PHILIPPINES: Extra-judicial killing; violence against activists; abduction and enforced disappearance; torture; threats and intimidation of civilians by military; inadequate police investigation
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Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) deeply regrets to inform you that another political activist was killed and two men disappeared in separate incidents on 4 March and 18 February 2006 respectively in Nueva Ecija. Armed men shot Arturo Caloza to death on March 4 while he was attending a wake in San Jose City. Stray bullets in Calozas shooting hit two other civilians, Geronimo Pablo and Adelaida Corpuz. Meanwhile, four armed men allegedly abducted victims Pepito Campus and Leonardo Parungao on February 18 in San Antonio. They were traveling together with 10 other students onboard their service vehicle when abducted.
According to a report from Karapatan (Alliance for the Advancement of Peoples Rights), at around 9pm on March 4, Caloza told his wife Julita that he was going to the wake of their neighbor in Zone 5. Before leaving, he told her to close the door and that he would be back soon. Caloza then went to the wake together with his father-in-law Clemente Somera and Uncle Dionisio Caloza.
Upon arriving at the wake, they sat at one of the tables to play cards. They were playing until about 10:30pm when a man suddenly approached and shot Caloza. The gunman was wearing a ski mask and a black and blue jacket, and had a dark complexion and short hair. According to witnesses, Caloza fell to the ground from his chair after being shot in the back. When Caloza attempted to look up at the gunman, he was shot again; this time in his chest. Stray bullets hit two persons, namely Ursula Tabelin and Geronimo Pablo.
Tabelin started screaming for help. Her son Benjamin immediately responded and took her to a nearby hospital where she was given first aid and was later transferred to another medical centre for appropriate treatment.
After lying on the ground for almost two hours, Caloza was finally taken by villager, Luis Cariaga, to the Heart of Jesus Hospital at Malasin, San Jose City. It is reported that no one dared to go close to the crime scene or take Caloza to the hospital until Cariaga came. Caloza was already dead on arrival at the hospital.
When the shooting took place, soldiers stationed 60 meters from the crime scene reportedly did not respond to the gunfire or attempt to pursue the attackers. They also did not exert any effort in helping the wounded victims or taking them to hospital.
Prior to the incident, on January 21 and 30, soldiers attached to the 48th and 70th Infantry Battalion, Philippine Army, reportedly conducted surveys of Barangay (village) Villa Marina. On January 23, they converted the Barangay Hall into a military detachment. The villagers, however, were not properly notified regarding the purpose of their stay and how long they would be stationed in the area. The soldiers also had been conducting interviews among the villagers.
The soldiers interviewed the victims wife Julita prior to her husbands killing. During the interview, she was told that her husband is known as a certain “Ka Ambot” and that he is a member of New Peoples Army (NPA), a communist rebel group. She was also asked for the name of their child.
It is reported that another villager, Adelaida Corpuz, a member of party list Bayan Muna and worker of the same barangay had been “invited” by the soldiers for questioning at the Barangay Hall but has repeatedly refused to attend. Because of her refusal, soldiers accused her of being a communist sympathiser. Her active participation in protest rallies and involvement with the peasants struggle in San Jose City is also being used to justify her alleged sympathy to the communists. The soldiers also tried to take pictures of her but she prevented them from doing so. Please see our previous appeals of cases similar to this practice: UA-030-2006.
Together with other members of Bayan Muna in their community, the soldiers have allegedly continued on threatening them. Adelaida and other members of Bayan Muna in their village fear that something terrible may also happen to them.
In a separate incident, on 18 February 2006 at 2pm, Pepito Campus and Leonardo Parungao were riding in their Barangay service vehicle together with Elizabeth Parungao, a community youth leader and around 10 other student youths who are residents of Barangay Bagong Sikat, Cabiao. They were passing in between Barangay Luyos and Buliran (near the garbage dumpsite) in San Antoni, Nueva Ecija when four armed men stopped them. The men were wearing sleeved sweatshirts printed with POLICE on them.
The armed men held them for inspection as they were conducting checkpoints in the area. When the vehicle pulled over, they then ordered Campus and Parungao to step outside of the vehicle. According to the students, one of the soldiers stepped on Parungaos head, tied his hands behind his back and forced him into a maroon van that had no license plate. The get-away van headed towards Barangay Marawa, Jaen and La Paz, Tarlac. The victims whereabouts remain unknown.
