of distributed denial of service (DDoS), started on July 29, coinciding with the #StopTheKillingsPH online campaign led by Karapatan.
The campaign, participated by different groups and advocates here and abroad, reiterates the call to stop the killings in the Philippines and to prosecute President Rodrigo Duterte for his crimes against the Filipino people. It also marked the first year of the killing of human rights defenders Zara Alvarez and Randall Echanis.
In a statement, Cristina Palabay, secretary general of Karapatan, called the series of attacks on their website cowardly.
“It was obviously made to prevent the public from accessing our reports on the worsening state of human rights in the Philippines — and we know whose interests these attacks serve,” Palabay said.
Karapatan said that according to Qurium, “the attacks were composed of application layer web floods, a type of Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS), specifically against karapatan.org/resources, which contains the directory of Karapatan’s periodical monitors, year-end reports, policy position papers, and other public resources.”
“Specifically targeting Karapatan’s online resources only means that these attacks were clearly trying to suppress our documentation and human rights work, and of course, the people’s right to freedom of information,” Palabay said.
Qurium said that on July 29, after a one-minute attack on Karapatan’s website, “the attacker set up a monitoring using the online service ‘check-host’ for the specific URL, https://www.karapatan.org/resources, and then launches a second and long lasting attack.”
Qurium said that the geographical distribution of the bots (an application that automatically runs pre-programmed tasks over the internet) that flooded Karapatan’s website is global. However, they noted that almost half of the bots were traced from Russia, Ukraine, Indonesia and China.
Karapatan, as well as alternative media outfits Altermidya and Bulatlat, were also subjected to cyberattacks last May and June this year. Qurium traced these attacks to the Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff for Intelligence of the Philippine Army, as well as the Department of Science and Technology.
Qurium first documented the first series of DDoS cyber attacks against Karapatan’s website on Dec. 28, 2018, lasting until Jan. 20, 2019.
“These attacks only benefit those who want to silence us and our human rights work amid a pervasive state of impunity in the country. We thank our friends from Qurium for documenting these attacks as we seek further investigations on the perpetrators of such attacks,” Palabay said.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Censorship, Online Attack and Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Internet freedom, Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- NGO
- Perpetrator-State
- Suspected state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Related Events
- Philippines: NGO, two media outlets targed of repeated military-orchestrated cyber attacks
- Date added
- Aug 23, 2021
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jun 26, 2021
- Event Description
Two activists were shot by the police while they were painting words on Banao bridge in Guinobatan, Albay on June 26 at 1:00 a.m., just hours before President Duterte’s last State of the Nation Address.
A photo by Bicol.PH shows an unfinished text which read, “DUTERTE IBAGS” on the bridge where Jemar Palero, 22 and Marlon Naperi, 38 were killed by by the police.
Palero was a member of Organisasyon ng mga Magsasaka sa Albay (OMA) while Naperi was part of human rights group Albay People’s Organization (APO).
Defend Bicol Stop the Attacks Network said the killing is “a brazen attack on human rights.”
“Dissent may take on many forms but to kill innocent unarmed civilians in the dead of the night for painting the people’s call is purely fascist and brutal,” the group said.
According to the report released by the Police Provincial Office of Albay, Palero and Naperi shot the roving police patrol car. Some firearms and ammunition were reportedly recovered from the two. Police said the two were brought to the hospital but later on died.
Cristina Palabay, secretary general of Karapatan said that the police narrative of nanlaban and that weapons recovered from the two are not only ludicrously false but “unbelievable tall tales because both unarmed activists and they surely do not bear arms while doing graffiti.”
Concerned Artists of the Philippines and Karapatan also denounced the killing of Palero and Naperi.
“This regime reeking with brutality and impunity has to end now!” CAP said in a statement.
“Karapatan strongly decries this latest killing as yet another damning evidence of the bloody state of the nation under Duterte, where the right to life and freedom of expression, among other basic rights and liberties, are not only brazenly violated but violently suppressed,” Palabay added.
In his last SONA, Duterte again ordered state forces to shoot communists and drug suspects dead.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to life
- HRD
- NGO staff
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Aug 10, 2021
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jul 16, 2021
- Event Description
The two Caraga-based activists arrested in Quezon City on Friday, July 16, are not members of the New People’s Army.
This is the assertion of the human rights group Karapatan-Caraga adding that the firearms and flag of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) confiscated from the two are all planted by the authorities.
Arrested were Julieta Gomez, a Lumad-Manobo from San Luis, Agusan del Sur and currently a council member of Kahugpungan sa mga Lumadnong Organisasyon sa Caraga (KASALO Caraga), and Niezel Velasco, formerly the project coordinator of Bread for Emergency and Development, Inc. (BREAD, Inc.) until 2017. Bread, Inc. is a relief and rehabilitation institution in Caraga.
The two were presented before the media last Friday as high-ranking members of the NPA.
“Such claims are preposterous and at the height of implausibility as who in their right mind would attempt to purchase and transport such, at a time when checkpoints and lockdowns are in effect, let alone store such munitions in the house where you were staying? And why would they bring a CPP flag and education materials?” the group said in a statement adding that Philippine National Police Chief Guillermo Eleazar should look into the arresting officers for planting evidence.
Karapatan-Caraga said that Gomez and Velasco are both engaged humanitarian work over the years. In fact, the group said that “officers and personnel of some of government agencies in the region know them personally as they have coordinated activities particularly with the Department of Social Welfare and Development and local government units in the Surigao and Agusan provinces and several municipalities.”
The group believes that this is but another attack against those who are critical of the government as the two are constantly red-tagged in Caraga region. Their photos and names were posted in tarpaulins together with church people, teachers, peasant and labor leaders and humanitarian advocates, tagging them as members of the NPA.
They also added that both Gomez and Velasco, along with several activists, have been charged with trumped-up cases of murder and attempted murder related to NPA actions in different courts in Caraga despite evidence disproving their involvement.
“The arrest of Gomez and Velasco are but attempts to silence activists in Caraga and the country. Unable to destroy the revolutionary movement in Caraga they attack those in the progressive movement and pass them off as members of the CPP-NPA-NDFP. They vilify, red-tag, file trumped-up charges, kill or arrest and plant evidence,” the group said.
Leading relief work and organizing fellow Lumad
According to Karapatan, Gomez has devoted her time in organizing the local Lumad communities and led campaigns in exposing the plight of the Lumad in Caraga. She is also at the forefront in defending their ancestral lands against large-scale plunder through mining and plantations.
“In 2010, she actively campaigned for the 1 percent royalty from mining profits for the Lumad affected by large-scale mining in Caraga, particularly in Surigao del Norte. In the same year she was elected by the general assembly of KASALO as secretary general and in the succeeding years remained as one of its council members,” the group said.
Gomez also led the Manilakbayan of the Lumad people from Mindanao in 2015 and 2016 where they exposed the dire situation and grave human rights violations committed against the Lumad in Mindanao.
In July 2017 to June 30, 2018, Gomez became the provincial focal person of the National Anti-Poverty Commission, Local Affairs Coordinating and Monitoring Services (NAPC-LACMS) for Agusan del Sur.
Velasco on the other hand has led the implementation of marine sanctuary protection and livelihood projects for fisherfolk in Siargao Islands in coordination with the local government unit of General Luna from 2007 until 2014.
She also led and joined relief projects in communities in the region affected by floods and devastation brought about by Typhoon Sendong in 2011, Typhoon Pablo in 2012, Typhoon Seniang in 2014, Tropical Depression Auring in 2017 and Basyang in 2018, and in Leyte at the aftermath of Typhoon Yolanda.
She was also designated as the provincial focal person of the NAPC-LACMS for Surigao del Norte also in July 2017 to June 30, 2018.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment, Vilification
- Rights Concerned
- Right to liberty and security, Right to protect reputation
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Indigenous peoples' rights defender, NGO staff, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Aug 1, 2021
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jul 26, 2021
- Event Description
Protesters from Bicol progressive groups faced what they call an “intimidation” from police officers on Monday during a pre-State of the Nation Address (SONA) protest in this city.
The protest, involving members from Bicolana Gabriela, Youth Act Now Against Tyranny (Yanat) Bicol, Condor-Piston Bicol, Organisasyon ng mga Magsasaka sa Albay (OMA), and other progressive groups in Bicol were told by police officers that their protest were against Inter-Agency Task Force’s (IATF) omnibus guidelines.
“There were eight police officers who questioned the legitimacy of our protest,” Nica Ombao, Bicolana Gabriela coordinator told Inquirer. “The National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL) has refuted that guidelines.”
Ombao is talking about NUPL’s statement in June saying that “no law, not even the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, prevents anyone from staging protests during the community quarantine.”
The progressive groups arrived in front of Philippine Coconut Authority in Legazpi City at 7:30 a.m. and were planning to march to Peñaranda Park, also in the city, carrying with them protest placards.
The march to the park was cancelled, but some of the protesters went to the park on their own to continue the protests calling yet again to junk the Anti-Terror Act and to allow all jeepney drivers back in Bicol streets.
The group also called for safer reopening of schools in all levels or, better yet, an academic freeze.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- NGO staff
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Aug 1, 2021
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jun 25, 2021
- Event Description
Human rights watchdog Karapatan decried the arrests of Farmers Development Center’s (FARDEC) program coordinator for Bohol Carmilo Tabada and United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) Pastor Nathaniel Vallente in Bohol and in what the group said is “a continuation of the crackdown in Southern Tagalog along with signs that these same dirty tactics are now being replicated for a crackdown on Bol-anon activists and human rights defenders.”
“The arrests of Carmilo Tabada and Pastor Nathaniel Vallente in Bohol and of Dana Marie Marcellana, and Christian Relao in Laguna today continue the alarming patterns we have raised before the Supreme Court — and these patterns in Gestapoesque raids, which have proven to be deadly especially during the ‘Bloody Sunday’ raids in Southern Tagalog, are now being replicated in Bohol. Clearly, their arrests are part of a systemic and desperate crackdown on dissent under the guise of the Duterte government’s brutal counterinsurgency campaign,” Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay said.
Tabada, also a barangay councilor, was arrested in his home in Trinidad, Bohol around 1 a.m. today. His family asserted that firearms and explosives were planted by the police and the military during the raid on his home. He is currently detained at the Trinidad Municipal Police Station. Tabada had been previously visited and threatened by intelligence agents to stop working for FARDEC, which was listed by Department of National Defense as a “communist terrorist front organization” along with other humanitarian organizations in a House panel briefing last November 5, 2019.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment, Raid, Vilification
- Rights Concerned
- Right to liberty and security, Right to protect reputation
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Land rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military, Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Jun 30, 2021
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jun 25, 2021
- Event Description
Peasant organizers Dana Marie Marcellana and Christian Relao were arrested by elements of the police and military, June 25 in barangay San Gabriel, San Pablo, Laguna, according to human rights watchdog Karapatan Southern Tagalog.
According to initial reports received by the group, elements of the Philippine National Police Regional Mobile Force Battalion – Region 4A, PNP San Pablo, and the military arrived at Marcellana and Relao’s house approximately 1 a.m. and arrested the two individuals. No warrants were issued for the two, but they were charged with kidnapping, murder, rebellion and illegal possession of firearms.
Marcellana and Relao are peasant organizers under the Katipunan ng Samahang Magbubukid sa Timog Katagalugan (KASAMA-TK). According to KASAMA-TK, they are both active in peasant communities around Laguna and Quezon provinces. Additionally, Relao was a volunteer for Anakpawis Partylist Quezon in the last 2015 elections.
Dana is the eldest daughter of Orly and the late Eden Marcellana. Eden was the secretary general of Karapatan-TK and a staunch human rights defender. She was slain alongside KASAMA-TK Chairperson Eddie Gumanoy in April 2003 by soldiers under then-Colonel Jovito Palparan Jr. as part of Gloria Arroyo’s counterinsurgency plan codenamed Oplan Habol Tamaraw.
Orly, meanwhile, is the former spokesperson of KASAMA-TK and an active peasant organizer. He has been the target of multiple threats since his wife’s death. Dana herself was the victim of these threats: as a child, she was told by soldiers that she would be killed “once she turned 18.”
Marcellana and Relao’s arrests mark the sixth and seventh instance of an activist arrested in Laguna since March 2021. It is also the third time an organizer was arrested in the city of San Pablo, following the March 4 arrest of COURAGE organizer Ramir Corcolon.
Laguna has also experienced a marked increase in killings and enforced disappearances since March this year. Notably, labor leader Dandy Miguel was shot dead last March 28 on his way home in barangay Canlubang, Calamba, while another incident on May 21 in barangay Macabling, Santa Rosa resulted in the deaths of three individuals and the disappearance of former Kabataan Partylist Southern Tagalog coordinator Kemuel Ian Cometa. A June 9 incident in barangay Dela Paz, Luisiana also resulted in the slaying of Francisco Oblepias, Jr. at the hands of elements of the 202nd Infantry Battalion.
Progressive organization Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) Laguna has initially called the arrests as “proof of the Duterte regime’s desperation to silence its critics.” Karapatan ST, meanwhile, is calling out the irregularity of the arrests and demands the immediate dismissal of the charges filed against the two.
Marcellana and Relao are currently inside the BJMP facility in San Pablo, Laguna
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- 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
- Armed forces/ Military, Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Jun 30, 2021
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- May 17, 2021
- Event Description
A recent series of cyberattacks to temporarily block access to the websites of two alternative news organizations and the human rights group Karapatan were traced to computer networks of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and the Philippine Army, according to a Swedish digital forensic group.
In its report, “Attacks against media in the Philippines continue,” published on Tuesday, Qurium Media Foundation said it recorded “brief but frequent” distributed denial of service (DDOS) attacks against bulatlat.com, altermidya.org, and karapatan.org.
Bulatlat, Altermidya, and Karapatan have been red-tagged or vilified by state agents as fronts for the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing, the New People’s Army.
The three groups denounced the cyberattacks.
Bulatlat said these were “politically motivated and state-sponsored” attacks after the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict had “consistently labeled us as communist fronts for pursuing journalism for the people.”
Karapatan said the “attacks against the people’s freedom of information” were conducted by “cowards” who “hide behind the online cloak of anonymity.”
‘Flooding’
In a DDOS attack, the perpetrators “flood” the targeted machines or resources with superfluous requests to overload the host and disrupt its services, rendering them inaccessible to others, including the general public, for the duration of the attack.
Qurium found at least five attacks against the three groups — on May 17, May 18, May 20, and two on June 6.
In simultaneous attacks at 2:24 a.m. on May 17 against Bulatlat and Karapatan, Qurium said the attacker used several means to verify whether the attacks were successful.
The following day, at around 7:30 a.m., Qurium saw a “vulnerability scan” being conducted against Bulatlat’s website, which is one way to assess computers, networks, and applications for possible weaknesses.
Qurium said “one machine from the Department of Science and Technology” (DOST) launched the vulnerability scan, identifying its internet protocol (IP) address as 202.90.137.42.
“The IP seems to belong to the Philippine Research, Education, Government Information Network,” or Preginet, which is billed as the “only REN (research and education network) in the Philippines.”
It is a unit under the Advanced Science and Technology Institute (Asti) of the DOST, which is located at the University of the Philippines Diliman campus.
Zooming in, Qurium found that the Sophos firewall behind the DOST’s IP address had a certificate under “IP Solutions Inc.”
The company that signed the digital certificate was found to be a supplier of hardware and services to the Philippine government, it said. Army statement
Qurium said another unit in the same IP address was also registered to a certain “[email protected],” which is under the official domain and website of the Philippine Army.
IP Solutions could not immediately be reached for comment.
Army spokesperson Col. Ramon Zagala said the Philippine Army “respects freedom of expression and per policy, will never infringe that freedom.”
“We take these accusation of cyberattack seriously and we will not condone or tolerate it if such occurred against media entities. Rest assured we are servants of the people and protector of freedom of expression,” Zagala said. ‘Already in touch’
The Inquirer reached out to the chief of staff of Science Secretary Fortunato dela Peña for comment but he only replied that they were “already in touch” with Asti about the matter. There was no response from Asti as of press time.
According to Qurium, from 10:50 p.m. on June 6 to 3 a.m. the following day, Bulatlat and Altermidya were under a DDOS attack and subjected to “pen testing,” also to check for vulnerability.
Bulatlat said it was “angered that taxpayer money is being spent to bring down our website and to deny our readers access to our reportage.”
It was during the May 17 attack that Bulatlat published reports on the designation of 19 individuals as terrorists by the Anti-Terrorism Council and the arrests of activists and elderly peasant leaders in Northern Mindanao.
On June 16 and June 22-23, Bulatlat journalist Len Olea said they were updating their stories about the possible investigation of President Rodrigo Duterte’s alleged crime against humanity involving murder by the International Criminal Court (ICC), the death of a political prisoner and the low capacity for mass testing for COVID-19. ICC probe story
Altermidya noted that the attacks happened after it published a story also on the ICC prosecutor’s request to investigate Mr. Duterte.
Cristina Palabay, secretary general of Karapatan, said the May 17 attack on its website, which was overwhelmed by 350,000 hits in less than five minutes, was also when it posted a statement calling for the immediate release of two elderly Mindanao peasant leaders—Marcela “Silay” Diaz, 59, and a stage 4 cancer patient, and 70-year-old Virgilio “Yoyong” Lincuna, a former political prisoner and stroke survivor with partial paralysis.
“We believe that this attack is meant to keep our website down,” Palabay said.
She said the May 20 attack might have been “meant to track down” visitors of the Karapatan website.
“On that day, we posted materials related to our submission of cases and recommendations to the Supreme Court on search warrants and trumped-up charges against activists and on the rules on the petition for the writ of amparo and habeas data,” she said.
- Impact of Event
- 3
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Censorship, Online Attack and Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Internet freedom, Media freedom, Freedom of expression Online, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Media Worker, NGO
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Jun 25, 2021
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jun 3, 2021
- Event Description
The Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) has ordered the freezing of bank accounts of a peasant organization red-tagged by the government.
The order was made based on a claim by “witnesses” that the Amihan National Federation of Peasant Women is involved in the financing activities of the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People’s Army.
Amihan is an organization of peasant women and federation of peasant women’s organizations which brings to the fore the call for genuine agrarian reform, national industrialization, and an end to all forms of exploitation and discrimination especially against women in the countryside.
