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Election-Related Violence and the Continuing Spate of Extra-Judicial

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Election-Related Violence and the Continuing Spate of Extra-Judicial KARAPATAN Monitor April - June 2010 lection-related violence and the continuing spate of extra-judicial Ekilling, as Oplan Bantay Laya (OBL) fails to meet its target of putting an end to the communist revolutionary movement, characterize the human rights situation in the Second Quarter of 2010. At around midnight of April 10, Renil Oliva, fourth nominee of the Kabataan Partylist, was with Bryan Laguna checking on the postering being conducted by the Kabataan volunteers. As they alighted from a passenger jeepney along Archbishop Reyes Avenue, Cebu City and started checking on the posters, they were accosted by Supt. Ariel Palcuto, a former member of the Presi- dential Anti-Smuggling Group (PASG) and son of an independent vice-mayoralty candidate, Ret. Col. Rico Palcuto. He harangued and accused the young men of tearing down his father’s post- ers. Renil and Bryan denied the allegation and told him that they had just arrived. The youth volunteers who came ahead of them also denied taking down Palcuto’s posters. The irate Palcuto Armed men stormed a polling precinct in Tugaya, Lanao del Sur during election day. A gunfi ght went to his father’s campaign headquarters, came between authorities and armed supporters of a local candidate lasted for about 30 minutes. back with four men then tried to run over Renil Photo is a from a video captured by a team of the People’s International Observers Mission and and Bryan with his car. Fortunately the two were Kodao Productions. all able to move out of harm’s way. Subsequently Palcuto and his men manhandled Bryan. Table 1 On April 16, the mother of Atty. Kathrina Victims of Extrajudicial, Summary or Castillo, Kabataan Partylist’s third nominee, Arbitrary Execution under the Arroyo Government reported receiving a letter with a black ribbon Annual Totals: January 21, 2001 to June 30, 2010 attached to it addressed to her daughter. The Year Total Organized Women letter, having accused Kathrina of being involved with the Communist Party of the Philippines, 2001 100 35 11 threatened her safety. All through the election 2002 124 45 14 campaign period, she experienced intense surveillance forcing her to move from one house 2003 130 34 14 to another, thereby negatively affecting her 2004 85 45 11 campaign schedule. Atty. Castillo is also an active human rights lawyer in Eastern Visayas . 2005 194 101 14 The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) 2006 235 116 25 grudgingly admitted that the Gloria Macapagal- 2007 100 39 14 Arroyo government failed to meet its military tar- get to decimate the forces of the Communist Party 2008 90 22 18 of the Philippines, the New People’s Army and 2009 130 33 32 the National Democratic Front of the Philippines 2010 (June 30) 17 5 0 (CPP-NPA-NDFP) by June, the end of GMA’s rule in Malacanang. That did not stop them from kill- Total 1,205 475 153 ing an average of one activist per week in May Based on reports gathered by Karapatan 2010. Three of the victims are from Mindanao and one from Luzon. 2 KARAPATAN Monitor On May 14, at around 9:30 in the evening, Table 2 Dominador Ambol, his wife Dolorosa Pidoy-Ambol, Victims of Enforced or Involuntary Disappearance their 17-year old daughter Christine and almost two- under the Arroyo Government year old grandchild Rochel Mie were asleep inside Annual Totals: January 21, 2001 to June 30, 2010 their house in Purok 1, Brgy. Noa, Magpet, North Cotabato when fi ve men, believed to be members of Year Total Organized Women the 57th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army 2001 8 1 1 (IBPA), paid them a visit. Two of the men armed 2002 10 3 2 with .45 caliber pistols sneaked into the house. As the couple woke up, the family was immediately 2003 11 2 1 fi red upon. Dominador was hit in the chest. Mrs. 2004 23 10 5 Ambol was hit in her left side under the armpit, while the daughter in her right arm. The baby was 2005 32 6 0 unharmed. Mrs. Ambol crawled out of the house to 2006 78 25 15 call for help and saw a pick-up truck waiting a meter 2007 30 14 5 away from their fence. She saw three more armed men waiting outside. 