Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) deeply regrets to inform you that three more activists have been killed in separate incidents in the Philippines on August 20, 22 and 24. According to information received from various sources on August 20, peasant leader Hermelino Marqueza was killed in his house in Tandag, Surigao del Sur. On August 22, transport leader Ambrosio Paler (47) was killed in an ambush in Pasay City, Metro Manila. On August 24, farmer Ceasar Quimco (62) was killed in a public crowd in Carmen, Cebu.
According to a report from the KARAPATAN (Alliance for the Advancement of Peoples’ Rights-Central Visayas), a human rights group in the Visayas, Quimco was with his nephews at a crowded mobile disco located in Sitio Malubog, Barangay (village) Ipil when gunmen from the crowd shot him repeatedly at around 1am.
It is reported that when Quimco was with his nephews, a hooded gunman with a black bonnet suddenly emerged from the crowd and yelled, “Palunga ang suga! (Put off the lights!)”. Soon after the lights were put off, eleven shots rang out loud. Quimco’s nephews later saw his dead body falling to the ground. He suffered eleven fatal gunshot wounds.
There are allegations that elements of the 78th Infantry Battalion (IB), Philippine Army, may have been involved in the victim’s murder. It is reported that in 2004, Corporal Richard C. Semillano and Private First Class (PFC) Leo Catamin Atriz, all attached to the Apha Company of the same military unit, filed charges of frustrated murder against Quimco. The incident stemmed from an earlier incident when Quimco tried to restrain the two soldiers from brutally beating up his nephew.
After the incident, Quimco had surrendered to the local police to seek refuge as a result from constant threats by the said military men. Quimco’s house and his family had since been the object of raids that are often illegal. Prior to the incident, Quimco had already had threats on his life. Quimco, a former political detainee, was released from the Carmen Municipal Jail after he posted bail last year at the municipal court of Catmon-Carmen-Sogod, Cebu.
Various sources likewise revealed that on August 20, unidentified gunman, armed with M-14 rifles, shot dead Marqueza in his house in Barangay (village) Maitum at around 11pm. At the time of his death, Marqueza was an active leader of a peasant group Kapunungan sa Mag-uuma sa Surigao. He was also the provincial chapter leader of the Peasant Movement of the Philippines (Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas-KMP).
In another case, transport leader Ambrosio Paler of the Samahan ng mga Jeepney Operators sa Evangelista (SODGOVEL), was killed in an ambush allegedly by gun men along Libertad Street in Pasay City, Metro Manila. He was declared dead on arrival when taken to the Sanitarium Hospital due to multiple gunshot wounds to his body. Paler’s campaign to eradicate colorum (no-franchise) public utility vehicles (PUVs) at the time of his death is said to be the motive of the murder.
Reports reveal that Paler may have got the ire of vehicle owners who are maintaining illegal operations of the PUVs from the areas of Cavite, Laguna and Batangas City that have no franchise. Paler’s family claimed he had no known enemies. It is reported that five days prior to the incident on August 17, illegal operators had already been barred from plying their usual routes without franchise.
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SAMPLE LETTER
Dear _________,
PHILIPPINES: Three more activists killed in latest attacks
CASE 1:
Name of the victim killed: Ceasar Quimco (62), a resident of Sitio Malubog, Barangay (village) Ipil, Carmen, Cebu
Alleged perpetrators: Elements of the 78th Infantry Battalion, Philippine Army.
Place of incident: Sitio Malubog, Barangay (village) Ipil, Carmen, Cebu
Date of incident: August 24, 2006 at around 1am
CASE 2:
Name of the victim killed: Ambrosio Paler (47), president of a transport group Samahan ng mga Jeepney Operators sa Evangelista (SODGOVEL)
Alleged perpetrators: unknown gunmen
Place of incident: along Libertad Street in Pasay City, Metro Manila.
Date of incident: in the morning of 22 August 2006
CASE 3:
Name of the victim killed: Hermelino Marqueza. He was an active leader of a peasant group Kapunungan sa Mag-uuma sa Surigao. He was also the provincial chapter leader of Peasant Movement of the Philippines (Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas-KMP).