Zenaida Soriano, Amihan national chairperson, denounced the freeze order saying that it was arbitrary and they were not given a chance to answer the allegations against them.
Soriano related that when one of their staffs went to the bank on June 3, she was informed that their account has been frozen for undisclosed reasons. Then on June 8, Tuesday, they received a letter from the bank with an attached notice from the AMLC. On the same day, they received a notice from the Court of Appeals informing them of an extension of the freezing of their accounts for six months.
The freeze order was issued by the AMLC on May 5, under Resolution No. TF-38, Series of 2021, pursuant to Section 11 of Republic Act 10168 or the Terrorism Financing and Suppression Act of 2012.
The freeze order included two bank accounts of Amihan, including that of its chapter in Northern Mindanao Region, and bank accounts of eight other non-government and civil society organizations based in Mindanao.
“This action of the AMLC is a big mistake and not fair,” Soriano said in a statement, adding that the decision did not go through the proper legal process as they were not given the opportunity to explain and answer the allegations.
Soriano asserted that the resolution was “based on the unfounded allegation given by two witnesses claiming to be surrenderees that we are involved in financing the activities of the CPP-NPA.”
“We do not know the witnesses and they have no connection in Amihan’s national office,” Soriano added.
Soriano said that group was established on October 26, 1986 to address the issues faced by peasant women. It currently has 19 provincial chapters in nine regions nationwide.
“For 34 years, Amihan has led and joined campaigns for free land distribution and against land grabbing, production support for farmers and fisher folk, relief and rehabilitation for victims of calamities, food security and self-sufficiency and against militarization and other forms of rights abuses in rural communities, among others,” Soriano said.
The group believes that they were targeted by President Duterte’s administration for criticizing government policies affecting the people.
Amihan, along with rice watch group Bantay Bigas, led the campaign against the Rice Liberalization Law by holding discussions and consultations with rice stakeholders, petition signing, lobbying in Congress and protest actions.
They also conducted a series of donation drives last year to help peasant families affected by the lockdown in Rizal, Bataan, Isabela, Bicol and Cagayan as well as areas gravely hit by Typhoon Rolly and Ulysses. They also conducted ‘Suplay Pang-suhay sa Kabataan sa Nayon’ which distributed school supplies to peasant and fisher folk children in Eastern Visayas, Rizal and Cavite.
Despite the services that they have extended to marginalized groups in rural areas, Amihan leaders, organizers and members have fallen victim to rights abuses including extrajudicial killings, illegal arrest and detention, red-tagging and other forms of harassment and vilification, prompting the group to launch the #DefendPeasantWomen campaign last May.
As of March this year, the group claims that of the 300 farmers killed, 42 were peasant women like Nora Apique, Lucresia Tasic, Julie Catamin and Ana Mariz Evangelista.
Because of these attacks, the group drafted a House Resolution with the office of Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Arlene Brosas to look into the said rights violations. On May 31, the Makabayan bloc filed House Resolution No. 1812 to look into the intensifying attacks and human rights violations committed against peasant women in the country.
Meanwhile, the group vow to challenge the freeze order up to the Supreme Court and will also question the constitutionality of section 11 of RA 10168.
Soriano said this “deprives legitimate organizations like Amihan the right to due process of law especially since it grants AMLC unbridled discretion and power to freeze bank accounts on the basis of the mere say-so of individuals who are used by the government through the NTF-ELCAC in targeting red-tagged organizations, without giving the latter opportunity for notice, hearing and to confront the supposed witnesses whose testimonies were the only basis of the freeze order.”
Before Amihan, the AMLC had ordered the freezing of bank accounts and assets of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines-Haran and the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines. The AMLC also froze the accounts of peace consultant Vicente Ladlad after he was designated as a “terrorist” by the Anti-Terrorism Council.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Administrative Harassment, Vilification
- Rights Concerned
- Right to access to funding, Right to property, Right to protect reputation, Right to work
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Land rights defender, NGO, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Government
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Jun 23, 2021
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- May 14, 2021
- Event Description
MANILA – Peasant group Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas is calling for the release of their two elderly and ailing leaders who were arrested on “trumped-up charges” in separate incidents in Caraga region on May 14.
Police arrested Marcela “Silay” Diaz, 59, who was taken at 4:30 A.M. on May 14 from her home in barangay Bayan, Marihatag, Surigao del Sur; and Virgilio “Yoyong” Lincuna, 70, who was taken at 11 A.M. in barangay Banza, Butuan City, Agusan del Norte.
Diaz, a member of Mag-uuma sa Surigao del Sur-Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KAMASS-KMP) is a stage 4 cancer patient who is in remission, while Lincuna is a former political detainee and a stroke patient who suffers from partial paralysis, said KMP.
The two elderly and sickly activists were charged with murder and attempted homicide.
The arrests happened on the same day of the burial of KMP national vice chairperson Joseph Canlas who died after contracting COVID-19 in jail. Canlas, who died on May 11, was arrested on March 30 in Pampanga on trumped-up charges of illegal possession of firearms and explosives. Although he had hypertension and diabetes, Canlas was well and stable when he was arrested. He was transferred from one detention facility to another, and was denied medical attention when he complained of feeling ill. He was rushed to a hospital only when his condition worsened.
“The brutality of the Duterte regime is boundless,” said KMP in a Facebook post, as it denounced the arrest and detention as “a form of silent extra-judicial killing via COVID.”
The group said that Diaz and Lincuna both faced constant red-tagging and harassment from government forces. “Both are veteran peasant leaders campaigning for farmers’ right to land and against the militarization of peasant and indigenous communities in Caraga region,” KMP said.
Diaz is charged with attempted homicide, while Lincuna is accused of two counts of murder. The case against Diaz was in connection with a shooting on 29th infantry soldiers on combat patrol in Santiago, Agusan del Norte on Nov. 21, 2020, said PNP Region 13.
Lincuna, who has been an activist since the 80s, was first arrested in October 2019 on a trumped-up case of attempted murder. He was released on bail after several days in detention. He later suffered from stroke, and now “can barely walk and needs constant assistance in his daily chores,” said KMP.
The Philippine National Police Region 13 said the arrest warrant for Diaz was issued by the municipal circuit trial court, 10th Judicial region, Tubay-Santiago, Agusan del Norte. The arrest was made by a combined force of the Regional Intelligence Unit 13, Butuan City Police Intelligence Unit, Butuan City Mobile Force Company, Surigao del Sur Police Provincial office Intelligence unit, 1st Surigao del Sur Provincial Mobile Force Company, and 7th Special Forces Company of the Philippine Army.
Diaz is detained in Camp Rafael Rodriguez in Butuan City, Agusan del Norte, while Lincuna is in PNP-Lianga, Surigao del Sur.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Right to health, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Land rights defender, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Jun 3, 2021
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- May 6, 2021
- Event Description
With the retirement of Police Chief Gen. Debold Sinas and with his birthday today, May 8, human rights group Karapatan believes that the recent series of arrests of activists is the general’s despedida.
Cristina Palabay, secretary general of Karapatan, made this statement after four individuals were arrested on May 6 in the Southern Tagalog region. The day before, Karapatan alerted the public after receiving information that another series of police and military raids in Southern Tagalog is in the offing.
According to information received by Karapatan, on the night of May 5, search warrants were issued against 15 individuals. These search warrants were first denied by the courts prior to the May 7 incident, said Palabay. But these were eventually reapplied in different local courts and may have been approved resulting in the arrest of four people on Southern Tagalog on May 6.
These individuals, according to Palabay, are among the 15 people.
Among those arrested on May 6 were Gary Doroteo, a Dumagat from Tanay, Rizal who is opposing the Kaliwa/Kanan Laiban Dam and was arrested in his home in barangay Sta. Ines, Tanay, Rizal; Benito Lucio, president of the Integrated Association of Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries and former president of the Anakpawis chapter in Rodriguez, Rizal, who was arrested together with his wife; and Loreto Balino was also arrested in his home in General Nakar, Quezon.
Prior to this, on May 2, Pastor Dan Balucio, secretary general of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan-Bicol, and Maria Jesusa “Sasah” Sta. Rosa, Jovenes Anakbayan spokesperson, were also arrested in simultaneous police raids in Bicol region.
According to Karapatan, the police used search warrants issued by Legazpi City Regional Trial Court Vice Executive Judge Edgar Armes on May 1 for the said raids and arrests.
Karapatan said it was 3:30 a.m. on May 2 when combined elements of the police and the military forcibly entered the Shannan Christian Academy in Brgy. San Isidro, Sto. Domingo, Albay, where Balucio, his wife and two children, and a staff of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines were staying. Balucio serves as the administrator of the said school.
The police forcibly brought out all the occupants including Balucio from the house and the police and military operatives went through their belongings inside.
“After 30 to 45 minutes, the barangay captain and a kagawad arrived — it was only then that search warrants were shown to Balucio — and the police and military conducted their so-called search for another 30 minutes after which they allegedly found guns, ammunitions, a grenade, and a red flag,” Karapatan said.
The same happened with the arrest of Sta. Rosa. State agents also forcibly entered her house and the residents were brought outside. Initially the authorities did not present search warrants. The police and the military began the search when barangay officials came after an hour. Afterwards, the authorities alleged they found guns, ammunition, a grenade, a book, a black t-shirt, a green envelope with documents, a wallet and a pack of panty-liners.
Witnesses in these raids assert that the firearms and explosives and other supposed evidence obtained from the search were planted.
The house of Justine Mesias, in Daraga, Albay, a second year Bicol University student and Youth Act Now Against Tyranny – Bicol spokesperson was also raided on the same day at 4:00 a.m. Afterwards a gun and explosives were allegedly found in his house. The group said Mesias was not in the house at the time of the raid.
Nica Ombao of Defend Bicol Stop the Attacks said there is no truth to the allegations made against the three activists. She said their weapon is only a megaphone as they are often present in protest actions held in the region.
Based on initial accounts of witnesses, Karapatan said that the patterns in the police raids are similar to the operations conducted in Negros, Iloilo, Metro Manila, Central Luzon and the Bloody Sunday raids in Southern Tagalog.
- Impact of Event
- 4
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment, Raid
- Rights Concerned
- Right to liberty and security, Right to property
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Environmental rights defender, Family of HRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary, Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- May 27, 2021
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Apr 25, 2021
- Event Description
On April 25, union officers from manufacturing company Sun Logistics, Inc. were visited by police officers to “urge” them to disaffiliate their union from the labor federation Organized Labor Associations in Line Industries and Agriculture (OLALIA-KMU). According to the police, the unionists will be “arrested like Nedo” should they fail to comply.
Arnedo “Nedo” Lagunias was an officer in Honda Cars and a current officer of Alyansa ng Manggagawa sa Engklabo (AMEN). On March 4, police officers conducted a raid in his home and charged him with illegal possession of firearms and explosives. He is currently detained in Camp Vicente Lim in Calamba.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of association, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Labour rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- May 5, 2021
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- May 1, 2021
- Event Description
Twelve activists including youth leaders and a campus journalist have been released two days after they were arrested in Castillejos, Zambales on their way to a Labor Day protest.
Youth activists from the League of Filipino Students (LFS) Zambales and a journalist from College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP) Central Luzon, along with their driver, were detained on Monday for “lack of social distancing.”
According to CEGP, the police threatened to expose the victims’ personal information and posted their photos on a Facebook page called “Makatarungan Battalion.” In its post, Makatarungan Battalion labeled the activists’ placards with calls such as “Stop the attacks” and “Solusyong medikal, hindi militar” as “anti-government slogans.”
“Even with legitimate calls and demands for a systematic solution to the pandemic, these organizations and the people involved are still branded with hostility,” CEGP said.
CEGP added that posting photos of the victims and their vehicle’s plate number without their consent violates their right to privacy.
The police and military also forced the victims to sign a document linking them to the Communist Party of the Philippines – New People’s Army (CPP-NPA), CEGP said.
Kabataan Partylist said the Duterte government has chosen to address calls for a safe return to school, economic aid and a comprehensive Covid-19 plan with violence and repression.
LFS-Zambales called the arrest a “manifestation that the police and the military, who are fascist and mercenary in nature, shouldn’t be relied on to interpret terrorism.”
CEGP said, “As legitimate organizations are red-tagged and members are silenced and arrested, the point becomes clearer: that the Duterte administration cannot take truthful criticism and is hiding behind the state forces to stifle and arrest those who dare to speak up.”
The activists have been released on bail amounting to almost P72,00 collected through donation campaigns.
In a Facebook post, Free Zambales 12 Network said they will continue to campaign for the release of many other victims of illegal arrest and detention in the “government’s militaristic pandemic response.”
“As long as the current administration considers it a crime to forward the people’s demands during a pandemic, it only proves that its pandemic response is a failure and its only way of addressing it is attacking critics and progressives,” Kabataan Partylist said
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Online Attack and Harassment, Vilification
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Offline, Right to liberty and security, Right to privacy, Right to protect reputation
- HRD
- Youth
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- May 5, 2021
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- May 2, 2021
- Event Description
Two progressive leaders were arrested by state forces in simultaneous early morning raids in the provinces of Camarines Sur and Albay in Bicol region.
Sasah Sta. Rosa, spokesperson of youth group Jovenes Anakbayan was arrested at her home in Villa Obiedo, Cararayan, Naga City, Camarines Sur.
Anakbayan Naga City said in a Facebook post that at least 10 armed men came to Sta. Rosa’s house at 3 a.m. supposedly to serve a search warrant. They forced the family outside the house, then after 40 minutes, came out with a grenade, guns and a red flag.
In the same manner, in Albay, a team who identified themselves with the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) served a search warrant to Pastor Dan Balucio, 61, of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines and spokesperson of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan-Bicol. The warrant was issued by Judge Edgar Armes, vice executive judge of the Regional Trial Court of Legazpi City. Karapatan Bikol said the Balucio family were made to lie on their stomach on the ground, while the police entered the house.
The Philippine National Police claimed they found a Remington .45 caliber pistol, seven bullets, two M-14 rifle magazines, a hand grenade, and a red flag at Balucio’s home.
Sta. Rosa is currently detained at the Naga city police substation 2. Balucio is detained at CIDG-Albay.
Police also raided the house of Justine Mesias, senior editor of student publication Cassipi Online and Youth Act Now Against Tyranny-Bicol spokesperson, in Daraga, Albay. at least 40 operatives from the PNP and CIDG forcibly entered the residence, pointed their guns at members of the Mesias family, and went through their belongings for two hours. A gun and explosive were allegedly found by the police and military in the said house. Mesias was not in the house at the time of the incident.
The arrests came just two weeks after two other Bicol activists were freed and acquitted of trumped-up murder charges. Jenelyn Nagrampa-Caballero, Gabriel’s national vice chairperson, and Pastor Dan San Andres, also of the UCCP and Karapatan-Bicol’s spokesperson, were arrested in July last year.
Human rights group Karapatan likened the incidents to the pattern of police raids in the operations conducted in Negros, Iloilo, Metro Manila, Central Luzon and the Bloody Sunday raids in Southern Tagalog.
Karapatan called on the Commission on Human Rights to conduct an investigation and the Supreme Court and the Department of Justice to immediately act on what it calls “disturbing pattern of use of the courts to judicially harass human rights defenders.”
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Intimidation and Threats, Raid
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security, Right to property
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, WHRD, Youth
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- May 5, 2021
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Apr 5, 2021
- Event Description
Human rights defender Genelyn Dichoso and her daughter Jennifer were arrested by suspected elements of the 201st Infantry Brigade, Philippine Army on charges of attempted homicide, in Calauag, Quezon province, April 5.
Dichoso is the secretary general of human rights group Karapatan Quezon. The group stated that Dichoso has been the victim of black propaganda and red-tagging for years before the onset of the Duterte administration.
“There is a clear and systemic pattern of vilifying human rights defenders as ‘terrorists’ or ‘subversives’ that has started even before the Duterte regime,” said Kyle Salgado, spokesperson for the group. “Tita Jen’s illegal abduction only proves that Duterte is no different from the fascists that came before him.”
According to initial reports, Dichoso and her daughter were taken while undergoing a routine medical check-up. Karapatan is currently organizing a fact-finding mission to ascertain further details.
Dichoso was charged with attempted homicide last year, with claims that she was involved in a previous encounter between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the revolutionary New People’s Army.
Despite the charge, Dichoso continued performing her duties as secretary general of the organization, assisting in human rights cases such as the murder of Armando Buisan, chairperson of CLAIM in General Luna, Quezon, and the arrest of two CLAIM organizers in Atimonan.
Dichoso’s arrest comes as the latest in a series of attacks against activists and human rights defenders across the Southern Tagalog region. Quezon, in particular, has been the target of focused military operations since February 2021.
Since March this year, no less than nine activists were arrested in Southern Tagalog on charges of illegal possession of firearms and explosives. Dichoso marks the tenth.
The Department of Justice has since committed to creating a task force to investigate the spate of arrests and killings in Southern Tagalog, by virtue of Administrative Order 35. However, justice remains elusive for the victims.
Karapatan ST insists that Dichoso’s arrest is another instance of the “state proving its insincerity.”
“While the Department of Justice drags its feet on fulfilling its mandate, state forces continue to act with impunity,” said Salgado. “How can we expect justice from the state when the state blatantly denies it from us?”
Karapatan is demanding that the 201st Infantry Brigade surface Dichoso and her daughter immediately, and to drop all charges against her.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Family of HRD, NGO staff, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Suspected state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Apr 25, 2021
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Apr 19, 2021
- Event Description
Filipino netizens are up in arms over what appeared to be harassment as police officers were seen roaming near community pantries, a growing mutual aid movement in the country as many experience hunger and subjected to poor social protection amid the pandemic.
In a now-deleted Facebook post, one of the organizers of the community pantry in Pandacan shared that two police officers approached their community pantry, asked them to answer a profiling sheet, and took a photo of them.
Faith-based humanitarian worker Patis Mungcal, in a tweet, said two cops also visited their community pantry, pointing out that they should quickly replenish their supplies for everyone in the queue and abide by health protocols.
In a statement, urban poor group Kadamay said police presence is “definitely not needed” in the community pantries, adding that their atrocious record will scare away people who badly need food.
“The fear of being jailed and harassed is a legitimate one,” Kadamay Secretary General Mimi Doringo said.