According to Elizabeth and her companions, they had just come from the town of Jaen, Nueva Ecija when the incident happened. They immediately informed the victims families who then reported this to the police in San Antonio. The police, however, denied having set up a checkpoint and deploying policemen in the area where the victims were abducted. The policemen instead said that soldiers led by Captain Renato Rebuelto are frequently patrolling in the said place. The police are unaware of which unit Rebueltos group is attached.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write letters to the agencies listed below to raise your concern about the killing of Arturo Caloza and the forcible disappearance of Pepito Campus and Leonardo Parungao. An impartial and immediate investigation is required to identify those responsible in Calozas death. An inquiry into the alleged threats, harassment and intimidation allegedly perpetrated by elements of the 48th and 70th Infantry Battalions of the Philippine Army must also be investigated. They must be held liable and sanctions must be immediately imposed upon them if indeed the manner in which they are performing their duties is arbitrary and abusive.
The concerned authorities must exhaust all means to locate the whereabouts of disappeared victims Campus and Parungao. Considering that there are witnesses to the incident, statements and evidence gathered must be adequately investigated. Appropriate protection and security must be afforded to witnesses because it is essential to effectively identify and prosecute the perpetrators. The concerned authorities must closely coordinate with the families of the disappeared.
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear _________,
PHILIPPINES: Another political activist killed and two men forcibly disappeared in separate incidents in Nueva Ecija
Case 1:
Name of victim killed: Arturo Caloza (28), a resident of Zone 3, Barangay (village) Villa Marina, San Jose City, Nueva Ecija. He was a peasant and member of party list Bayan Muna (People First)
Name of victims wounded: Geronimo Pablo (45) and Ursula Tabelin (65), both are peasants and residents of the same village.
Name of villager being harassed: Adelaida Corpuz. She is a member of Bayan Muna (People First) and resident of the same place.
Name of unit allegedly harassing villagers: 48th Infantry Battalion (IB), Philippine
Army and the 70th (IB) led by 2nd Lt. Ruizal and S/Sgt Fronda
Place of incident: Zone 5, Barangay Villa Marina, San Jose City, Nueva Ecija Center
Date and time of incident: 4 March 2006 at around 10pm
Case 2:
Names of victims:
1. Pepito Campus (60). He was the Barangay (village) chairman of Bagong Sikat, Cabiao, Nueva Ecija.
2. Leonardo Parungao (49). He was the chief of security officer of the village.
Name of alleged perpetrators: Four armed men wearing bonnets and black sweatshirts printed with POLICE on them.
Place of incident: In between Barangay Luyos and Buliran, San Antonio, Nueva Ecija
Date of incident: 18 February 2006
It has come to my attention that a political activist Arturo Caloza was killed while another two persons, Pepito Campus and Leonardo Parungao, were forcibly disappeared in separate incidents on 4 March and 19 February respectively in Nueva Ecija.
I am aware that Caloza was shot dead by a gunman while playing cards together with other civilians present at a wake in Barangay Villa Marina, San Jose City. He was shot in the back and chest. Two other persons sitting close to him, namely Geronimo Pablo (45) and Ursula Tabelin (65), were also hit. Although Caloza was taken to hospital he died on the way. He had been left lying on the ground for close to two hours after the shooting as nobody dared to take him for medical attention.
I am extremely disappointed by the alleged failure of soldiers stationed close to the shooting incident to respond immediately by either pursuing the gunman or taking the victims to hospital. Such a failure by the authorities in this particular case is totally unacceptable and constitutes a negligence of duty. They must be held liable if indeed they neglected their duties in immediately responding to the shooting.
I have also learned that prior to Calozas killing, there were instances where his wife Julita was intimidated by soldiers who accused her husband of being a communist rebel. I have learned that elements believed to be attached to either the 48th or the 70th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army is allegedly to be conducting doing such arbitrary practices. I have also learned that another villager, Adelaida Corpuz, also fears for her life because of the soldiers continued harassment of her. She has been invited for questioning but has repeatedly refused to attend. As a result of her refusal, she is being accused of being sympathetic to the communist cause. Any person invited for questioning must be assisted by a legal counsel. To summon villagers against their will despite having no formal charges against them filed in court is illegal. Only policemen have the authority to conduct any investigation – not the military.