Alleged perpetrators: unknown gunmen
Place of incident: Barangay (village) Maitum, Tandag, Surigao del Sur
Date of incident: August 20, 2006 at around 11pm
I am writing with extreme shock to learn about the killings of three more activists, namely Hermelino Marqueza, Ambrosio Paler and Ceasar Quimco, in separate attacks. According to information I have received, peasant leader Marqueza was slain in his house in Tandag, Surigao del Sur August 20. On August 22 and 24, transport leader Paler and peasant Quimco were killed in separate attacks in Pasay City and Carmen, Cebu respectively.
I have learned that Marqueza’s attackers were armed with an M-14 rifle when shooting him. At the time of his death, he was an active leader of the peasant group Kapunungan sa Mag-uuma sa Surigao, contrary to police’ claims he was not an activist. I however urge you to ensure that this case is adequately and effectively investigated–regardless of whether he is an activist or not. Criminal investigation must remain a basic function of the police.
I also urged you to have the elements of the 78th Infantry Battalion, Philippine Army, investigated regarding allegations of their possible involvement in Quimco’s killing. I am aware that prior to the incident, he already had threats on his life and his family had been the object of harassment by the same military unit. I am aware that Quimco has had a previous conflict with the two military men attached to the said unit.
While the involvement of the military men in Quimco’s killing is yet to be investigated, I am seriously concerned about the absence of protection to the slain victim’s family. I am not yet aware of any actions taken against the two military men, or whether or not they have been investigated to answer to the allegations against them. Given this situation, the absence of security to the victim’s family is of serious concerns.
In another case, the killing of Paler was reported to have been related to his campaign against the illegal operation of public utility vehicles (PUVs) in his area. I am deeply concerned of the police’s inadequate investigation in this case. I am disappointed that although the possible perpetrators of the killings was already made known to the police–after it was reported by the victim’s colleagues–there have been no significant progress in this case. I am not aware of any investigation conducted to the person’s possibly involved or action to identify and subsequently arrest the perpetrators.
It is therefore necessary that appropriate measures be conducted on these cases. While I appreciate the creation of the Melo Commission, a Commission tasked to investigate the relentless extra-judicial killings in the country, I maintain a high level of reservations as to how justice is served for these victims–in particular these cases above. As you are aware, most of the cases have not shown any progress, perpetrators have not been identified, arrested and prosecuted. The killings still continue.
Once again, I urge you to exhaust all means possible in this matter.
Yours sincerely,
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PLEASE SEND YOUR 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
2. Mr. Orlando Casimiro
Deputy Ombudsman
Office of the Deputy Ombudsman for the Military and
Other Law Enforcement Offices
3rd Floor, Ombudsman Bldg., Agham Road, Diliman (1104)
Quezon City
PHILIPPINES
Tel: +632 926 9032
Fax: +63 2 926 8747
3. Director General Oscar Calderon
Chief, Philippine National Police (PNP)
Camp General Rafael Crame
Quezon City
PHILIPPINES
Tel: +63 2726 4361/4366/8763
Fax: +63 2724 8763
4. Mr. Raul Gonzalez
Secretary
Department of Justice
DOJ Bldg., Padre Faura
1004 Manila
PHILIPPINES
Fax: +63 2 521 1614
5. Mr. Ronaldo V. Puno
Secretary
Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG)
A. Francisco Gold Condominium II
EDSA cor. Mapagmahal St., Diliman
Quezon City
PHILIPPINES
Voice: +63 2 925 0330 / 31
Fax: +63 2 925 0332
Email: rvpuno@dilg.gov.ph
6. Ms. Hina Jilani
Special Representative of the Secretary General for human rights defenders
Attn: Melinda Ching Simon
Room 1-040
C/o OHCHR-UNOG
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Tel: +41 22 917 93 88
Fax: +41 22 917 9006 (ATTN: SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS)
7. Mr. Philip Alston
Special Rapporteur on Extra-judicial, Summary, or Arbitrary Executions
Attn: Lydie Ventre
Room 3-016
C/o OHCHR-UNOG
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Tel: +41 22 917 9155
Fax: +41 22 917 9006 (ATTN: SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR EXECUTIONS)
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ahrchk@ahrchk.org)