On Labor Day last year, 10 relief workers providing warm meals in Marikina were arrested. Also last year, a former lawmaker and several peasant activists were also arrested while on their way to provide much-needed relief goods to Bulacan farmers who lost their livelihoods due to the lockdown. Community pantries are being set up in many parts of the country, as part of a mutual aid initiative among the poor. The movement adopted the phrase, “magbigay ayon sa kakayahan, kumuha batay sa pangangailangan” as their rallying call.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Community-based HRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Apr 25, 2021
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Apr 15, 2021
- Event Description
Urban poor advocates and human rights defenders are grieving over the killing of Negros-based community organizer who was gunned down by motorcycle-riding assailants last week along a busy road in Silay City.
Jesus Pason Jr., a tricycle driver and a member of their local homeowners association, was shot on April 15, 2021. He was brought to Teresita Jalandoni Provincial Hospital. Responders were told, however, that the hospital is not equipped to deal with the gunshot injury at the back of Pason’s head. He died while being given emergency treatment.
Urban poor group Kadamay said the 33-year-old community organizer spearheaded the occupation of idle government housing in 2018. This was inspired by the same Occupy movement in Pandi, Bulacan. Since then, the group said they have since become “regular targets” of the Duterte administration.
Pason’s killing, too, came amid the intensified human rights abuses in the Negros island under the Duterte administration. Among these include the extrajudicial killings of human rights lawyer Benjamin Ramos, activist Zara Alvarez, scores of farmers and other human rights defenders.
Resourceful, generous
Pason’s family hailed from the municipality of Toboso. Their family later moved to Silay City, where he took on all jobs possible to make ends meet. As a dedicated uncle, he sent his nieces to school.
“Madiskarte ‘yang tao,” (He was very resourceful) Clarizza Singson of Karapatan-Negros told Bulatlat in a phone interview.
Singson said he drove a passenger tricycle to make a living. He would also occasionally get hired to deliver goods and vegetables, or as school service for young children. Sometimes, he would also work as a construction worker.
Pason, known to many as a kind-hearted and cheerful person, would always bring local delicacies to their office.
“Where’s my Otap? Where’s my Biscocho?” Singson would jokingly greet him whenever they would see each other.
Pason’s remains would be transferred to his hometown in Toboso, where he would later be interred.
Kadamay’s Mimi Doringo said Negros island has turned bloodied in the hands of President Duterte with the rampant killings. She added, “people are either dying out of poverty or of killings. This will not stop until Duterte is not out of power.”
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- 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
- Apr 25, 2021
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Mar 30, 2021
- Event Description
Elements of the Philippine National Police conducted a search operation at the office of labor alliance Alyansa ng Manggagawa sa Engklabo (AMEN) in barangay Market Area, Santa Rosa, Laguna, March 30, and claimed to have found firearms and explosives.
According to police reports, joint elements from CIDG National Capital Region, CID Region 4A, PNP Regional Mobile Force Battalion 4A, RACU4A, and PNP Santa Rosa issued a search warrant for Marites Santos David. The report identified David as a member of AMEN, as well as labor federation Organized Labor Associations in Line Industries and Agriculture (OLALIA-KMU) and labor center Pagkakaisa ng Manggagawa sa Timog Katagalugan (PAMANTIK-KMU).
The report labeled David as a member of the revolutionary organization Revolutionay Council of Trade Unions (RCTU), one of the organizations comprising the National Democratic Front of the Philippines.
According to AMEN, there was no one in the office at the time of the raid. “The office has not been used for over a year, since the first declaration of a lockdown in Luzon,” the group said in a statement sent to Bulatlat.
Progressive labor groups quickly condemned the operation, citing it as the latest in a “series of attacks against labor leaders and organizations.”
In a statement, Kilusang Mayo Uno stressed that workers need “aid, vaccines, an emergency allowance, paid pandemic leave, and a comprehensive medical solution,” not “fake arrests and planted firearms.”
OLALIA-KMU also stressed that Marites David is not a terrorist. “Teacher Laly is a member of OLALIA-KMU’s education and research staff,” said the group. “That she is in possession of any firearm, much less an entire armory’s worth of it, is simply impossible.”
The PNP claimed to have retrieved at least five rifles, three pistols, nine explosives, 14 landmines, and other accessories. They asserted that the office was used as a “firearms depot” for “members who will join the armed group in red areas and those who will stage violent actions against government troops.”
PAMANTIK-KMU debunked such claims. “PAMANTIK-KMU and AMEN have stood side-by-side to defend the rights and welfare of workers in Southern Tagalog,” the group said.
They stated that based on the surrounding facts, “it becomes clear that the PNP and NTF-ELCAC are simply looking for targets to raid.”
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community), Woman
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment, Raid, Vilification
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to protect reputation
- HRD
- Labour rights defender, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Apr 2, 2021
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Mar 12, 2021
- Event Description
An indigenous peoples’ group assailed the freezing of accounts of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) – Haran Center in Davao del Sur.
The Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), in a resolution dated March 12, ordered the freezing of UCCP Haran’s three bank accounts and a real property under the name of Brokenshire Integrated Health Ministries, Inc. The AMLC allegedly found that “the assets are used to finance terrorism” which is in violation of the Republic Act 10168 or Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act.
Sandugo – Movement of Moro and Indigenous Peoples for Self-Determination condemned the action, saying it is ironic that amid massive corruption and the non-disclosure of President Duterte’s statement of assets, liabilities and networth, human rights advocates are the ones whose accounts are being investigated.
“For decades now, UCCP-Haran Center has been a known sanctuary for Lumad people in Southern Mindanao, whose communities have repeatedly been terrorized by the Philippine Army and paramilitary groups. The UCCP Haran is simply performing their calling to ‘participate in the establishment of a just and compassionate social order,’” the group said in a statement.
They added that the UCCP compound in Haran also served as shelter for the displaced Lumad due to intense militarization of their communities.
“That is not a crime. It is an act of faith and kindness,” the group said.
Constant target
In the past years, the UCCP-Haran has been subjected to a series of harassment as the Lumad continue to seek refuge in their compound.
In 2015, the police forcibly entered the compound hurting a number of elders. In 2016, there was a fire incident in the Lumad sanctuary that resulted in the injuries of five people. This was followed by several incidents of raids and attempts to break in the sanctuary by state forces.
In September last year, 48 church workers of the UCCP and their advocates were charged with trafficking, child abuse and violation of international humanitarian law.
In a report by Davao Today, Bishop Hamuel Tequis of UCCP maintained, “The Church’s mission is to help the marginalized and the oppressed such as the Lumad. It is sad that we are being persecuted for doing God’s mission.” http://davaotoday.com/main/human-rights/uccp-bishop-to-ntf-elcac-no-abuse-and-child-trafficking-at-haran-shelter/
Meanwhile, Sandugo assailed the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) for its moves to eject the Lumad in the premises of UCCP-Haran. “This is because the said sanctuary has exposed the military’s atrocities against Manobo communities in Mindanao,” the group said.
“By exposing their real situation, the struggling Lumad have earned the solidarity, not only of the religious, but of other institutions, organizations and individuals that advocate for peace here and abroad. It has also spurred support for the protection of the imperiled Pantaron Mountain Range, one of the few remaining virgin rainforests in the country currently threatened by destructive projects such as corporate mining and logging,” Sandugo said.
Sandugo added that the NTF-ELCAC aims to cut support for the Lumad “in order to open the floodgates for these money-making projects.”
“With the Anti-Terror Law, the NTF-ELCAC can simply tag the New People Army as a terrorist organization, easily link the Lumad to the NPAs and justify all kinds of repression versus Lumad civilians and their supporters. In this way, the NTF-ELCAC shows that it is protecting corporate interests, and not the people’s welfare,” the group said.
The UCCP-Haran is not the first institution to suffer freezing of assets. The AMLC also ordered a 20-day freeze on Rural Missionaries of the Philippines (RMP) bank accounts due to allegations of financing the NPA. On Oct. 7, 2020 the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 37 also issued an Asset Preservation Order against several bank accounts of the RMP over alleged charges of financing terrorism.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Administrative Harassment, Vilification
- Rights Concerned
- Right to access to funding, Right to protect reputation, Right to work
- HRD
- NGO
- Perpetrator-State
- Government
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Apr 2, 2021
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Mar 28, 2021
- Event Description
SANTA ROSA, Laguna – Exactly three weeks after the Bloody Sunday killings, another labor leader was shot dead, March 28.
Dandy Miguel was the vice president of Pagkakaisa ng Manggagawa sa Timog Katagalugan (PAMANTIK-KMU) and the president of the Lakas ng Nagkakaisang Manggagawa sa Fuji Electric union (LNMF-OLALIA-KMU). According to PAMANTIK-KMU, he was on his way home from work when he was shot at least eight times near Asia 1, Brgy. Canlubang, Calamba.
“While Duterte was having his birthday party, his minions were busy following his order to kill Leftists,” KMU said in a statement in Filipino.
On March 5, Duterte ordered the police and military to kill all communists.
Miguel was among those who filed a complaint on March 15 before the Commission on Human Rights, a week after the so-called Bloody Sunday. On March 7, nine activists were killed in simultaneous police operations conducted with the support of the military and six were arrested on charges of illegal possession of firearms and/or explosives.
Miguel is the tenth activist killed in the Southern Tagalog region in one month.
Among those killed were Emmanuel Asuncion of Solidarity of Cavite Workers. Two of those arrested were Mags Camoral, former president of Nagkakaisang Lakas ng Manggagawa sa F. Tech (NLMF-OLALIA-KMU), and Steve Mendoza, executive vice Ppresident of OLALIA-KMU.
Two more labor leaders were also arrested this month; on March 4, Arnedo Lagunias of Alyansa ng Manggagawa sa Engklabo (AMEN) and Ramir Corcolon of Water System Employees Response (WATER) were both arrested on illegal possession of firearms and explosives.
PAMANTIK-KMU has stated before that the Duterte administration is specifically targeting labor activists and unionists. These attacks, the group claims, intensified since the start of lockdown due to COVID-19 on March 17, 2020.
Several labor leaders have also received threats and harassment from unknown perpetrators. These include Hermenegildo Marasigan, president of OLALIA-KMU, and Efren Arante, an organizer for the same labor federation. Both of them. Arante, in particular, received threats through text messages sent to his son.
Red-tagging against workers and union-busting also intensified under the lockdown. In Coca-Cola Santa Rosa, batches of workers were repeatedly forced to “surrender” as members of the New People’s Army. In Fuji Electric, where Miguel worked, barangay Canlubang officials once tried to summon workers to “have a talk,” roughly a week following Bloody Sunday.
Miguel is the latest victim of these attacks against workers in the Southern Tagalog region. He is the second in Laguna under the Duterte administration, following the murder of Reynaldo Malaborbor in Cabuyao under similar circumstances.
As of press time the assailants are still unknown. PAMANTIK-KMU is currently investigating the situation.
Canlubang, Calamba.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to life
- HRD
- Labour rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Mar 29, 2021
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Mar 16, 2021
- Event Description
After freeing two activists and clearing them of charges, a Mandaluyong judge was red-tagged in a tarpaulin along the busy EDSA thoroughfare in Shaw.
Photos showed a tarpaulin "thanking" Mandaluyong Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 209 Judge Monique Quisumbing-Ignacio for her "quick action" in freeing "mga kasama (our comrades)." The logo of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) appeared on the tarpaulin.
"Hindi natin alam kung sino ang naglagay, pero alam naman natin sino ang mahilig ngayon sa tarpaulin. At kung sino ang mahilig sa ganyang tarpaulin na hayagang nangre-redtag," Bayan Muna Representative Ferdinand Gaite told Rappler.
(We don't know who put it there, but we know who is fond of doing tarpaulins. And who is fond of putting out tarpaulins that brazenly red-tag.)
Ignacio cleared journalist Lady Ann "Icy" Salem and trade unionist Rodrigo Esparago of charges of illegal possession of firearms and explosives. Ignacio also voided the search warrants of Quezon City Judge Cecilyn Burgos Villavert, who is notorious to activists for issuing search warrants that resulted in dozens of arrests over the last two years.
Ignacio freed the two a month after her initial resolution, despite opposition from the local prosecutor.
A photo of the tarpaulin in daylight, unfurled fronting EDSA, was sent to Rappler late Tuesday afternoon, March 16, while a photo at nighttime showing the tarpaulin inside a different footbridge was tweeted by Gaite late Tuesday night.
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Gaite said his photo was taken by members of indigenous peoples group Sandugo.
"The tarps speak for themselves. Independent, fair minded judges are under attack. Who has the motive to produce such inanity other than those extremely fond of red-tagging. Their handiwork will boomerang on them," said Fides Lim, spokesperson of prisoners' rights group Kapatid.
Marco Valbuena, who tweets as CPP's chief information officer, said, "CPP disowns tarp found in Metro Manila in w/c CPP/NPA/NDF purportedly thanks judge who dismissed case against 2 HRDay polprisoners."
This recent development adds up to a string of incidents that threaten members of the legal profession. Calbayog police intelligence chief Lieutenant Fernando Calabria Jr earlier asked their local court for a list of lawyers representing alleged communists.
Calabria was relieved after the Philippine National Police disowned the move. The Philippine Daily Inquirer reported that a month before this, police in Luzon had been digging around for archived cases and warrants against alleged communists.
"The courts are under attack," said Gaite.
National Union of Peoples' Lawyers president Edre Olalia said this latest incident sends "a very chilling effect on judges."
"It sends a very chilling effect on judges who would stand up for truth and is an open attack on the independence of the judiciary. They want everyone to be on their side of the ring with a two-dimensional thought process: If you are not for us, then you are against us," said Olalia.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats, Vilification
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to protect reputation, Right to work
- HRD
- Public Servant, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Mar 28, 2021
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Mar 17, 2021
- Event Description
The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) condemned the arrest of a union leader in Butuan City and called for her immediate release.
Rosanilla “Teacher Lai” Consad, ACT secretary in Region XIII, a special education teacher and an assistant principal of San Vicente National High School, was arrested yesterday, March 17, at around 4:30 pm in Butuan City by Regional Intelligence Unit 13 of National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA), the police and military.
Consad is also a member of ACT’s National Council.
Consad is being charged with attempted homicide in relation to a New People’s Army ambush in Sitio Manhupaw, Brgy. Poblacion 2, Santiago in Agusan del Norte last November 21.
ACT secretary-general Raymond Basilio said that Consad had been a victim of state vilification and repression since 2018.
In November 2019, she reported about intelligence agents visiting her school to inform her that she and her husband are part of a certain hit list supposedly for being activists.
“Teacher Lai’s case only proves that terrorist-tagging serves as a prelude to worse, more fascist attacks on rights, freedoms, and lives. All of which are part of the Duterte regime’s systematic attack on the Filipino people as it desperately seeks to silence all dissent and establish its tyrannical rule,” Basilio said.
ACT Teachers Party slams DILG memo
Meanwhile, ACT Teachers Party Rep. France Castro said that teacher Lai has been a victim of harassment, threats and red-tagging by state security forces for standing up for the rights and welfare of her fellow public school teachers in Caraga.
“The arrest came days after the DILG release a memorandum tagging ACT and other progressive groups in the public sector as a communist terrorist groups. These are the real threats of red-tagging to the safety, security and freedoms of activists, human rights defenders and union leaders who have been vocal about the failure of the Duterte administration in addressing the perennial crisis of the country’s health system, education system and economy,” Castro said.
ACT Teachers Party will file a house resolution in Congress to investigate Consad’s arrest, Castro added
Consad is expected to file a petition today to be allowed post bail.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment, Vilification
- Rights Concerned
- Right to liberty and security, Right to protect reputation
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Labour rights defender, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Government
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Mar 24, 2021
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Mar 21, 2021
- Event Description
MANILA – Human rights group Karapatan is calling for the release of their Lumad colleague who was arrested by police in Cagayan de Oro City early morning Sunday, March 21.
Renalyn Tejero, 25, a Karapatan Caraga paralegal and a Manobo, has turned up under arrest at the Camp Col. Rafael Rodriguez, the Philippine National Police (PNP) Caraga regional office 13 in Butuan City, Agusan del Norte.
Tejero had been missing for half a day, having lost contact with her colleagues after she was last seen being taken by armed men at 5 A.M. in another province, in barangay Lapasan, Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental.
It turned out a joint police and military team arrested her on charges of murder and attempted multiple murder, as announced by the PNP Caraga late this afternoon. They flaunted having nabbed Tejero, who they claimed is the region’s “top 1 most wanted NPA (New People’s Army).”
The PNP Caraga also claimed that Tejero is “one of the primary suspects” in the killing of Zaldy Acidillo Ybañez and Datu Bernandino Astudillo Surigao del Sur last year.
This was the same charge against Rogelio de Asis, Pamalakaya Caraga chairperson, and auditor of Pamalakaya National. De Asis was arrested on Feb. 11 at his home in Buenavista, Agusan del Norte.
The arrest warrants issued by the Regional Trial Court branch 34 recommends no bail for the murder case, and a fixed bail of Php120,000 for the multiple attempted murder case, the PNP Caraga said.
Tejero is the second activist from Caraga who was arrested in four days. On March 17, a similar joint police and military operation arrested Rosanilla “Teacher Lai” Consad, ACT secretary in Region XIII, a special education teacher and an assistant principal of San Vicente National High School in Butuan City, Agusan del Norte.
Also in the region just last February, four prominent activists were arrested on murder charges, which their organizations denounced as trumped-up cases.
The PNP Caraga said Tejero was arrested by a composite team of the PNP regional intelligence units from Region 13 and Region 10, the Philippine Army’s 402nd Brigade under the 4th Infantry Division, the 23rd Infantry Battalion and the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
Progressive groups denounced Tejero’s arrest and called for her release. The Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI) in a Facebook post said Tejero is an “IFI active youth member.” Katribu Youth called the arrest “an attack on indigenous peoples and people’s rights.”
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment, Vilification
- Rights Concerned
- Right to liberty and security, Right to protect reputation
- HRD
- NGO staff, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military, Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Mar 24, 2021
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Feb 28, 2021
- Event Description
Motorcycle-riding gunmen shot dead a village chief of an indigenous people’s community in Tapaz town in Capiz on Sunday, two months after nine tribal leaders were gunned down in a police operation.
Julie Catamin, village chief of Roosevelt, died from multiple gunshot wounds.
