Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to forward to you the following press release from Front Line Defenders regarding the case of Temogen “Cocoy” Tulawie.
You can also visit http://www.frontlinedefenders.org/node/17068 to take action.
Asian Human Rights Commission
Hong Kong
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A Press Release from Front Line Defenders forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)
On 13 January 2012, prominent human rights defender Mr Temogen Tulawie was arrested at his house in Davao City. 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.
Temogen Tulawie’s human rights activities include public information campaigns, organising peace rallies and peaceful protests as well as fact-finding missions regarding militarisation and human rights violations.
On 13 January 2012, at approximately 11:45 pm, elements of Military Intelligence Group, Region 9 led by Sergeant Reyes, members of the Special Action Force, led by Superintendent Fernando Ortega and members of the Police Regional Group, Region 11 based in Davao City, entered the house of Temogen Tulawie in Elenita Heights Subdivision, Cataluan Grande and arrested him in the presence of his two children.
Temogen Tulawie did not resist arrest and was first taken to Talomo Police Station before being brought to Davao Regional Hospital for a medical check-up. He was subsequently taken to the Office of the Intelligence Division at Camp Catitipan, Davao City for proper documentation. He is currently being detained at Davao City Police Office in Camp Domingo Lenor.
Charges of multiple frustrated murder and attempted murder, which he strongly denies, had been filed against Temogen Tulawie on 22 July 2009, in connection with the bombing incident of 13 May 2009, in which 12 persons were wounded including Governor Abdusakur Tan of the Province of Sulu.
According to information received, Temogen Tulawie was planning to give himself up voluntarily and to face the charges following the issuing of a motion by the Supreme Court on 13 June 2011, transferring the venue of the trial from Jolo in Sulu to the Regional Trial Court in Davao City. The charges are primarily based on statements of Mohammed Sulayman and Juhan Alihuddin who were arrested in connection with the bombing. Both admitted their culpability and implicated Temogen Tulaiwe in the incident. However, Juhan Alihuddin retracted his statement in June 2009 on the basis that it contained false information and was made under duress.
Temogen Tulawie was the subject of a previous Front Line Defenders appeal dated 9 November 2010 after he went into hiding following the issuing of the charges against him as he feared he would be denied a fair trial.
Temogen Tulawie is the former Provincial Chairperson of the Consortium of Bangsamoro Civil Society (CBCS), a coalition of Bangsamoro civil organizations (CSOs) within the province of Sulu.
He was active in setting up a local organisation named BAWBUG (Serve, Respect and Protect). BAWBUG was established to defend the rights of Muslim communities affected by military operations in Sulu.
He was also an active member of the Center for Humanitarian Dialogue (CHD) from 2004-2008 and a council member of the Non-Violent Peace Force (NP) in Sulu. In 2004 he was elected municipal councillor of the capital town of Jolo, and was one of the organisers of the Concerned Citizens of Sulu, an organisation that works for the democratisation of local politics, transparency in governance and upholding of civil rights and liberties of the residents of Sulu.
Front Line Defenders believes that the arrest, detention and charges brought against Temogen Tulawie are directly related to his work in defence of human rights.
For more details about this case, you can read:
PHILIPPINES: Temogen Tulawie case – prosecutors uses forced confessions as evidence
http://www.humanrights.asia/news/ahrc-news/AHRC-STM-011-2012
PHILIPPINES: Human Rights in Sulu: The Case of Temogen Tulawie
http://www.humanrights.asia/news/forwarded-news/AHRC-FAT-002-2011/
PHILIPPINES: “Guilty until proven innocent”
http://www.humanrights.asia/opinions/columns/AHRC-ETC-031-2010/
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