2008 9 5 1 Dominador died instantly. Mrs. Ambol and 2009 4 2 1 their daughter survived and were treated for almost 2010 (June 30) 1 0 0 a month in the Madonna and Child Hospital in Kidapawan City. Prior to his death, Dominador was Total 206 68 31 twice summoned by the Commanding Offi cer of the Based on reports gathered by Karapatan 57th IBPA. He was accused during the interrogation of being the “leader of the kangaroo court” and was esta celebration on May 3 and asked for her father’s advised to “return to the fold of law”. He was asked whereabouts and mobile phone number. She man- to be the president of the Barangay Defense System aged to evade answering the questions and left in a (BDS) of their village. He declined explaining that he hurry out of fear. Two weeks later, a sweat-drenched was already a barangay tanod. Mendoza together with his son unexpectedly ap- On May 19, Jim Gales was on board his motor- peared at her house again looking for her father and cycle when shot by men riding a van in Brgy. Little asking for his cellphone number. Edgardo’s daugh- Panay, Panabo City, Davao del Norte. He has been a ter did not give him the information. Mendoza asked member of Bayan Muna since 2001 and was very ac- for the direction to Malague. But peering through a tive during the recent election campaign for the par- hole in the wall of their house, she saw Mendoza go- tylist. Earlier, he related that he once caught a man ing on the direction of the river instead of the way to taking his photograph while he was in an auto shop Malague. She and her partner then heard footsteps of where he brought the Bayan Muna vehicle for repair several men wearing boots from behind their house in Matina, Davao City. also running to the same direction. They were laugh- On May 31, Edgardo “Dadul” Merculita Mariq- ing. uit left his house in Brgy. 10, Buenavista, Agusan del Mendoza fi nally caught up with Edgardo on May Norte to work on his farm in Sitio Calong-Calongan, 30 at the Taboan public market in Buenavista. Ed- Brgy.Malapong also in Buenavista. He was expected gardo told his wife that he met Mendoza who asked to be home later that day after picking up the chick- him for his number which he was not able to give be- ens he left with his friend Tata Tallia. Instead, on the cause he did not have his mobile phone with him and following day his dead body, which bore signs of tor- he had not memorized his number. Edgardo added ture and a gunshot wound, was found by a couple far that there was a man on board a motorcyle whom he from his farm in Sitio Calong-Calongan. could not identify and who observed them from afar. Before Edgardo was killed, a known military as- He suspected that the man was with Mendoza. set, Pedro Mendoza, was reported searching for him. Five more victims in three incidents were docu- Mendoza together with four unidentifi ed burly look- mented by KARAPATAN in June, GMA’s last month ing men cornered Edgardo’s eldest daughter in a fi - of oppressive rule. April - June 2010 3 The fi rst victim was Edward Panganiban, a main- A human rights and church worker was shot tenance staff of Takata (Philippines) Corporation and dead by two men on June 14 at the crossing of Sitio Secretary of the independent union Samahang Lakas Antolo, Brgy. Su-ay, Himamaylan City, Negros Occi- ng Manggagawa sa Takata (Salamat-Independent). dental. Benjamin E. Bayles was waiting for a ride He was on his motorcycle on June 2 driving along the when two men, on board a black motorcyle with no National Highway near the De Lima Subdivision in license plate, shot him at close range. Brgy. Caingin, Sta. Rosa, Laguna when two men, also Benjamin was an active member of the September on board a motorcycle, overtook and shot him twelve 21 Movement, a Karapatan member organization. He times. Edward died on the spot. earned the ire of the military because of his active Since 2007, operatives of the Intelligence Service participation in fact-fi nding missions which linked of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) have army units to political killings, other cases of political been visiting members of Salamat-Independent trying repression and militarization in Negros island. to threaten and intimidate them into quitting their The assailants were later apprehended when a union activities. This continued even after Edward’s bystander reported the incident to the Himamaylan extra-judicial killing. police which contacted for assistance their Also, during the process of union certifi cation counterpart in the adjacent town of in January of this year, the Takata management Kabankalan. A checkpoint was set up forced the workers to attend anti-union seminars and the Kabankalan police arrested facilitated by the Alliance for Nationalism and Roger Bajon and Ronnie Caurino. Democracy (ANAD), an organization known Each had a .45 caliber pistol in their for its unequivocal support to OBL. possession when apprehended. On June 3, two farmers from Brgy.
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