Catamin, 49, was driving a motorcycle on his way home around 8:45 a.m. when two assailants wearing helmets on board a black motorcycle repeatedly fired at him at Barangay Malitbog Centro, according to an initial report of the Calinog police station.
The police launched pursuit operations against the gunmen who fled towards the town proper.
Investigators are still determining the identity of the assailants and the motive for the attack. They recovered four .45-caliber empty shells at the crime scene.
Pamanggas, a farmers federation in Panay decried the attack on Catamin accusing state forces of being behind the attack.
“(Catamin’s killing) is meant to silence him and sow fear among residents to stop them from telling the truth on the killing of nine Tumandok (indigenous people’s group) leaders and the arrest of 16 others,” according to a statement in Filipino.
In a post on his Facebook page on Dec. 30, Catamin accused policemen, who arrested four residents of his village, of planting firearms and explosives.
“They were arrested and handcuffed. Bullets and firearms were planted and their houses were destroyed. Where is justice? I am appealing for help from any government agency that can help me,” Catamin said in his post.
The nine tribal leaders, including three village council members, died when operatives from Metro Manila and Calabarzon of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group of the Philippine National Police (PNP) served search warrants for firearms and explosives in two villages in Calinog and six villages in Tapaz.
Police and military officials alleged that the nine died after they fired at the policemen. They also accused those who died and were detained, as leaders or supporters of the Communist Party of the Philippines and New People’s Army.
But relatives of those who died and were arrested and several village officials, including Catamin, have belied the police and military claims. They accused the police operatives of planting firearms and explosives and shooting those who died while they were begging for their lives.
Church leaders, including eight Catholic bishops in Western Visayas and Romblon Island, have called for impartial and transparent investigation.
The Jaro Archdiocese has assisted the families, including providing legal counsel.
Academics, researchers, artists, writers, and other cultural workers have called for an independent investigation and raised concern over the impact on the tribe.
The Regional Internal Service of the PNP and the Commission on Human Rights are conducting separate investigations on the incident.
Members of the tribe, also known as Panay Bukidnon or Sulodnon by scholars, are among those at the forefront in opposing an ongoing P11.2-billion mega-dam project in Calinog, which the tribe said would displace residents in at least 16 out of 17 indigenous communities.
The tribe, the biggest indigenous people’s group in Panay, is known for its rich oral tradition that provides insights into the history, psyche, and culture of the prehispanic Panay Bisayan, according to scholars.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to life
- HRD
- Indigenous peoples' rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Mar 12, 2021
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Mar 8, 2021
- Event Description
BACOLOD CITY: Negros Island-based leaders of human rights group Karapatan on Thursday said they received death threats recently.
In a Facebook post, the group reported its public information desk received on Monday a text message, which listed names of some militants, believed to be the “next target” of a “kill kill kill” program.
The text message was received a day after multiple raids by authorities in Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) resulted in the killing of nine activists and arrest of six others.
Karapatan identified those on the “next target” list as Iver Lavit of Kadamay Negros; John “Butch” Lozande, secretary-general of National Federation of Sugar Workers (NFSW); Ereneo Longinos, spokesman for Bayan Negros; Clarissa Singson, secretary-general of Karapatan Negros; Christian Tuayon of the NFSW; Felipe Gelle of the September 21 Movement and Rolando Rillo, also of the NFSW.
Karapatan did not identify a certain “Alyas Tatay Ogie” and “Berting” who were also included in the list.
In a separate text message received also on Monday, the unidentified sender also threatened Bayan Negros media liaison Julius Dagatan, husband of Clarissa Singson who was among those included in the first text message.
In the message, the sender said Negros was “next.”
Karapatan said the sender was referring to the multiple Calabarzon killings last Sunday, March 7.
“Oh ano takot na kayo noh? Susunod namin Negros. Humanda na asawa ni Clarissa na si Jules! Matataymingan din yan,” the message read.
In a statement, Karapatan-Negros said: “The horrible crackdown in Southern Tagalog was patterned in the ‘Tokhang-nanlaban’ style that was first executed here in Negros through Oplan Sauron that resulted in the death of six during Synchronized Enhanced Managing of Police Operations (SEMPO) and the arrest of more than 100 farmers and activists.”
“These brazen attacks and intimidation against human rights defenders is a clear manifestation of how cowardly Duterte’s government is. His desperate tyrannical approach to sow fear among the people failed tremendously, he proved that he cannot silence the struggling people, and he is now trembling in fear because of the continued growing resistance of the Filipino people,” the group said.
“After the series of mass murders led by State forces, the whole island still suffers from relentless fascist attacks. W ith these recent incidents of threats directed against our fellow human rights defenders, it is imperative that we push and fight back against this reign of tyranny.”
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Death threat, Intimidation and Threats
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- NGO staff
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Mar 12, 2021
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Mar 7, 2021
- Event Description
The Observatory has been informed by Karapatan Alliance Philippines about the extrajudicial killing of nine human rights defenders and the arbitrary detention of four others in four provinces in Calabarzon region.
On March 7, 2021, the Philippines National Police (PNP) and the Philippine Army (PA) carried out raids into the houses and offices of several human rights defenders in Calabarzon region, southern Philippines as part of a joint operation against alleged members of “communist and terrorist groups”.
During the raids, the PNP and the PA killed Emmanuel “Manny” Asuncion, labour leader and Secretary-General of BAYAN-Cavite, in Dasmariñas, Cavite Province; fisherfolk leaders Ana Marie “Chai ”Lemita-Evangelista and Ariel Evangelista, in Nasugbu, Batangas Province; Melvin Dasigao, Mark Lee “Makmak” Coros Bacasno, Abner Esto, and Edward Esto, all members of the urban poor group Sikkad K3 in Montalban, Rizal Province; and indigenous rights defenders Dumagats Puroy and Randy de la Cruz in Tanay, Rizal Province.
Furthermore, the PNP and the PA arbitrarily arrested Esteban “Steve” Mendoza, Vice-President of the trade union Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU - May First Movement)-Olalia and Elizabeth “Mags”Camoral, spokesperson of BAYAN-Laguna, in Cabuyao, Laguna Province. Nimfa Lanzanas, paralegal of Karapatan and member of Kapatid-Families and Friends of Political Prisoners was arbitrarily arrested in Calamba, Laguna Province. Eugene Eugenio, member of the public sector union Confederation for Unity, Recognition and Advancement of Government Employees (COURAGE)-Rizal was arbitrarily arrested in Antipolo City, Rizal Province.
At the time of publication of this urgent appeal, Mr. Mendoza and Ms. Lanzanas remain detained at Camp Vicente Lim in Calamba; Ms. Camoral at Canlubang City Jail, Laguna Province; and Mr. Eugenio at the Antipolo Police Station. All of them are being detained on charges of “illegal possession of firearms and ammunition”.
According to the information received, two other individuals were arrested during the raids. However, at the time of publication of this urgent appeal, their identities had not been disclosed by the PNP. Many more human rights defenders are in fear of being arrested or killed.
Two days before the above-referenced events, on March 5, 2021, President Duterte had ordered the PNP and the PA to “ignore human rights” and “kill” and “finish off” communist rebels in any armed encounter with them.
- Impact of Event
- 13
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community), Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Killing, Raid, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security, Right to life
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Indigenous peoples' rights defender, NGO staff, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military, Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Mar 8, 2021
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Mar 3, 2021
- Event Description
A blue and yellow screwdriver was still embedded in the left temple of human rights lawyer Angelo Karlo “AK” Guillen when paramedics took him to a hospital in Iloilo City following what the largest lawyers’ group in the country on Thursday denounced as a “brazen and bloody assassination attempt.”
The police said the near-fatal stabbing on Wednesday night could have been a botched robbery, but they were looking into other possible motives.
But Guillen’s colleagues and the human rights community believe the assailants had intended to kill the 33-year-old lawyer who has been Red-tagged and represents 16 members of the indigenous Tumandok who were arrested in Capiz and Iloilo provinces on Dec. 30, 2020, for illegal possession of firearms and explosives, and for alleged links to communist rebels.
Terror law petitioners At least nine Tumandok were killed in last year’s Rizal Day raids by the military and police on the indigenous group, which opposes a government dam project that they said would inundate their ancestral lands.
The brutal attack follows the Feb. 28 assassination of Barangay Roosevelt Chair Julie Catamin, a key defense witness for the Tumandok represented by Guillen.
Guillen is also a legal counsel in one of the 37 petitions questioning the constitutionality of the Anti-Terrorism Act in the Supreme Court.
The young lawyer, whom colleagues describe as soft-spoken and unassuming, also took part in a fact-finding investigation and reported on the coordinated police operations in Negros Oriental in 2019 that led to the deaths of 14 people, mostly farmers.
Rene Estocapio, National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers vice president for Visayas, said Guillen was attacked at 9:15 p.m. on Wednesday by two men in ski masks who stabbed him in the head and neck as he walked from his car toward his boarding house in Barangay Villa Anita in Iloilo City.
Two other men on two motorcycles arrived moments later and fled with the assailants who took his bag that contained his laptop and some documents, he said.
Doctors on Thursday said he was in stable condition after they removed a 25-centimeter screwdriver from his left temple, a few centimeters of which had been jammed into his skull by one of the assailants.
At the hospital, Guillen told a friend on Thursday that he ran when he saw two men going after him. He said the men stabbed him repeatedly after he tripped, according to his friend who spoke with the Inquirer.
Guillen heard one of the assailants shout, “Get the bag!” before they fled, his friend said, adding that the men did not get his wallet, cell phone and other valuables.
Pro bono cases In a statement, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) said it “condemns the brazen and bloody assassination attempt on human rights, public interest, and indigenous peoples lawyer Atty. Angelo Karlo Guillen.”
IBP national president Domingo Egon Cayosa said Guillen handled “pro bono cases for the poor and the marginalized” and had been “Red-tagged and threatened many times.” “Inflicting violence on those who seek justice is criminality in the highest degree,” Cayosa said.
He pointed to “the primary role of government to secure its citizens and its international obligation to ensure that lawyers can do their job without fear, harassment or retribution.”
Police Maj. Mark Evan Salvo, chief of the Iloilo City Police Station 1, said that based on an initial investigation, robbery could have been the the motive for the attack.
But he said they were also looking at the possibility that it was work-related because the lawyer’s laptop and files were taken.
“We still need to talk with [Guillen] to determine what was taken and the cases that he is handling,” Salvo told the Inquirer.
Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas said he was “very much alarmed” about the attack and decried that it took place just half a kilometer from the Iloilo City Police Office.
“Lawyers only do their function to protect their clients. As a lawyer myself, this is doubly important for me to be solved,” Treñas said in a statement.
He called on the Philippine National Police “to do everything possible to resolve this at the earliest possible time.”
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Violence (physical), Wounds and Injuries
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Lawyer
- Perpetrator-State
- Suspected state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Mar 5, 2021
- 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, Land rights defender, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Corporation 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-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 16, 2020
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Aug 10, 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 threat, Intimidation and Threats, 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
- Unknown
- 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, 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 defender, 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
- 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, Philippines: Maria Ressa and former Rappler reporter found guilty of cyberlibel (Update)
- 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
- 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
- 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 defender
- 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 defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Suspected state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Related Events
- Philippines: indigenous coalition, its leaders and their family members targeted by online red-tagging campaign
- 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
- Artist, 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
- 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 defender
- 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-State
- Unknown
- 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
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-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-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-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 [email protected] 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
- 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
- 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
- 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 defender
- 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
- Initial Date
- Mar 22, 2018
- 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
- 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
- Community-based HRD, WHRD
- 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 defender, 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
- 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
- Community-based HRD
- 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
- 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, 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
- NGO staff
- 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
- 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 defender
- 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 defender
- 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, 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 defender
- 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 for release has not been recommended by the judge. Jimmy Liguyon was the Vice Chairperson of Kasilo an organisation of indigenous peoples from the southern municipalities of Bukidon. Kasilo works at defending and promoting land rights, the sustainable use of environmental resources, and the culture and practices of Indigenous Peoples, and organises cultural activities for indigenous youths. Jimmy Liguyon was also the Barangay Captain of Dao and in this capacity had refused to allow mining companies to operate on the local land.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Rights Concerned
- Right to life
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Active
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Apr 1, 2012
- Event Description
Since April 2012, human rights defenders Ms Nenita Lacasa and Ms Carolyn Borja have been subject to ongoing threats and surveillance. Nenita Lacasa and Carolyn Borja are anti-mining advocates and are respectively Programme Officer and President of the Carapdapan Movement for Development Association (CAMADA). The association has been active in monitoring and campaigning against illegal mining operations in the municipality of Salcedo, Province of Eastern Samar. On 23 May 2012, at around 11pm, it is reported that two gunshots were fired from outside their house in Baragay Carapdapan when both defenders were inside. Carolyn Borja went out and saw men wearing helmets sitting on two blue and red motorcycles. The men fired two more gunshots at the house and fled. On 11 May 2012, at around 4am, Nenita Lacasa saw a man behind a banana tree near their house. She also noticed a man wearing a helmet standing at the Barangay outpost adjacent to their house, as well as a black and red motorcycle parked within the vicinity of the house. On 6 May 2012, at around 3pm, a green pick-up with a license plate numbered WRJ442 arrived and parked in front of the house of Nenita Lacasa and Carolyn Borja. Nenita Lacasa reportedly saw Mr Terso Lopido, the Field Operation Trustee of Terrestrial Mining Corporation, alighting from the vehicle. Terso Lopido fired a shot at the high portion of the house before leaving a few minutes later. Out of fear, Nenita Lacasa's mother passed away after the gunfire. The same pick-up truck was spotted outside their house many times at the end of April 2012. On 17 March 2012, along with Barangay Councillor Mr Antonio M. Norte and Mr Francisco Canayong - the late anti-mining activist and President of the Barangay Integrated Uplan Farmers Association of Salcedo (BIUFAS) and a member of CAMADA, who was found dead with multiple stab wounds on 1 May 2012 - Carolyn Borja filed an affidavit after overhearing what Terso Lopido was saying to his associates in Barangay Carapdapan. Terso Lopido reportedly mentioned the defenders' names and said that if the mining operation was stopped, they would have to leave their homes and never show up because they would kill the defenders, and that if the defenders continued to interfere with the shipment related to the mining operation, he would enter each of their houses and kill them.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Violation
- Sexual Violence, Violence (physical)
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Active
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jul 22, 2009
- Event Description
On 13 January 2012, Mr. Temogen Sahipa Tulawie was arrested in Davao City, Philippines. He appeared before the Regional Trial Court of Davao City on 16 January 2012 under the accusation of being involved in a bombing incident in the municipality of Patikul, Sulu on 13 May 2009 that injured 12 persons including Governor Abdusakur Tan of Sulu. Charges of multiple frustrated murder and attempted murder, which he strongly denies, had been filed against Temogen Tulawie on 22 July 2009. Prior to his arrest, he was planning to voluntarily turn himself in after the Supreme Court's order on 13 June 2011 to transfer the venue of his trial from the Regional Trial Court (RTC) in Sulu to any Court due to indications actual and imminent threat to Mr. Tulawie's life and his family, as well as the his witnesses which can then lead to miscarriage of justice. However, since his arrest, police had attempted to transfer him back to Sulu, which would pose a threat to his and his family's security and safety. Mr. Tulawie believes that he will not be afforded with impartiality if his case will be tried in Sulu. Therefore, he filed a petition to the Supreme Court for a transfer of venue of the hearings to the RTC in Davao City. On 13 June 2011, the Supreme Court granted his petition for transfer of venue. However, until today the RTC in Sulu has not forwarded the records to the Executive Judge of the RTC in Davao City. When Mr. Tulawie appeared before the RTC Davao City on 16 January 2012, the judge could not commit to hold the hearing in Davao City as Mr. Tulawie's case files were not yet transferred from Sulu RTC, compromising Mr. Tulawie's safety. As long as the case files are not transferred, Mr. Tulawie's trial cannot proceed in Davao City. This stands as a clear violation of his constitutional right for a fair and speedy trial. On 17 January 2012, despite the Supreme Court's order, the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) Davao and the Military Intelligence Group Region 9 secretly transported Mr. Tulawie back to Sulu via Zamboanga City. This transfer was based the argument that because of the motion for reconsideration filed by the lawyers of Governor Abdusakur Tan the Supreme Court order was not final and executory. Hence, they police succeeded in boarding Mr. Tualwie on a commercial flight bound for Zamboanga City. Fortunately, the Supreme Court Administrator issued an order instructing the Executive Judge of Zamboanga to take custody of Mr. Tulawie and return him immediately to Davao City as per instruction of the Supreme Court's resolution to transfer the venue of the case to Davao City. Mr. Tulawie is a prominent Tausug (an indigenous group in Mindanao) human rights defender in Sulu. His work mainly involves defending the rights of Muslim communities affected by military operations in the province of Sulu. On 5 October 2009, a warrant of arrest was issued against Mr. Tulawie for his alleged involvement as the mastermind of a bombing incident on 13 May 2009. These charges are based on the extra-judicial confessions of Mr. Muammar Askali and Mr. Juhan Alihuddin who allegedly triggered the bomb under orders from Mr. Tulawie. However, confessions made by Mr. Askali and Mr. Alihuddin were taken without the presence of a counsel and that they were forced to sign the confession by the police. A counsel was merely provided by the investigation personnel of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) after Mr. Alihuddin had already signed the prepared confession. On 29 June 2009, Mr. Alihuddin executed a counter-affidavit denying the voluntariness of the earlier confession. On 3 August 2012, Temogen Tulawie pleaded not guilty after he was read the charges against him at Branch 11. The Private Prosecutor representing Governor Abdusakur Tan, the complainant, requested preparation time of two months. The presiding magistrate, Judge Europa, denied this request and all parties agreed to the judge's suggestion that the bail hearing take place on 19, 20 and 21 September. The prosecution stated that two witnesses for the prosecution will be presented on each day of the three-day hearing.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Active