In another incident, the whereabouts of two disappeared victims, Pepito Campus and Leonardo Parungao remain unknown following their abduction on February 18 in San Antonio, Nueva Ecija. Armed men wearing sleeve sweatshirts with POLICE printed on them, are alleged to have taken the two men and driven off towards the La Paz, Tarlac direction. Although the police in San Antonio denied deploying policemen in the area, their effort to identify the perpetrators has been completely negligible despite having a number of witnesses to the incident.
I am deeply concerned that the information and leads provided by witnesses may have not been adequately investigated by the investigating policemen. I am unaware of any follow-up effort to identify the perpetrators and locate the whereabouts of the victims. I have learned that the elements of soldiers being lead by Captain Renato Rebuelto are frequently conducting operations in the area, according to reports of police in San Antonio. No inquiry has been conducted to gather information from Rebuelto and his troops as to whether they have monitored armed elements operating in their area or whether some of their troops might be involved.
I urge your immediate intervention to ensure that these cases are investigated properly and effectively. The police investigators should employ improved means of investigations in order to reach a conclusive finding into these cases. The perpetrator in Calozas killing must be identified. His family and other civilians who were wounded during the incident must be afforded with appropriate assistance and compensation. Sustainable security and protection must also be provided to Calozas wife Julita and their child once the investigation commences. The soldiers who allegedly failed to respond to Calozas killing despite being close to the shooting incident must be held liable for their negligence and must also be investigated to answer to the allegations of threatening and harassing villagers. An improved military and police service is required to ensure the safety of the villagers in the area.
Furthermore, I urge you to exhaust all means to locate disappeared victims Campus and Parungao. The concerned authorities must actively involve the respective families of the disappeared victims in any effort to locate them and to identify the perpetrators. The witnesses to the incident must be afforded with appropriate security protection if required by the Department of Justice (DoJ) once the investigation commences. The concerned police office must adequately investigate any statements, leads and information provided to them.
I trust that you will take immediate action in these cases.
Yours sincerely,
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PLEASE SEND LETTERS TO:
1. Ms. Purificacion Quisumbing
Commissioner
Commission on Human Rights
SAAC Bldg., Commonwealth Avenue
U.P. Complex, Diliman
Quezon City
PHILIPPINES
Tel: +63 2 928 5655 / 926 6188
Fax: +63 2 929 0102
Email: drpvq@chr.gov.ph
2. P/DIR Gen. Arturo Lumibao
Chief, Philippine National Police (PNP)
Camp General Rafael Crame
Quezon City
PHILIPPINES
Tel: +63 2726 4361/4366/8763
Fax: +63 2724 8763
3. Mr. Raul Gonzalez
Secretary
Department of Justice
DOJ Bldg., Padre Faura
1004 Manila
PHILIPPINES
Fax: +63 2 521 1614
Email: sechbp@infocom.com.ph
4. Gen. Generoso Senga
Chief of Staff
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)
Armed Forces of the Philippines General Headquarters Offices (AFP-GHQ)
Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo
Quezon City
PHILIPPINES
5. Mr. Philip Alston
Special Rapporteur on Extra-judicial, Summary, or Arbitrary Executions
Atten: Lydie Ventre
Room 3-016, c/o OHCHR-UNOG
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Tel: +41 22 917 9155
Fax: +41 22 917 9006 (general)
Email: lventre@ohchr.org
6. Ms. Yakin Erturk
Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women
c/o Ms Vernonica Birga
Room 3-042
c/o OHCHR-UNOG
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Tel: +41 22 917 9615
Fax: +41 22 917 9006 (ATTN: SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN)
Email: vbirga@ohchr.org (please also cc: rrico@ohchr.org)
7. Mr. Stephen J. Toope,
Chairperson
UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances
C/o OHCHR-UNOG
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Fax: +41 22 917 9006
E-mail: urgent-action@ohchr.org
8. Prof. Manfred Nowak
Special Rapporteur on the Question of Torture
Attn: Mr. Safir Syed
C/o OHCHR-UNOG
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Tel: +41 22 917 9230
Fax: +41 22 917 9016 (general)
E-mail: ssyed@ohchr.org
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ahrchk@ahrchk.org)