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jul 3, 2012
- Event Description
was not a robbery but a cold-blooded political killing. Dutch development worker Willem Geertman's killing was politically-motivated. This was the initial finding of a fact-finding mission led by the Promotion of Church People's Response (PCPR) one day after Geertman was shot to death in L&S subdivision, Sto. Domingo, Angeles City, Pampanga. According to the PCPR, early noon on July 3, 2012, Geertman had just finished financial transactions at Metrobank and returned to his office when two men shot and killed him. Based on initial findings, one of the men collared Geertman and then forced him down on his knees. As he knelt on the pavement, witnesses said, the two men proceeded to shout invectives at him. Geertman was heard pleading for his life, but one of the men pulled out a gun and shot him on the right shoulder. The bullet entered his chest, almost killing him instantly. Geertman began his work in the Philippines as a Dutch lay missionary and eventually became the executive director of Alay Bayan Inc. (ABI). He was a staunch advocate of peasant rights and also actively campaigned for the rights of indigenous peoples, particularly members of the Agta people in Sierra Madre. He led education and advocacy activities in disaster preparedness and relief. He was also a passionate supporter of the struggle of the farmworkers of Hacienda Luisita and their just claim to the land. Through ABI, he gave his continuing support to the Alyansa ng Magbubukid sa Gitnang Luzon (AMGL), the alliance directly working with the Alyansa ng Manggagawang Bukid ng Asyenda Luisita (Ambala). Kakai Tolention of Katribu Party-list said Geertman was a man who gave his all to the cause of Filipino farmers and indigenous peoples. "He was tireless and selfless; he devoted his life to helping the poor. He used his intelligence, skills, good will and sincerity to help Agta people become literate. He helped them in their struggle for self-determination. His life has been taken away by monsters of this human-rights violating government, but he will always live on in the hearts and minds of the people he helped. He gave so much to the the Filipino people in general, and the indigenous peoples and farmers of Central Luzon in particular," she said. Sr. Emma Cupin of the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines (RMP) also attested to Geertman's innate kindness? He was a good man, he gave his heart and soul to his work to help the farmers in Infanta, Quezon where he started his work as a missionary. He was the soul of kindness, we are mourning his death and rage against those who had him killed," she said. Witnesses give their account According to a report in the Philippine Star, Geertman was with three members of ABI when he was killed. His killing was also witnessed by Fred Villareal, vice-chairman of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines in Pampanga at the time he was killed. Villareal said the killers also pointed their guns at him when he attempted to go after them. The gunmen got on a motorcycle after shooting Geertman. In the Philippine Star report, Villareal was also quoted as saying that he saw Geertman and the three staff arrive at the office that afternoon. He said that he had just emailed his story when he saw the suspects mandhandle Geertman and then forcing him on his knees.He also said the suspects wore baseball caps and jackets, but their faces were not covered. Initial reports that have come out in the mainstream media are pointing toward robbery as the motive for the killing, but the PCPR and human rights groups Karapatan and Hustisya, and the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) insist that the killing was politically-motivated. In an indignation rally held in front of the headquarters of the National Council of Churches of the Philippines (NCCP), Selda secretary-general and former political prisoner Angie Ipong said there was no doubt that Geertman was killed because of his advocacies. "This isn't the first time that a political extrajudicial killing was made to appear as a common act of crime. Willem was already a victim of the vilification campaign of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) because he actively supported the fight of the Hacienda Luisita farmworkers. His killers and the mastermind want it to look like a robbery because the money Willem withdrew from the bank was stolen, but the conduct of the killers betrayed their true motives," Ipong said. Ipong said the fact that his killers shouted and cursed at him before shooting him is already an indication that it was not an ordinary robbery. "If it was just robbery, the killers could have just taken the money. Willem would have known better than to resist. But no, they had to force him to his knees before shooting him. Witnesses are also of the opinion that the killers took the money only as an afterthought: they didn't act like taking it was the main goal. Killing Willem was their true reason for going there," she said. Same culture of impunity under Aquino Bayan chairperson Carol Araullo, in the meantime, said the Benigno Aquino III administration should take responsibility for Geertman's cold-blooded murder. "I had previously spoken to Presidential adviser on the peace process Teresita "Ding' Deles. She said that the gross human rights violations that were committed under the previous Macapagal-Arroyo regime would never happen under Aquino. She said that Aquino is a man of dignity and morality, and that the fact that he was also a human rights victim on account of his father's assassination was already a guarantee that he would not permit human rights violations to be committed under his watch. But now, two years after he came to power, here are these human rights violations, here is a foreign development worker who did nothing but help Filipinos killed in cold blood," she said. Araullo said the argument that Aquino was morally-upright ensured that he will not allow human rights violations happen was faulty and empty. "This has nothing to do with Aquino and his supposed morality. The same system remains in place where political dissent is a crime; where those who are courageous in standing against anti-people, anti-poor policies and programs of the government and against the abuses of the military are silenced and killed," she said. "The same culture of impunity remains, and in so many ways the situation is even worse: many still delude themselves that Aquino, being not-as-intelligent, not-as-skilled as his predecessor, is incapable of doing great evil against the people. This is a very dangerous assumption to make, and we must do all that we can to expose this." Araullo made note that two days before Geertman was killed, another peasant advocate also fell victim to extrajudicial killing. Romualdo Palispis, chair of Justice and Peace Action Group of Aurora (JPAG) and head of Task Force Huwag Hatiin ang Bayan ng Maria Aurora (Do Not Divide Maria Aurora), was shot dead evening of June 30 in his house in the town of Maria Aurora. According to reports, he was actively opposing proposals to reduce the land coverage of Maria Aurora to create another municipality out of it. PCPR secretary-general Nardy Sabino, for his part, appealed to the government of the Netherlands to press Philippine authorities to conduct a thorough and impartial investigations into Geertman's killing. "We also demand that the government conduct immediate investigations into Willem's killing and render justice to all other victims of politically-motivated killings in the country," he said
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Rights Concerned
- Right to life
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jun 17, 2012
- Event Description
Four journalists and a newspaper publisher from the cities of Butuan and Cagayan de Oro were threatened for their story on illegal logging industry in Mindanao. Edwin Iyo, a correspondent of the Cagayan de Oro City-based Gold Star Daily, alleged that businessman Roger Edma threatened to kill him last 17 June 2012 over an article about the proposed filing of charges against him by the Department of Interior and Local Government. Edma allegedly even challenged Iyo to publish the death threat in his newspaper. Iyo reported the incident to the police. Iyo and Ben Serrano, Gold Star Daily correspondent in Butuan City, reported in a 15 June 2012 article that DILG Sec. Jesse Robredo had ordered the filing of charges against Edma for allegedly using an "illegal" certificate from the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) in transporting lumbers to Butuan City from Cabanti-an village, Magsaysay town in Misamis Oriental. ("Robredo: Probe CENRO in Gingoog"). In an interview with the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR) last 21 June 2012, Iyo claimed that Edma continued sending threatening and insulting text messages to him after the 17 June 2012 incident. Iyo's editor Herbie Gomez also received a threatening text message following the 17 June 2012 confrontation between Iyo and Edma. On the morning of 19 June 2012, Gomez received a text message from mobile number +63-933-535-2774 which read: "Apil apil ka Herbie sa tarantado nimo nga tao ninyo sa Gingoog. I apil ka namo ibahog ka namo kang Lolong. Nagtuo ka nga d mi kakuha inyo number tanan. I apil pa namo si Mr. Chu. Otrohon namo inyo bday. Taga Cabantian ni (You, Herbie, are like your stupid correspondent in Gingoog. We will feed you all to "Lolong'. You think we cannot get all your numbers? We are going to include Mr. Chu. We will change your birthdays. We are from Cabanti-an village)." Chu refers to Ernesto Chu, publisher of Gold Star Daily. "Lolong" refers to a 20.3-foot crocodile caught in the province of Agusan del Sur on September 2011. Lolong, believed to be the largest crocodile in captivity in the Philippines, is suspected of eating a male farmer and a water buffalo in the area. The same mobile number ( +63-933-535-2774) was used to send death threats to Butuan City broadcasters Sassie Babar and Gerry Campos. Babar and Campos anchor the Radio Mindanao Network program "Straight to the Point" which tackles local issues including illegal logging, among others. Babar and Campos both received a text message which read "Andam na sa inyo lungon duha taga cabantian ni hilabtan ninyo si edma maotro gyud inyo birthday (Prepare your coffins, this is from Cabantian. If you try to intervene with Edma, your birthday will really change)." Babar said that Edma's name was mentioned in some of their stories about illegal logging. Both Babar and Campos said the threat will not stop them from reporting on illegal logging in their province. Babar and Campos told CMFR that they reported the text messages to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG). Meanwhile, Gomez said that they are not taking the threats lightly and that their office will decide if they are going to need a security detail from the police. Other Mindanao journalists have been threatened with harm and even death for reporting on illegal logging. Last 25 November 2011, Rodge Cultura, field reporter of ABS-CBN, told CMFR that he had been warned that a gunman had been hired to kill him. Last 23 November 2011, Cultura reported to the police that he was being followed. Cultura has been reporting on illegal logging in Butuan City which is allegedly a major transit point for illegally-cut timber. The reporter said his stories called the attention of local authorities to the illegal activities of the big player in illegal logging who is connected with government officials.
- Impact of Event
- 4
- Rights Concerned
- Right to life
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Active
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Oct 17, 2011
- Event Description
17 October 2011, around 7.30 am Fr. Fausto Tentorio was shot dead at his convent's garage in Arakan as he was about to get in his gray Suzuki. Fr. Fausto Tentorio was leaving to attend a clergy meeting in Kidapawan City. An unidentified gunman entered the compound of the Mother of Perpetual Help Church and shot Father Fausto Tentorio several times with a 9 mm pistol. A female staff of the church declared that, while she was taking out the garbage, she passed by the garage where the Suzuki was parked, and saw Fr. Fausto Tentorio's body on the ground. She immediately called for help from other church staff. Members of the church staff brought Fr. Fausto Tentorio to the Antipas Medical Specialist Hospital where he was declared dead upon arrival. 17 October 2011, around 8.20 am The Philippine National Police arrived at the convent to conduct an initial investigation. It was reported that the gunman shot Father Fausto Tentorio standing about three feet away. Seven empty shells of 9 mm calibre were found on the ground. According to a special investigation task group (SITG) established to track down the gunman, Fr. Fausto Tentorio sustained 10 gunshot wounds in different parts of his body. The fatal shot in his head had entered the rear of his left ear and exited at the back of the skull on the left side. Fr. Fausto Tentorio also had gunshot wounds on the left side of his body, presumably the assailant shot him on his left side as he was about to step into his vehicle.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Violation
- Death
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jul 29, 2011
- Event Description
An environmental activist based in Cebu City was tailed and harassed by suspected intelligence agents on July 29 to 30. According to Task Force Justice for Environmental Defenders, Vince Cinches, country coordinator of international climate change organization 350.org, was on his way to Dumaguete City when he noticed men tailing him. Upon reaching the Dumaguete City bus terminal, one of the men approached him and asked him where he was going, what his purpose was in Negros and added that there were already many New People's Army (NPA) members and communists in the city. The man continued to tail Cinches even upon reaching his host's house in Dumaguete City. "Intelligence assets in Dumaguete City also told me that it is not safe to go around as there are "communist-terrorists' that might join and infiltrate my meeting, and asked me to just stay where I am, and to ensure that I would not leave my place, they had detailed plainclothes military personnel around the place I stayed," Cinches said in a statement. On July 30, an alleged intelligence asset pretending to be a medical doctor sent a text message to Cinches' family and friends that he had a cardiac arrest and was admitted at the provincial hospital. Cinches said the sender used the mobile number 09051150981. "I believe that he intended to create conditions that would make me disappear," he said. "This incident is another proof of President Aquino's lack of sincerity in dealing with human rights violations, particularly, those committed against environmental activists," Marjorie Pamintuan, one of the conveners of Task Force Justice for Environmental Defenders, said. According to Kalikasan People's Network for the Environment, there are already seven environmental activists killed under the Aquino administration including world-renowned botanist Leonard Co and Palawan broadcaster and anti-mining activist Dr. Gerry Ortega. During the previous administration, two environmental activists were victims of enforced disappearance, 35 were victims of extrajudicial killings and two were victims of attempted assassinations. Kalikasan PNE noted that the President's recent State of the Nation Address (Sona) did not only lack a plan to address the environmental and climate change concerns of the people but was also silent on the human rights violations against environmental defenders. The group said Aquino has only continued the "rotten environmental policies of former president Gloria Arroyo such as the Mining Act of 1995." "The sins of the past administration will continue to haunt President Aquino unless he stops implementing the environmentally destructive policies of the previous Arroyo regime and takes concrete action to protect not only our environment from plunder but also environmental defenders from human rights violators," Pamintuan said.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Rights Concerned
- Right to liberty and security
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Not active
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jun 16, 2011
- Event Description
On 14 June 2011 private guards employed by Central Mindanao University (CMU) opened fire and beat protestors who had set up camp outside the university in Dologan, Maramag, Bukidnon in the southern Philippines. Human rights defenders Messrs Billy Jardin, Gregorio Santillan and Larry de Vera received gunshot wounds and Messrs Wenni Loable, Jos_ Benemerito and Ms Marilou Portin were seriously injured. The protestors were members of Buffalo-Tamaraw-Limus- (BTL) Farmer's Association and BTL Women's Association. BTL is an umbrella organisation of the three local peasant groups Buffalo,Tamarawa and Limus. They have tilled the lands inside CMU for over thirty years and have been protesting against the forcible eviction from these lands. At approximately 10:30 am on 14 June 2011 around 15 members of the security agency 'Chevron', hired by CMU, forcibly dispersed the make-shift camps set up by the peasant farmers in protest against the eviction of over 800 peasant families. The guards opened fire on the protestors and beat peasants who were nearby. The BTL Womens' Association joined in trying to defend the BTL group. Billy Jardin, Gregorio Santillan and Larry de Vera sustained gunshot wounds and were rushed to the nearest hospital where they are currently awaiting surgery to have the bullets removed. Wenni Loable's right eye was injured by a rock and is reportedly in danger of losing his eyesight. It is reported that no one from the authorities has helped the human rights defenders who were slow to receive medical attention as they had no means to pay for immediate medical care. Many other protestors including women and children were injured as the guards attempted to disperse them. Members of BTL set up the camps on 23 May 2011 to protest against CMU's claim over 400 hectares of land which more than 800 peasant families have been tilling for over three decades. In 1992 the farmers were given a Certificate of Land Ownership (CLOA) for the lands. However the Certificate was later canceled and the farmers were forced to sign a five year lease to secure the lands. A provision of the lease was that the farmers would not be driven from their lands. The lease has now expired and the CMU are insisting that the farmers relocate to San Fernando at the border of Bukidnon and Davao del Sur. The BTL Farmers' Association was set up to collectively pursue the goal of the peasant farmers to own their own lands and to safeguard the human rights and agrarian rights of its members. BTL Women's Association was established to focus on the peasant women's role in the pursuit of agrarian rights. The camp-out is still ongoing despite the guards' attempts to break it up.
- Impact of Event
- 3
- Violation
- Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Right to Protest
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Not active
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jun 10, 2011
- Event Description
Following an ongoing campaign of intimidation against members of its staff Ms Emerita Lor, Ms Gloria Jandayan and Ms Julieta Casinillo. Community-Based Health Services-Northern Mindanao Region (CBHS-NMR) in the Philippines has been forced to close its offices temporarily since 2 June 2011. Further Information CBHS-NMR works to ensure the delivery of basic services in rural areas and advocates the interrelation of health and human rights. It has been focusing its efforts on the militarised indigenous communities in Northern Mindanao over the past months. Emerita Lor is the CBHS-NMR officer in charge of the Research and Education Desk and is responsible for implementing anti-malarial initiatives in three remote villages. Gloria Jandayan and Julieta Casinillo are community health workers who work in Northern Mindanao Medical Centre, which facilitates patients from indigenous communities. On 2 June 2011, CBHS-NMR decided to close its offices and relocate Emerita Lor, Gloria Jandayan and Julieta Casinillo due to the ongoing harassment and intimidation to which they have been subjected. On 1 June 2011, Emerita Lor noticed a man loitering near the offices of CBHS-NMR from around 9am to 1pm. She recognised the man as the same person who had followed her for a long time on 12 May 2011 before she was able to get into a taxi. Gloria Jandayan and Julieta Casinillo identified him as the same man who had approached them as they were working in the Medical Centre. He had asked them about their personal circumstances and those of the patients they were treating. On 31 May 2011 an unidentified caller rang the office of CBHS-NMR and told the Resident Nurse that CBHS-NMR and Emerita Lor should watch out. The caller claimed that CBHS-NMR staff were medics of the New People's Army (NPA), a rebel group. On the same date as the threatening phone call, Emerita Lor reported that she had been trailed by two unidentified men following a community health training. These acts of harassment and intimidation follow a number of phone calls to the offices since April 2011 from unidentified callers inquiring as to the whereabouts of the staff of CBHS-NMR. CBHS-NMR believes that the campaign of intimidation and harassment against its staff is a direct result of its work with the indigenous communities in Northern Mindanao. Over the past months it has been focusing its efforts in delivering services to the Lumad (indigenous peoples) in the Pantaron Range of the provinces of Bukidnon and Agusan del Sur where trauma-related health problems are high. CBHS-NMR have also been promoting peace campaigns in the area and advocating respect for the rights of the indigenous communities who are living under military control in the Pantaron ranges. CBHS-NMR is comprised of health professionals and religious individuals. It works in offering direct services, training programmes and research and education over 5 provinces in Northern Mindanao. It advocates health issues and supports a community-based health approach by integrating and learning from various community health programmes and offering its skills, knowledge and time to improve these progammes. CBHS-NMR has expressed its concern that its staff may suffer the same fate as the 'Morong 43', a group of health professionals who were imprisoned for 10 months on charges that they were NPA medics before those charges were withdrawn by the authorities in December 2010. Front Line believes that the intimidation and harassment of Emerita Lor, Gloria Jandayan and Julieta Casinillo is directly related to their work in defence of human rights and in particular to their health work in Northern Mindanao.
- Impact of Event
- 3
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- May 24, 2011
- Event Description
Jun Albino of Magnum Music and News Radio 99.9 FM in Cagayan de Oro City first received a message on his mobile phone at around 6:51 a.m. (local time) of 14 May 2011, saying: "Mr. Albino, stop talking about Bigcas if you still want to attend the festival, or we might cut your head off." The Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR) kept getting a busy tone when it tried to call the mobile number (+639333203705) used in sending the threat. Albino is the general manager of the radio station, for which he also anchors the news and commentary program "Jun Albino Live" aired Monday to Saturday at 6:15 a.m. (local time). Cagayan de Oro City is approximately 786 kilometers south of Manila. "Bigcas" allegedly referred to Lynard Allan Bigcas, who had been the subject of Albino's commentaries for the past few days. Albino had been talking about the alleged smuggling activities of Bigcas. The broadcaster also interviewed Bigcas after the latter's press conference on 13 May 2011. Albino received another threatening SMS on 17 May at around 7:01 a.m. (local time). The message, sent through the number +639499775758, read: "Albino, you demon. We won't let your abuse pass! - ABB." ABB is the acronym of the Alex Boncayao Brigade, a breakaway group of the communist New People's Army. Albino was unsure if the second message was related to the first threat. "I'm not sure as other people may have been riding on the issue (threat mentioning Bigcas)," the broadcaster said. The "Philippine Daily Inquirer" reported on 15 May 2011 that the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) had seized a number of SUVs (sports utility vehicles) and motorcycles from Bigcas' warehouses in Talakag, Bukidnon and in Cagayan de Oro, including a motorcycle worth US$80,000 which was reportedly stolen from Hollywood writer Skip Woods. Bigcas is allegedly a US citizen and resides in Houston, Texas. Last 16 May 2011, Bigcas was summoned to a House of Representatives inquiry into the smuggling of high-end vehicles into the Philippines. During the inquiry, Bigcas was quoted by "Gold Star Daily" as saying that, "I'm not into firearms. I'm into racing bikes. I bought the vehicles. I'm proud of these (vehicles). I've worked hard in the US and these (are) my troph(ies)." The "Inquirer" also reported last 17 May 2011 that Bigcas transported his vehicles to the Philippines as disassembled parts to avoid paying taxes. Under Philippine laws, any undeclared importation of merchandise into Philippine territory is prohibited. The NBI also recovered a so-called "blackbook" which allegedly contains the names of persons involved in the sale in the Philippines of luxury vehicles stolen from the US. He is also believed to be smuggling firearms into the country, the "Gold Star Daily" reported. Albino reported the 14 May 2011 threat to the police. He also instructed security personnel of his office to look out for suspicious persons. Many Filipino journalists reporting on illegal activities have been attacked since 1986. In March 2009, motorcycle-riding men shot then chief of reporters for dxCC-Radio Mindanao Network Nilo Labares. Labares, who had been reporting on illegal gambling activities in Cagayan de Oro, survived the attack and was able to identify his attackers. A case against the suspected gunman is being heard in a Makati City court. Makati is part of the country's National Capital Region.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Rights Concerned
- Right to liberty and security
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Not active
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Feb 24, 2011
- Event Description
Three journalists in the Philippines said they received death threats after reporting alleged corruption in the construction of an expressway in Tarlac province, which is approximately 107 kilometers north of Manila. In a letter to the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines on 9 February 2011, George Hubierna, Nelson Bolos and Paul Gonzales said they had been receiving death threats since January 2011 after they reported alleged irregularities in the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX) project. The journalists said in their letter that although they were "committed to continue our crusade against abuse of authority, corruption and environmental degradation, despite work-related hazards, prudence dictates that we seriously take the numerous "warnings' and "death threats' we have been receiving recently." Hubierna, a reporter for the Manila-based tabloids "People's Journal" and "People's Tonight" said he first received a threatening message on his mobile phone on 8 January 2011, the same day "People's Journal" and "People's Tonight" published his story on the resignation of then Gerona town police chief Supt. Calixto Bamba. Bamba allegedly resigned over a conflict with the town mayor on the implementation of Republic Act No. 8794 against overloaded delivery trucks carrying quarry materials through TPLEX. This law penalizes "trucks and trailers for loading beyond their prescribed gross vehicle weight." "If you are George Hubierna, you should be careful. You don't know who you're dealing with," read a text message sent to Hubierna last 8 January through mobile number +639997430975. Hubierna received other threatening messages as "People's Journal" and People's Tonight" published his stories on the alleged scam. Bolos, who was the researcher of Hubierna for his stories on the alleged "quarry scam", also received a message from a former Gerona municipal official on 10 January 2011: "You've been identified with those publishing stories about the quarry." Bolos also wrote about the controversies in the construction of the TPLEX in his "Tarlac Headline News" columns. The publisher and editor-in-chief of "Tarlac Headline News", Paul Gonzales, also received death threats on 24 and 26 January 2011 warning him to stop publishing stories with Bolos. "Let's see how brave you and Bolos are. You're both fools," read the 24 January 2011 message to Gonzales. The number used to send this threat (+639497759315) was also used on 22 and 27 January 2011 to threaten Hubierna. The 27 January 2011 threat sent to Hubierna read: "You're really a fool. Let's see if Bamba can do anything for you." On 7 February 2011, Bolos received a report that "two shady characters" were looking for him and Hubierna. The two unidentified men allegedly also carried photos of Bolos and Hubierna. Hubierna, Bolos and Gonzales have also reported the incident to the police. Journalists and media practitioners reporting on corruption in the provinces continue to be threatened despite the new national government's promise to respect and protect freedom of the press in the Philippines. In January 2011, broadcaster Gerardo Ortega was killed allegedly over his reports on mining and alleged irregularities in the collection of returns from the Malampaya natural gas project in Palawan province.
- Impact of Event
- 3
- Rights Concerned
- Right to liberty and security
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Not active
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jan 28, 2011
- Event Description
On 24 January 2011, Mr. Mr. Gerardo Ortega journalist and environmental rights defender in Palawan Island was Ortega was shot dead inside a clothing store, along the national highway in Puerto Princesa City after his daily morning radio broadcast. On January 26, 2011, the police filed murder charges against the suspect Romeo Seratubias, former administrator in the southwestern Palawan province, who allegedly owned the gun used by another suspect, Mr. Marlon Ricamata, who was apprehended at the scene by the police on January 24, and who confessed that he had been hired to silence the broadcaster for a fee of 150,000 pesos. At least three other men were also charged in the shooting of Mr. Ortega. Among them, Mr. Dennis Aranas alleged lookout during the attack, Mr. Noel Armando - the alleged contact between Messrs. Ricamata and Aranas, and Mr. Jun-Jun Bumar - who allegedly gave Ricamata 10.000 pesos as initial payment and 15,000 pesos for operational funds. Mr. Ortega was reportedly receiving death threats from an unknown source through text messages, since his radio program started to air in 2009. He had been moving around with a bodyguard since then. Mr. Ortega was the program manager of the Philippine Ecotourism Palawan of the ABS-CBN Foundation and a staunch critic of the current provincial administration and activities of mining companies in Palawan, often speaking out against corruption in his 6 am to 9am Program on Palawan's DWAR radio station. Ultimately, Mr. Ortega supported a law center petition filed before the Supreme Court on behalf of residents of the province to declare as unconstitutional a litigious sharing agreement between the provincial government and the national government over the proceeds of the USD 10-billion Malampaya natural gas project off the coast of the province.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Violation
- Death
- Source
World Organisation Against Tortureinterventions/philippines/2011/01/d21059/)
- Monitoring Status
- Not active
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jan 19, 2011
- Event Description
An international media group urged the Aquino administration on Wednesday to "act impartially and swiftly" in ensuring justice for murdered journalist Nestor Bedolido of Davao del Sur province in Mindanao. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) made the call as it noted that two provincial officials had been linked to the incident. "The IFJ joins with the NUJP (National Union of Journalists of the Philippines) in calling on the Aquino administration to ensure the murder of Nestor Bedolido is resolved quickly and impartially. Justice in this case will send a strong a message that murdering journalists in the Philippines will not be tolerated by the authorities," IFJ Asia-Pacific Director Jacqueline Park said in an article posted on the IFJ website. Bedolido, of the weekly "The Kastigador" in Digos City, Davao del Sur province, was shot six times on June 19 last year. He died in a hospital. NUJP lawyer Adel Tamano said most killings of journalists had no witnesses but in Bedolido's case the killer has turned himself over to the police. Tamano said suspect Voltaire Mirafuentes had confessed to police and alleged that Davao del Sur Governor Douglas Cagas and Matanao Mayor Butch Fernandez ordered the murder.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Violation
- Death
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Mar 23, 2010
- Event Description
Mr. Arthur Allad-Iw is a known activist for indigenous peoples' rights. He used to be the head of Public Information of the Cordillera People's Alliance and served as Deputy Secretary General of the CPA from 1992-1995. Mr. Arthur Allad-Iw is also an active member of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP). He has filed his candidacy as independent candidate for a seat in the Baguio City Council. The election is set to take place in May 2010. 23 March 2010 Mr. Arthur Allad-Iw received a letter addressed to the CPA office. The message of the letter expressed clear death threats to him and his family for his alleged connection with the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and National People's Army (NPA). A black ribbon was attached to the letter and signed with Mga Nagmamahal sa Bayan at Demokrasya (translation: from those who love the country and democracy).
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Not active
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jan 1, 2010
- Event Description
At least 90 journalists have been killed doing their job so far this year, a 25 percent increase on the same period of 2009, the media watchdog Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) said Wednesday. "This is a failure, there is no progress, and the situation instead is deteriorating," a statement quoted the group's secretary-general Blaise Lempen as saying. "Lempen called upon the media associations worldwide to become more active and that governments act in firmness to prevent crimes against journalists and fight against impunity," it added. "He stressed that it is becoming essential to launch the process concerning an international convention to protect journalists to strengthen existing laws." According to the PEC Mexico remains the most dangerous country, with 13 journalists killed in the ongoing battles between the army and drug cartels in nine months. It is followed by Honduras and Pakistan, with nine deaths each. "A number of journalists were targeted and executed in the border region between Pakistan and Afghanistan, which makes it one of the most dangerous regions for media work," the PEC said. Five journalists were killed in Iraq since January, "a marked deterioration after a period of calm," another five in Russia's North Caucasus region "as a result of settling accounts," and the same number in the Philippines. Three journalists were killed in Colombia, Indonesia, Nepal, Nigeria and Somalia, and two in Angola, India, Thailand, Uganda, Venezuela, and Afghanistan, where two reporters from a French television station have also been held captive. One journalist was killed in Argentina, Bangladesh, Belarus, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Cyprus, Democratic Republic of Congo, Greece, Ecuador, Lebanon, Rwanda, Turkey, Ukraine, and Yemen, the PEC said. A Turkish journalist was also killed when Israeli forces boarded a Turkish-led aid flotilla heading for the Gaza strip. Regionally, Latin America saw 30 journalists killed in nine months, followed by Asia with 27, Africa with 13 in what the PEC called "a marked deterioration," and the Middle East with eight. "Europe has witnessed worrying isolated cases of targeting journalists in seven countries leading to the death of 12 journalists this year," the report said. PEC president Hedayat Abdel Nabi noted with satisfaction that the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) had highlighted the importance of protecting journalists, the group said. But he also "noted that the horrifying figures as well as the escalating nature of killings require an added attention from the international community to the global problem of the protection of journalists." The PEC called on the UN Human Rights Council to take up the matter urgently before the end of the year. It published a list of the victims on its website www.pressemblem.ch.
- Impact of Event
- 90
- Violation
- Death
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Not active
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jul 30, 2010
- Event Description
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is dismayed by reports of continuing intimidation of the Philippines media by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) under the newly installed Aquino administration. Manila Standard Today reporter Florante "Bong" Solmerin was reportedly manhandled by officials at the country's main military installation, Camp Aguinaldo, in Quezon City on July 30, according to the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), an IFJ affiliate. Solmerin, who is also president of the Philippines Defence Press Corps (DPC), acknowledges he had forgotten to display his official identification when entering the facility, and that he exchanged "heated words" with officers. He claims they continued to intimidate and question him despite his attempts to explain his presence and show his credentials when questioned. He tried to leave to avoid further confrontation, but two officers continued to yell at him and refused to return his identification. Solmerin was then pursued by the officers, who tried to punch him, before taking him to the office of deputy camp commander Navy Captain Miguel Fio Sequisame. Sequisame threatened to ban Solmerin from Camp Aguinaldo and referred to the media killings that plague the Philippines. He was reported to have said, "You know sometimes we soldiers no longer wonder why these things happen to you in the media." Solmerin was also questioned about who had authored a report in the press which detailed an alleged illegal "beer joint" operating within the military complex. "The IFJ held optimism that a new political administration in the Philippines would bring an end to the mistreatment of journalists at the hands of the military," IFJ Asia-Pacific Director Jacqueline Park said. "It is the responsibility of President Benigno Aquino to do everything within his power to end the disgraceful press freedom record of his country, which includes how military personnel interact with the media." The IFJ also reminds President Aquino of the recommendation in its Action Plan for the Philippines for a training program to address the way military, police, elected officials and government employees interact with the media. Solmerin's case is the first major reported incident of intimidation of a journalist by the military since Aquino took office on June 30. However, defence reporters Eden Magcarlas, from Net 25, GMA 7 cameraman Jun Fronda and Hataw columnist Joel Egco said they experienced similar behaviour on August 3, despite displaying their official press cards. Solmerin has lodged a complaint with AFP Chief of Staff General Ricardo David, who recently announced plans to strengthen the armed forces' Human Rights Offices, and is reported to be working with human rights groups to improve the AFP's human rights record. Dateline Philippines reports that DPC officials will meet military representatives today to open dialogue over the series of incidents. The IFJ reiterates the demands of the NUJP calling for a full investigation and appropriate sanctions against the officers involved in the most recent incidents.
- Impact of Event
- 3
- Violation
- Violence (physical)
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Not active
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jul 12, 2010
- Event Description
An elementary school teacher and member of the party-list group ACT Teachers was killed over the weekend, making him the third member of a leftist group to fall victim to alleged extra-judicial killings in the first 10 days of the administration of President Benigno Aquino III. Mark Francisco, 27, who teaches at the San Isidro Elementary School in Palanas, Masbate, was on his way home last Friday with four companions aboard motorcycles when they were fired upon in Sitio (sub-village) Umawas, Barangay (village) Malibas by two armed men wearing ski masks and camouflage uniforms. Franciso died instantly of bullet wounds. Another co-teacher managed to escape the assailants and reported the incident to the police, who have yet to establish the motive. Representative Antonio Tinio of ACT Teachers party list condemned the incident. "The Government must immediately take steps to put an end to the violence faced by teachers in Palanas town. The Aquino government's ability to ensure the well-being and safety of its citizens is being put to the test," he said in a statement. He urged the police and local government authorities to extend security to Francisco?s colleagues who were witnesses to the crime. In a separate statement, Anakpawis party-list Representative Rafael Mariano called on Aquino to take a cue from the recommendations of United Nations Special Rapporteur Philip Alston in putting a stop to the killings in the country. Last week, Francisco Baldomero, a coordinator of Bayan Muna party list in Aklan province who ran and won as councilor under Aquino's Liberal Party was gunned down while he was about to bring his son to school. This was followed by the killing of Pascual Guevarra, 78, head of the local Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Association and the Alyansa ng mga Magbubukid na Nagkakaisa, in Nueva Ecija in the afternoon of July 9. "In only a matter of 10 days of the Aquino administration, three activists have been killed. Mr. Aquino should immediately make concrete steps to stop the seemingly rising body count of activists," said Mariano, who joined the fact-finding mission team by Karapatan, Alyansa ng Magbubukid ng Gitnang Luzon, and Anakpawis, in Fort Magsaysay Monday. Mariano said that "if the Aquino government is really serious in addressing extrajudicial killings in the country, his government must immediately" heed Prof. Alston's recommendations.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Violation
- Death
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Not active
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jun 23, 2010
- Event Description
On 23 June 2010, Mr. Ernesto Salunat, human rights lawyer, was shot dead by unknown suspects who waylaid him in front of this town's municipal trial court yesterday morning. Mr. Salunat is also the campaign manager of the Liberal Party. He succumbed to four bullet wounds on the neck and head while being treated at the Medical Mission Group Hospital here where he was rushed shortly after being shot.Attending physicians declared him dead at around 10:05 a.m. or about two hours after he was shot by one of the suspects riding in tandem on a motorcycle in front of the MTC here just after alighting from his white BMW car. The crime scene is also a few meters away from the Aglipayan and Roman Catholic churches as well as the Saint Louis School and the town's municipal park and tennis court. Witnesses said that the suspects immediately approached the arriving lawyer as he was walking towards the one-story court building, which is adjacent to the town's Bureau of Fire Protection office in Poblacion South here. Reports indicated that one of the suspects shot him at point-blank four times from a .38 caliber revolver and immediately fled on a motorcycle with the other suspect.Police, however, declined to give initial statements about the incident saying they are still establishing possible leads on the incident.Observers speculated that Salunat's killing may be work related. But some supporters also did not discount the possibility that his slay has something to do with politics.Hundreds of supporters and political allies, who include former governor Rodolfo Agbayani and board member Santiago Dickson, immediately rushed to the hospital after hearing of the incident and waited there until he was declared dead by hospital officials. Salunat figured prominently as LP campaign manager here in last month's election, heavily criticizing the provincial government's alleged misgovernance. Besides being a human rights lawyer, he also handled land dispute cases here and in neighbouring provinces. Two years ago, Salunat survived gunshot wounds when armed men strafed the house of his brother, Quezon town Mayor Aurelio Salunat, where they, along with some political supporters, were having a party. Despite the incident, Salunat, also a former University of the East law professor, refused to be provided with a police escort or security aides, opting to be alone in his movements.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Violation
- Death
- Rights Concerned
- Right to political participation
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Not active
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jun 22, 2011
- Event Description
A series of charges have been brought against human rights defender Mr Kelly Mu_ez Delgado in the Southern Mindanao Region of the hilippines. Kelly Mu_ez Delgado is the secretary general of the Karapatan Alliance for the Advancement of People's Rights in the Southern Mindanao Region (Karapatan-SMR). His work as a human rights defender has involved responding quickly to reports of human rights violations, in particular those perpetrated by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) against indigenous peoples and farmers. Front Line previously issued an urgent appeal in relation to death threats against Kelly Mu_ez Delgado on 18 June 2008. On 12 June 2010 Karapatan-SMR received information that several charges had been filed against Kelly Mu_ez Delgado by the State security forces. Upon visiting local courts in pursuit of further information, staff of Karapatan-SMR were able to confirm that a case has been filed against Kelly Mu_ez Delgado in the court at Branch 3, in the Municipality of Nabunturan, in the Compostela Valley Province. The charges against Kelly Mu_ez Delgado include multiple murder (criminal case number 6689), frustrated murder (6690), multiple frustrated murder (6691) and theft (6692), which allegedly took place during an encounter between the New People's Army (NPA) and the AFP between 24 and 25 October 2008 in the outskirts of New Bataan, Compostela Valley Province. However, according to sources at Karapatan-SMR, Kelly Mu_ez Delgado's name does not appear on any of the original charge sheets for the four cases filed on 13 March 2009. Rather, his name was added to all four cases under an amended information charge sheet on 27 November 2009. Kelly Mu_ez Delgado has linked the charges against him to the work carried out by Karapatan-SMR during 2008 and 2009 in condemning and exposing alleged human rights violations perpetrated by state security forces in the region at the time. Front Line believes that the charges against Kelly Mu_ez Delgado are directly related to his work in defence of human rights and constitute an attempt by the authorities to delegitimise the work of human rights defenders through criminal cases linking them to illegal armed groups.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Not active
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Feb 6, 2010
- Event Description
6 February 2010 (6:15am) A group of around 300 heavily armed policemen and soldiers arrested 43 community health workers when they were taking part in a training on community health service in the farmhouse of Dr. Melecia Velmonte in Morong, Rizal province, east of Manila. According to reports, the military also sent 8 military trucks, 2 armored personnel carriers to assist the arrest. The Philippine Army later claimed that this was intended to ensure the security of the raiding team. Some of the vehicles had no plate numbers, while the rest of license plates were covered or smeared with mud. There was no warrant presented for their arrest. They showed a warrant after handcuffing all the health workers. However, the warrant was dated 5 February 2010 and did not indicate the address of Dr. Melecia Velmonte's compound. The subject of the warrant, Mr. Mario Condes, also had no connection with the compound itself. Rizal Provincial Police Chief Jonathan Miano claimed that three handguns, three grenades and six homemade bombs were found in the raid. However, Mr. Bob Velmonte, the son of Dr. Melecia Velmonte, said that they were not issued a receipt of the inventory of those firearms and explosives. The illegal search of the compound started from 6:15am to around 9:00am Around 9:00 am, after the arrest, the male health workers were loaded onto military trucks while female health workers were forced into cars and vans. They were then brought to Camp Capinpin in Tanay, Rizal. All of them were handcuffed and blindfolded. They were reportedly confined in dark cells, forced to listen to sounds of gunfire, then forced to admit that they were members of the NPA. Dr. Geneve Rivera, Secretary-General of Health Alliance for Democracy (HEAD), also reported that the detainees were not allowed to speak to each other and were slapped several times every night. 8 February 2010 Ms. Leila De Lima, the Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission was allowed to visit the 43 detainees. Relatives of 8 detainees were also allowed to enter the camp. However, they were allowed to talk to the detainees for only 30 minutes each and were unable to talk freely because they were watched closely by soldiers. According to Ms. Leila De Lima, detainees were continuously handcuffed and blindfolded. They were neither allowed to sleep, nor feed themselves. Whenever the detainees used the bathroom, someone else was there to take off their underwear for them. One of the detainees, Dr. Alex Montes, whom the military has accused of being a member of the New People's Army (NPA), was electrocuted and repeatedly hit on the chest while being questioned. 11 February 2010 One of the detainees, Dr. Merry Mia (female) said that she was taunted by the interrogators, who asked her whether she had cured the ringworm of Mr. Gregorio Rosal aka Ka Roger, the spokesperson of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP). The interrogators also threatened to harm her family. Government prosecutors charged 43 detainees for illegal possession of firearms and explosives before the Morong, Rizal Regional Trial Court. State Prosecutor Romeo Senson, the inquest prosecutor of the case against the suspects, did not recommend bail. The 43 detainees were allowed to meet lawyers. Eight lawyers from the National Union of the People's Lawyers and the Public Interest Law Center were allowed entry to the detention facility at Camp Capinpin in Tanay, Rizal. They were assisted by the Commission on Human Rights officials led by its chairperson Ms. Leila de Lima. The Supreme Court granted a petition for habeas corpus, ordering the military to present the 43 detainees at the Court of Appeals and answer allegations of torture, evidence-planting and illegal arrest and detention. The hearing was scheduled for 12 February 2010. Maj. Gen. Jorge Segovia commander of the 2nd Infantry Division that has custody of the suspects, said that Mr. Valentine Paolino, one member of the group admitted he was a rebel and was relieved he was arrested so he could return to civilian life. 12 February 2010 The military and the police failed to present on 43 health workers to the Court of Appeals. According to an interview with Dr. Darby S. Santiago, the Chairperson of Health Alliance for Democracy (HEAD), Mr. Valentine Paolino went missing. 13 February 2010 One of the detainees, 27-year-old Ms. Jane Balleta, told her mother, Ms. Ofelia Beltran-Balleta, who visited her at the military camp that she and certain female health workers were sexually molested by the military captors. 14 February 2010 The Armed Forces claimed that the NPA was planning to rescue the 43 detainees. Therefore, they were not able to present the 43 detainees at the Court of Appeals on 12 February 2010. Ms. Leila De Lima confirmed that there was use by the military of mental and psychological torture on 26 women and 17 men. 15 February 2010 The military brought the 43 detainees to the court of appeals on a military bus that was escorted by dozens of soldiers in battle gear. Each of the detainees was handcuffed. The military denied the allegations that the female detainees were sexually harassed and molested by the soldiers. It claimed that the allegation was "purely propaganda" aimed at discrediting its operation. Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner Jr., spokesperson of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, said the detainees were being treated well. Female soldiers keep watch over female detainees while male soldiers are assigned solely to guard male detainees. 16 February 2010 A military spokesman said that at least one of the 43 health workers is willing to turn state witness and reveal that the group had ties with the New People's Army. 17 February 2010 The Court of Appeals is scheduled to rule on the legality of the arrests of the 43 health workers. Dr. Geneve Rivera, Secretary-General of Health Alliance for Democracy (HEAD) said she was barred from entering Camp Capinpin in Tanay, Rizal to assist in the completion of the affidavits of the health workers. Updated information (As of 26 March 2010) 12 Feb 2010 Philippine military officials presented one of the 43 health workers, Mr. Valentin Paulino, at a press conference in Tanay, Rizal. He confessed that he and the other health workers were members of the New People's Army (NPA). However, Karapatan Secretary General Ms. Lovella de Castro remarked that Mr. Valentine Paulino underwent severe physical and psychological torture to coerce him to implicate himself and the other health workers. 18 Feb 2010 Director General Jesus Verzosa, Philippines National Police (PNP) chief said that the PNP welcomes the 43 health workers to be transferred into their custody, instead of the military custody. 1 March 2010 Ms. Adoracion Paulino, mother of Mr. Valentin Paulino said the military offered her P50,000 (S$1,520) and a job in exchange for her son's confession. Three of the 43 health workers, Ms. Ellen Carandang, Ms. Sherilyn Tawagon and Mr. Valentin Paulino were reportedly taken from their detention cells in Camp Capinpin in Tanay and transferred to an unknown location. Neither the relatives nor lawyers of the three health workers were informed that they would be transferred to another detention facility. Before they were separated from the others the three women allegedly admitted in a counter-affidavit that they were New People's Army rebels and denied allegations that they were sexually and physically abused while in detention. The relatives of the detained 43 health workers told the media in a press conference that the detainees were still suffering from physical and psychological torture. 2 March 2010 Military admitted to has offered P50,000 to members of the 43 health detainees. However, it denied that the money was a bribe in exchange for the detainees' confession of their involvement in the communist movement. Instead, the money was an offer of financial assistance under the government's social integration program (SIP) for rebel returnees. 3 March 2010 The Court of Appeals could not reach an unanimous vote in deciding the petition for Habeas Corpus for the 43 detained health workers, so it included two more justices - Associate Justices Magdangal De Leon and Sesinando Villon -to the panel assigned to the case. 4 March 2010 Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner Jr. of the Armed Forces' public information office said Armed Forces chief Gen. Victor Ibrado recommended the transfer of 43 detained health workers to the custody of the Philippine National Police (PNP). Such tansfer will be done as soon as they have made proper coordination with the PNP. 10 March 2010 The Court of Appeals decided to dismiss the petition for habeas corpus filed on behalf of the 43 health workers. 17 March 2010 Two more members of the 43 heath detainess, Ms. Jennilyn Pizarro and Mr. John Mark Barrientos were taken out of a military camp in Rizal and later transferred to an unidentified location. 18 March 2010 The military on refused to present before the Human Rights Commission the 43 health workers before the hearing organized by Commission of Human Rights (CHR)chairperson Ms. Leila De Lima. The military cited legal conflict with the court handling the criminal case against the group. During the CHR hearing, Colonel Aurelio Balabad of the 202nd Infantry Brigade told the CHR that the arrest of 43 health workers was mainly a police operation. His unit was in the area in order to provide support. The Philippines National Police refuted claims by an Army official that the arrest of 43 health workers was a police operation. 19 March 2010 Five members of 43 health workers, Ms. Elenor Carandang, Ms. Cherilyn Tawagon, Mr. Valentino Paulino, Ms. Jenilyn Pizarro and Mr. John Mark Barrientos, allegedly admitted that they are members of the New People's Army (NPA). They also allegedly agreed to testify against the other "health workers" in detention for supposedly undergoing bomb-making training. However, The rights group Karapatan claimed that the 5 suspects were tortured. 20 March 2010 Health Secretary Ms. Esperanza Cabral reported that the 43 health workers are being treated relatively well. However, they appeared to be in mental anguish over their plight. 22 March 2010 According to lawyers, other detainees, and their own relatives, Ms. Elenor Carandang, Ms. Cherilyn Tawagon, Mr. Valentino Paulino, Ms. Jenilyn Pizarro and Mr. John Mark Barrientos were subjected to interrogation and pressure. Updated Information (As of 7 June 2010) 7 April 2010 The Regional Trial Court ordered the transfer of 38 of 43 detained health workers to the custody of the Philippine National Police (PNP). 9 April 2010 The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) failed to transfer 38 of the 43 detained health workers to police custody as instructed by the court. The AFP claimed that there were pending security preparations and a solution to the problem of an already overcrowded detention center. 12 April 2010 The Armed Force of Philippines refused to present the 43 health workers in Commission of Human Rights (CHR) hearings. Representatives of the Judge Advocate General Office (JAGO) also questioned the jurisdiction of the Commission of Human Rights. 23 May 2010 Ms. Marie Enriquez, secretary-general of Karapatan reported that members of 43 health workers were finally transferred to Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan.
- Impact of Event
- 43
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Torture
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Apr 23, 2010
- Event Description
Human rights watchdog Katungod-Sinirangan Bisayas lambasts suspected military agents who sent a death threat letter to Katungod-SB's former Secretary-General and its current Legal Officer, Atty. Kathrina Castillo. The letter was received by her mother last Friday, April 16, 2010 at their ancestral house in Catbalogan, Samar which was sent via snail mail. "There is no one except the military who has the motive to send a death threat to Atty. Castillo since she is known to be an active human rights defender and a critic of human rights violations perpetrated by state agents especially the military," said Flor Chantal Eco, Katungod-SB's Secretary-General. The letter, which was signed by a certain Ricardo I. Picardal from Tarangan, Samar, said that they "found out that you[Atty. Castillo] continue your alliance with the enemies of democray, progress and peace-the CPP-NPA-NDF and its Partylists." A black ribbon is stapled to the letter "that will remind you[Atty. Castillo] that your life, as well as your family, is only a privilege." The letter ended with the threat: "if death becomes you, you may rest in peace." "Atty. Castillo's personality has always been attacked in confirmed military sponsored radio programs "Dalan han Kamatuoran, Dalan han Kauswagan" in DYMS Catbalogan, and "Bantay Ka" in DYDW Tacloban, both anchored by Col. Armand Rico hiding as "Kuya Aaron". The military has consistently linked her to the CPP-NPA-NDF. Her name has been mentioned in almost every episode of their programs," furthered Eco. According to Katungod-SB, this is a systematic red-baiting by the military to justify the harassment, abduction and killings of personalities and members of progressive groups and partylists. "At first the military consistently attack Atty. Castillo's personality in their radio programs, then a death threat arrives, now they accuse that the death threat is a result of NPA's purging, what's next? Shoot her? This pattern has been evident in many victims of extrajudicial killings nationwide," added Eco. Despite the death threat, the military has failed to scare off Atty. Castillo; instead, the threat roused rage from her family, members and supporters of Kabataan Partylist where she is the 3rd Nominee and fellow human rights defenders. "Death threats will not stop us from exposing the truth and defending the people's rights," Eco concluded.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Rights Concerned
- Right to liberty and security
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Not active
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jul 23, 2019
- Event Description
July 23, 2019 2 TFDP staff received death threats via SMS. It noted: 'Your task force was sighted in the area stop what you are doing if not I will fill your heads with 45 and you call yourself task force.' When the texter was asked about his identity 'Don't bother to know,just know there's a place for all of you.' July 30, 2019 Another threat was sent to a TFDP staff. It noted: Ramel you are a small group, you can easily be decimated. Will start with a 45. They've all come from one number. TFDP office is based in Cebu, and they have pulled out all people from Negros.
- Impact of Event
- 3
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Death threat, Intimidation and Threats
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- NGO staff
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 19, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jul 18, 2019
- Event Description
On July 18, 2019, the Philippine National Police filed a complaint alleging incitement to sedition, libel, cyber libel, and obstruction of justice against Vice President Leni Robredo and 35 other people. Robredo was elected independently of President Rodrigo Duterte and leads the Liberal Party, the party of former president Benigno Aquino III. Concerned governments and donors should press the Duterte administration to end its persecution of critics of its murderous "war on drugs" Human Rights Watch said. "The preposterous complaint against the vice president and the others is a transparent attempt to harass and silence critics of President Duterte's bloody "drug war,'" said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "Threatening criminal charges against the vice president, outspoken bishops, and rights lawyers suggests that Duterte's egregious human rights record is catching up with him." Under Article 142 of the Philippines penal code, a conviction for incitement to sedition carries a maximum penalty of six years in prison. The complaint was brought against four Catholic bishops and three priests who have become increasingly critical of the Duterte administration, and a former education secretary and Lasallian brother, Armin Luistro. Others named were Chel Diokno, the president of the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG), and a human rights lawyer and FLAG official, Theodore Te. FLAG has assisted families of victims of "drug war" killings. Other members and officials of the Liberal Party were named, including Senators Risa Hontiveros and Leila de Lima, and the party's full senatorial slate in the May elections. Police filed the complaint after Peter Joemel Advincula, an admitted drug dealer, alleged that Robredo and others were plotting Duterte's ouster. In a video that Advincula claims to have filmed as part of the plot, a hooded man is shown accusing Duterte, his family, and close associates of links to the illicit drug trade. The Duterte administration had earlier denounced the allegation, calling Advincula's statement unreliable. The complaint accused the 36 people of "spread[ing] lies against the President, his family, and close associates, making them to appear as illegal drug trade protectors and how they earned staggering amounts of money." The Duterte administration has previously targeted political opposition figures and critics of the "drug war" Human Rights Watch said. In February 2017, it accused Senator de Lima of involvement in the drug trade. The accusation was based entirely on the testimony of convicted drug dealers that Human Rights Watch believes are baseless but later served as the grounds for her arrest and continued police detention. The government has likewise filed sedition charges against a former senator and Duterte critic, Antonio Trillanes IV, one of those named in the recent complaint. The government has brought criminal charges against activists critical of the "drug war." It has also carried out a campaign in mainstream media and social media to harass, vilify, and intimidate human rights defenders, clergy, and journalists, most notably the popular news website Rappler and its editor, Maria Ressa. It has accused many of these people of involvement with the communist insurgency. Criticism of the administration centers on the "drug war" killings that began soon after Duterte became president in June 2016. Since then, police and police-backed gunmen have summarily executed thousands of alleged drug dealers and users in mainly poor urban communities across the Philippines. The police have said they have killed more than 6,600 people who "fought back" in the anti-drug campaign, while estimates by domestic rights groups put the number executed at more than 27,000. In response to the situation, the United Nations Human Rights Council passed a resolution on July 11, calling on the UN human rights office to present a comprehensive report on human rights in the Philippines in June 2020. "The sedition complaint looks like little more than a kneejerk reaction to the UN Human Rights Council's resolution on the Philippines" Adams said. "Friends of the Philippines should not stay silent when the administration retaliates against those promoting respect for human rights in the country."
- Impact of Event
- 12
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats, Judicial Harassment
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Government, Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 19, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jul 23, 2019
- Event Description
BACOLOD CITY, Negros Occidental, Philippines - Anthony Trinidad studied physics, wanted to be an engineer but became a lawyer to help those who could not afford legal services. He was known as a low-key, soft-spoken and gentle person who barely raised his voice. On Tuesday, the 53-year-old who had been tagged as a supporter of communist rebels on Negros Island was killed in an attack by motorcycle-riding gunmen who also wounded his wife. Trinidad was shot in broad daylight as he was driving his car in his hometown of Guihulngan City in Negros Oriental province, according to Lt. Col. Bonifacio Tecson, city police chief. Trinidad's wife, Novie Marie, also 53, took a bullet in the shoulder but survived. "The killers were heartless. They shot him several times and made sure he was dead. I cannot imagine this happening to him" said Trinidad's younger sister Andrea, a former Inquirer reporter. Death threats On Wednesday, Tecson said Trinidad had been receiving death threats for several months before Tuesday's attack. "He was tagged as a supporter of the (New People's Army, or NPA)" Tecson said. Trinidad had informed the Guihulngan police that he received a letter with an alleged list of people being targeted for supporting the NPA. He requested security assistance, which the police provided whenever he attended a hearing, Tecson said. Trinidad's family appealed to the government to help them get justice for the slain lawyer, who also left behind two sons and a daughter. Kindhearted, soft-spoken "We are still at a loss on the motives behind this dastardly act because our brother was such a kindhearted, soft-spoken person who was willing to go out of his way to help people in need" his family said in a statement. "This spate of killings in our country and the culture of violence have to stop. We cannot and should not constantly live in fear. Stop the killings" the statement added. According to the Central Visayas chapter of the rights group Karapatan, Trinidad is the 71st victim of extrajudicial killings on Negros Island under President Duterte. "Negros lost another freedom-loving son martyred today - He work[ed] to defend poor political prisoners and other victims of human rights violations" the group said in a statement on Tuesday. Anticommunist flyer An anticommunist group calling itself Kawsa Guihulnganon Batok Kumunista (Kagubak) included in a flyer the names of Trinidad, his elder sister and Guihulngan Councilor Jessica Trinidad-Villarmente, and her husband, among 15 people it had "judged" and who "would not make it to 2018." The group held them responsible for the killing of 10 "innocent civilians." One former activist on the list, Heidi Malalay Flores, was killed also by motorcycle-riding assassins in August last year. Karapatan said human rights lawyer Benjamin Ramos, who was shot dead after he provided legal assistance to the families of nine sugar workers who were massacred in Kabankalan City in Negros Occidental province last November, was also on a similar list. 38 dead lawyers, judges Before Trinidad's killing, 38 other lawyers and judges had been assassinated since Mr. Duterte assumed office in 2016 until March this year, according to the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP). The Defend Negros #Stop the Attacks Network said Trinidad handled cases of peasant leaders and siblings Emilia, Maricris and Rene Quirante from 2007 to 2008. Emilia was municipal chair of Kaugmaon, a peasant organization affiliated with the militant Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas, while her brother Rene was head of the local chapter of Anakpawis party list. Rene was shot dead in Guihulngan in 2010. Andrea said her brother did not belong to any group and had been "very focused on his practice, his kids and biking on weekends" since returning home to Negros in the early 2000s after working in Congress. San Carlos Bishop Gerardo Alminaza called for justice for Trinidad, who taught high school physics for four years at his alma mater, St. Francis College in Guihulngan. "End the killings!" is the collective cry among us here living on Negros Island" Alminaza said. "The ambience of fear and violence must end. Our people are longing for an end to barbaric killings due to the drug war and the anti-insurgency campaign."
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Death, Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to life
- HRD
- Lawyer
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 19, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jul 7, 2019
- Event Description
Propaganda posters found in Northern Mindanao on July 7, accused members of IFJ affiliate, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) as being members of communists parties in the country. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and NUJP condemn the so-called "red-tagging" of journalists as a dangerous threat to journalist safety in the country. The posters were found on Sunday, July 7, on the wall of of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI) church in Cagayan de Oro City, Northern Mindanao, listing NUJP along with the Union of People's Lawyers in Mindanao and Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI) church as being fronts of the Communist Party of the Philippines, the New People's Army and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines. The posters were signed by the Movement Against Terrorism-Northern Mindanao Region. This is not the first time NUJP has been targeted by rogue parties. Earlier this year, a black banner referring to NUJP and other activist groups as allies of the "terrorist NPA' was found in Cagayan de Oro on May 27. And in February, Filipino journalist Cong Corrales, a former director of NUJP, and his family's names were included on an anonymous list allegedly naming members of the Philippines Communist Party. NUJP said intimidation to silence journalists using "red-tagging" against individual journalists, organisations of journalists, and human rights activists has increased dramatically since Rodrigo Duterte's rise to power. It condemned the act and reiterated that such action continues to put journalist's lives at risk in the country. A free press is guaranteed under the Philippines Constitution and journalists should not be painted as enemies of the state, NUJP said in a statement. The IFJ and NUJP call for greater efforts to stop the spread of lies and vilification of media workers. NUJP said: "As an organization, the NUJP has stood and continues to stand firmly for the safety and welfare of Filipino journalists and media worker as well as for practice of good, solid journalism." The IFJ said: "These continued attacks and false labelling of journalists puts journalist lives at risk. We demand authorities increase efforts to guarantee the safety of journalists in the Philippines."
- Impact of Event
- 3
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats, Vilification
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to protect reputation
- HRD
- Lawyer, Media Worker, NGO
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 19, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jul 10, 2019
- Event Description
Gunmen shot dead radio journalist Eduardo "Ed" Dizon - who was on his way home after hosting a daily news commentary show in the southern Philippines - on Wednesday night, Kidapawan police said. Mr Dizon, 58, suffered five gunshot wounds from the shooting in Kidapawan City, 954km south of Manila. He was driving home when two gunmen on a motorcycle stopped beside his car at a corner road and shot at him, city police chief Lieutenant Colonel Maria Joyce Birrey added. There was no immediate information on whether the killing was related to Mr Dizon's work, but colleagues said he often reported on corruption and scams in his radio program. Mr Dizon is the 13th journalist to be killed since 2016, under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte, according to the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) - an organisation committed to secure interests of the Filipino working press. The Philippines is ranked as one of the world's most dangerous places for journalists by press freedom groups, including the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists. In 2009, 32 media workers were among more than 50 people killed in a local politician's convoy heading to a rally in the southern region of Mindanao. The alleged masterminds are currently on trial.
- 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
- Sep 19, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jun 7, 2019
- Event Description
On 6 July 2019, farmer Joel Anino, 35, a member of KASAMA-Bukidnon, an affiliate of Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas, was shot by unknown assailants at 6:30 am while he was on his way to his home in San Fernando, Bukidnon. He later died at the Malaybalay General Hospital. Joel is the second member of KASAMA-Bukidnon to be killed this year. On June 16 2019, 57-year-old farmer Liovigildo "Nonoy" Palma, also a member of KASAMA-Bukidnon, was killed by three suspects riding a single motorcycle outside his house in Barangay Halapitan, Sitio Malambago, San Fernando. Datu Wilson Anglao Jr., secretary general of Karapatan-Bukidnon, condemned the growing number of killings in the province. The group has already documented nine incidents of extrajudicial killings in Bukidnon so far in 2019. Anglao attributed these killings to the implementation of Martial Law in Mindanao, which is expected to last until the end of this year. "The [State] wants to silence anyone " especially the farmers here in Bukidnon " who are strongly calling for genuine agrarian reform in the country" Anglao said. Anglao said that they will bring these cases to the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) Region 10 to urge them to look into the human rights situation in the province.
- 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 19, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Aug 7, 2019
- Event Description
DAVAO CITY, Philippines - A Lumad leader and a farmer-activist were gunned down in separate incidents in the province of Bukidnon. On July 8, Datu Mario Agsab, was shot dead in his home at Sitio Mainaga, Brgy. Iba, Cabanglasan, Bukidnon at around 7am by suspected members of paramilitary group Alamara with CAFGU members under the 8th Infantry Batallion. According to Karapatan-Bukidnon, Agsab was an active leader of PIGYAYUNGA-AN, a local chapter of Kalumbay Regional Lumad Organization in Cabanglasan, Bukidnon. Two days earlier, the group also reported similar shooting incident which targeted a member of KASAMA-Bukidnon, an affiliate of Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP). Karapatan said that farmer Joel Anino was shot in his home in San Fernando town, Bukidnon by unidentified gunmen around 6:30am last July 6. He later died at the Malaybalay General Hospital. Anino is the second member of KASAMA-Bukidnon killed this year. Last June 16, 57-year-old farmer Liovigildo "Nonoy" Palma, also a member of KASAMA-Bukidnon, was killed by three suspects riding a single motorcycle just right outside his house at Barangay Halapitan, Sitio Malambago, San Fernando. Datu Wilson Anglao Jr., secretary general of Karapatan-Bukidnon, condemned the growing number of killings in the province. The group has already documented nine incidents of extrajudicial killings in Bukidnon in the middle of 2019. Anglao attributed these killings to the implementation of Martial Law in Mindanao, which is expected to last until the end of this year. "The [State] wants to silence anyone " especially the farmers here in Bukidnon " who is strongly calling for genuine agrarian reform in the country" Anglao said. Anglao said that they will bring these cases to the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) Region 10 to urge them to look into the human rights situation in the province.
- 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
- Sep 19, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jul 7, 2019
- Event Description
ILOILO CITY"Men riding in tandem on a motorcyle shot dead a 42-year-old worker of the Philippine Independent Church near one of its churches in the town of Majuyod, Negros Oriental province on Sunday (July 7). Salvador Romano died from multiple gunshot wounds after he was shot past noon after he left the church to go home on a motorcycle, according to the human rights group Karapatan (Right). Romano was adviser of the group Youth of IFI (Iglesia Independiente Filipinas, the local name of the church) in the dioceses of Negros Oriental and Siquijor. He was also former volunteer of Karapatan, which had been subject of repeated rants by President Rodrigo Duterte over the group's criticism of summary killings in Duterte's war on drugs. Karapatan said Romano was the 69th victim of extrajudicial killing on Negros Island under the Duterte administration. (Editor: Tony Bergonia)
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Death, Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to life
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Youth
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 19, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jun 17, 2019
- Event Description
Neptali Morada, 40, a former Bayan Muna regional head in the Bicol region was shot dead in Naga City on 17 June 2019. He was on his way to the Camarines Sur Capitol Hall in Pili, where he worked as a staff of former Vice Governor Ato Pe"a, when unidentified gunmen attacked him in San Isidro village at 7:30 a.m. Neptali had also served as Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) campaign committee head. In a statement, Senator Leila De Lima said, "The obvious questions must be asked: Who killed him and what was the motive? This transpired just days after two human rights workers were slain in Sorsogon, both in the same manner: organized and merciless." "It is not taxing to the imagination to realize that these killings already follow a pattern, and what is troubling is the seeming cold response of the authorities" she further said. De Lima recalled that when Malaca"ang issued Memorandum Order No. 32 in Nov. 2018 deploying more soldiers in Bicol region, Samar and Negros Island, the purported aim was to "suppress lawless violence and acts of terror." "And yet, how do we explain the fact that these regions now tend to host this surge in the killing of activists and HRDs (human rights defenders)?" she pointed out. "This is so serious a matter that the government should be reminded that civil society and the international community are aware and vigilant" she stressed. De Lima said there are now more than 150 HRDs who were killed under the Duterte administration. The government, she said, is accountable for the lives of each of these HRDs. She also said the killing of Morada is further proof that not only poor drug addicts and pushers are the target of the Duterte administration's war on drugs. De Lima said this shows that the government is also after Filipinos who stand firm and fight for human rights.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Death, Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to life
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Active
- Date added
- Sep 19, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Aug 6, 2019
- Event Description
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines - The human rights watchdog Karapatan has slammed the government for he arrest of the 61-year-old Davao City-based media personality Margarita Valle in Misamis Oriental and the killing of a 65-year-old land reform advocate Felipe Dacal-Dacal in Negros Occidental. Both victims have been active in respective advocacies " Valle as journalist and development worker and Dacal-Dacal as a peasant leader who fought for free land distribution and genuine agrarian reform, the group noted. Valle was arrested by a team of Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) operatives from Zamboanga del Sur and other law enforcement agents while waiting for her flight back home at the Laguindingan Airport in Laguindingan, Misamis Oriental, on Sunday morning. Dacal-Dacal was shot to death by a lone gunman inside his house in Escalante City, Negros Occidental on Saturday, June 8. Valle's apprehension and Dacal-Dacal's killing are the latest in a string of abhorrent attacks against journalists and human rights defenders, said Karapatan secretary Cristina Palabay.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Death, Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to life
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Land rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Active
- Date added
- Sep 19, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jun 16, 2019
- Event Description
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY - A member of a left-wing organization of farmers was gunned down outside his house at Barangay Halapitan, San Fernando town in Bukidnon province on Saturday (June 16) in what appeared to be another attack on the Left. Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (Philippine Peasant Movement or KMP) said one of its members, Nonoy Palma, was killed by three gunmen. Palma was a member of KMP affiliate Kasama-Bukidnon. KMP cited witnesses saying the gunmen rode a single motorcycle and one was recognized as a local militiaman. The killing of Palma came hours after the killing of fwo human rights defenders in the province of Sorsogon which a leader of left-wing Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) linked to a shift in the government's counterinsurgency tactic that now targets noncombatant members of left-wing groups.In Sorsogon, two still unnamed men calmly approached the human rights workers Nelly Bagasala and Ryan Hubilla as they were paying their tricycle fare and shot them repeatedly, killing the two on fhe spot. Attacks on human rights defenders had caught the attention of 11 United Nations rapporteurs and human rights experts who issued a rare joint statement on June 7 calling on the UN to conduct an independent investigation of what they said was a "staggering" number of summary killings and attacks on human rights workers committed with impunity. Malacanang scoffed at the statement, saying it was based on falsehoods and goaded by President Rodrigo Duterte's critics and the opposition. The shift in counterinsurgency tactic had been ordered by Duterte who, in January 2018 upon his return from India, said his all-out war on rebels now included what he said were the rebel's "legal fronts" or groups identified with the Left. He said his order to the military was crush the rebellion "and if you have to kill, do it." JIGGER JERUSALEM
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Death, Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to life
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Land rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Active
- Date added
- Sep 19, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jun 15, 2019
- Event Description
MANILA, Philippines " Two human rights defenders were gunned down by unidentified men in Barangay Cabid-an, Sorsogon, on Saturday, June 15. According to human rights group Karapatan, the slain workers were Ryan Hubilla and Nelly Bagasala from their Sorsogon staff. Karapatan secretary-general Cristina Palabay said Hubilla was a 22-year-old senior high school student who joined the group in 2016, while Bagasala, 69, became a member in 2006. The group said the killing took place inside Seabreeze Homes Subdivision, just around a kilometer away from a police station, at around 8:20 am on Saturday. The perpetrators were onboard a motorcycle. Karapatan said the incident came after its workers experienced periodic surveillance supposedly carried out by the military and the police. It added that workers, including Hubilla, were tailed by a gray pickup vehicle and a black motorcycle with no license plates last April 21 at 10 pm after the group escorted lawyer Bart Rayco of the National Union of Peoples' Lawyers for a visit with political prisoners at the Philippine National Police's outpost in Barangay Cabid-an. MANILA, Philippines " Two human rights defenders were gunned down by unidentified men in Barangay Cabid-an, Sorsogon, on Saturday, June 15. According to human rights group Karapatan, the slain workers were Ryan Hubilla and Nelly Bagasala from their Sorsogon staff. Karapatan secretary-general Cristina Palabay said Hubilla was a 22-year-old senior high school student who joined the group in 2016, while Bagasala, 69, became a member in 2006. The group said the killing took place inside Seabreeze Homes Subdivision, just around a kilometer away from a police station, at around 8:20 am on Saturday. The perpetrators were onboard a motorcycle. Karapatan said the incident came after its workers experienced periodic surveillance supposedly carried out by the military and the police. It added that workers, including Hubilla, were tailed by a gray pickup vehicle and a black motorcycle with no license plates last April 21 at 10 pm after the group escorted lawyer Bart Rayco of the National Union of Peoples' Lawyers for a visit with political prisoners at the Philippine National Police's outpost in Barangay Cabid-an. "As we condole with the families of our dear colleagues, we raise our fists in condemnation and firmly commit to seek justice and accountability from this ruthless regime," Karapatan said. (READ: Powering through a crisis: Defending human rights under Duterte) In a Facebook post on Saturday, Palabay also said that even if she did not meet Hubilla and Bagasala personally, she was grieving over their deaths. "Human rights workers like young Ryan and Nelly are hard to find. It takes commitment, passion, empathy, and yes, real courage to face all obstacles, all the dangers to help individuals and communities confronting the powers-that-be," she said. Opposition Senator Leila de Lima also denounced the "deplorable murder" of Hubilla and Bagasala, adding that there was an "urgent" need to investigate why the victims were subjected to surveillance. "Don't we find it alarming that the bad guys keep on unleashing bloodbath victimizing the very defenders of human rights without fear for accountability anymore?" De Lima said in a statement on Sunday, June 16. She added: "Dalawa lamang si Ryan at Nelly sa libo-libong biktima ng karahasan at patayan sa bansa, kung saan madalas na target ang mga nasa laylayan na walang kalaban-laban, at ang mga nagtatanggol sa kanilang karapatan." (Ryan and Nelly are but two of the thousands of victims of violence and killings across the country, where the targets are often those who are marginalized and defenseless, and those who fight for their rights.) " Rappler.com
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Death, Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to life
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Government, Police, Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Active
- Date added
- Sep 19, 2019
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jun 9, 2019
- Event Description
Fidelina Margarita Valle, a columnist with Davao Today, was at the Laguindingan Airport in Misamis Oriental province, about to board a flight when he was detained by officers from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG). She was detained for nine hours in Pagadian City, about 200 kilometres away from Laguindingan Airport. Upon her release, the CIDG admitted that the arrest was the result of mistaken identity. This has been denied by many human rights organisations who have called detention a targeted and politically motivated form of harassment. The CIDG officers arrested Valle at 10.30 am using the warrant issued against Elsa Renton, who uses the aliases Tina Maglaya and Fidelina Margarita Valle, a subject of a manhunt for several crimes. The arrest warrant for arson was issued in 2006, whilst the warrant for multiple murder with quadruple frustrated murder and damage to government property was issued in 2011. Valle was on her way back to Davao City after attending a workshop-training in Cagayan de Oro. Valle is well-respected journalist in the Philippines, working as a journalist since the 1980s and actively reporting various issues in Mindanao. She is one of the pioneers of Media Mindanao News Service. She then became an administrative officer for MindaNews in 2001 and a writer for Sunstar Davao until 2018. Besides journalist, Valle is also actively involved in community development work and advocating for human rights in Mindanao. NUJP has considered the arrest of Valle not a lawful operation but a criminal abduction of a journalist. NUJP added that the abduction could have had dire, even fatal, consequences. The organisation has demanded the police and military personnel involved in this inexcusable travesty and their superiors be prosecuted and punished to the fullest extent of the law. "How else do authorities explain why Ms. Valle was held incommunicado for hours even as the police issued a statement saying she was facing multiple crimes from a decade ago, only to admit they had the wrong person? This is the equivalent of shoot now, ask questions later" NUJP said. The IFJ said: "The arrest of Valle has been added to the growing list of violence against journalists in the Philippines. The abuse of critical journalists has become the new normal. It should not. A full investigation into why these officers arrested her should be undertaken. We also call the authorities to respect the rights of journalists and stop all the types of intimidation of journalists." The family of journalist Margarita "Gingging" Valle, who was recently arrested by the police in Misamis Oriental, said today that she was a "clear state target" and that her detention was not a case of mistaken identity as the police claim it to be. In a statement posted on the Facebook account of Margarita's son Rius Valle, the family said that she is now safe but will have to undergo a medical check-up and debriefing as soon as possible.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Abduction/Kidnapping, Intimidation and Threats, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Media Worker, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Government, Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 19, 2019