Dear friends
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is concerned by the information that another member of a party list organization has been killed in Mindoro Oriental, Philippines. Isaias Manano Jr, 23, was shot on his way home from visiting a mayoral candidate in Calapan city. Manano was the secretary general of Anakpawis-Mindoro Oriental (Toiling Masses-Mindoro Oriental) as well as a church youth leader. Manano allegedly received threats before his death due to his exposure of military atrocities and human rights abuses within the province.
There have been several such summary killings this year, all of party list and progressive organization members. This is presumably related to the national elections being held in the Philippines on 10 May 2004. Your urgent action is required to pressure the authorities to conduct an investigation into the killings and compensate the victims’ families.
Urgent Appeals Desk
Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)
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DETAILED INFORMATION:
Victim: Isaias Manano Jr, 23 years old, secretary-general of Anakpawis-Mindoro Oriental, Philippines
Date of incident: 28 April 2004
Place of incident: near the Divine Word College, Calapan city, Philippines
After hearing gunshots and cries for help, witnesses saw Isaias Manano Jr. wounded yet still alive, lying in a fetal position on the ground and crying for help. His assailant approached him and fired another shot, killing Manano.
Manano thus became the fifth leader of a progressive party killed in Mindoro Oriental. He was the secretary general of Anakpawis-Mindoro Oriental (Toiling Masses-Mindoro Oriental), a progressive party vying for a party list seat in the Philippine Congress.
At around 8 pm on April 28, Manano and Anakpawis Vice-Chair Guillermo Coz went to visit mayoral candidate Bodjie Ignacio at his residence/headquarters in Block 4, Brgy. Pachoca subdivision, Calapan city. By the time they left Ignacio’s house at around 9 pm, the neighborhood’s unlit streets were deserted. The two walked toward the main highway hoping they would chance upon a passing tricycle for their ride home. They had not yet walked far when Coz noticed a suspicious-looking man following them. He described the person as heavily-built, sporting a short haircut, wearing a black t-shirt, shorts, rubber slippers and carrying a pack bag slung over his right shoulder. After seeing the man reach for something inside his bag, Coz and Manano quickened their pace. The man quickly caught up with them, following them by as close as three meters.
Upon reaching Block 1 of Brgy. Pachoca, Coz and Manano decided to part ways to evade the man. Manano crossed the street while Coz continued walking. Suddenly, Coz heard a shot being fired and Manano’s cry of pain. When he turned to look, Coz saw Manano fall to the ground and the assailant aiming at him from a kneeling position. Coz dodged and ran for safety while shouting for help.
According to a fact finding mission report by Tanggol Karapatan (Defend Human Rights), a human rights organization in Southern Tagalog, Manano died on the spot from two gunshot wounds. The first bullet, of a still-undetermined caliber, hit Manano in the back near the spinal column and exited through his stomach. The other bullet entered the right side of Manano’s temple and exited below his left ear.
A spokesperson from Tanggol Karaptan reported that the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is allegedly involved in the killing, particularly the 204th Infantry Brigade commanded by Col. Fernando Mesa. Manano had been active in the campaign against massive deployment of AFP soldiers and the widespread human rights violations in Mindoro Oriental. Because of this and his involvement in Anakpawis, he earned the ire of the military. Manamo reportedly also faced grave threats and harassment before his death, when he actively exposed military atrocities and human rights abuses in the province.
In a television interview, Bayan Muna Party-list representative Satur Ocampo lambasted the military, particularly the 204th Infantry Battalion (IB), for the killings. However, Col. Fernando Mesa denied that it was the military who killed Manano.
Manamo was also a church youth leader belonging to the Christian Youth Fellowship (CYF) of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP).
The Promotion of Church People’s Response (PCPR) called on the human rights monitoring body of the government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) to immediately pursue an investigation into the numerous cases of political killings in Mindoro Oriental.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The national elections will be held in the Philippines on Monday, 10 May 2004. These elections will determine the president, vice president, members of the senate and the lower congress. There are many party list groups running in the current elections. The party list is a group of parties who represent various marginalized sectors of society, such as farmers or students. These parties have been branded by the current Philippine administration as ‘communist’, without any reliable basis and are therefore being targeted. According to the national co-chairman of the PCPR, Rev. Fr. Allan Jose Arcebuche, “The series of political harassment and brutal killings of members of BAYAN MUNA, ANAKAPWIS and other progressive party list groups is the direct consequence of the McCarthyist witch-hunting of National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales and the demonization of said party list groups by the military.”
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write a letter to the authorities below expressing your concern at the summary killings in Mindoro Oriental.
1. Ms. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
President, Republic of the Philippines
New Executive Bldg.
Malacanang Palace Compound, J. P. Laurel St.
San Miguel, Manila,
PHILIPPINES
Fax: (+63) 2 929 3968
E-mail: opnet@ops.gov.ph, kgma@yahoogroups.com
2. The Secretary of Justice
The Department of Justice (DOJ) Philippines
Department of National Defense
Camp Gen. Emelio Aguinaldo
Quezon City,
PHILIPPINES
E-mail: osnd@philonline.com
3. Purificacion Quisumbing
Commissioner
Commission on Human Rights (CHR)
SAAC Bldg., Commonwealth Ave.
U.P. Complex, Diliman, Quezon City
PHILIPPINES
Fax: (+632) 929 0101 / 928 0848
E-mail: drpvq@chr.gov.ph
4. Ms. Asma Jahangir
Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary
or arbitrary executions
c/o OHCHR-UNOG, 1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Tel: +92 42 5763 234
Fax: +41 22 917 9006 / +92 42 5763 236
Email: webadmin.hchr@unog.ch or asmalaw@brain.net.pk
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear
Re: Victim of summary killings shot in Mindoro Oriental prior to national elections
I am concerned by the killing of Isaias Manano, who has become the fifth leader of a progressive party killed in Mindoro Oriental, Philippines. Manano was the secretary general of Anakpawis-Mindoro Oriental (Toiling Masses-Mindoro Oriental), a progressive party vying for a party list seat in the Philippine Congress.
It has been alleged that the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is allegedly involved in the killing, particularly the 204th Infantry Brigade commanded by Col. Fernando Mesa. Manano had been active in the campaign against massive deployment of AFP soldiers and widespread human rights violations in Mindoro Oriental. Because of this and his involvement in Anakpawis, he earned the ire of the military. Manamo reportedly also faced grave threats and harassment before his death, when he actively exposed military atrocities and human rights abuses in the province.
At around 8 pm on 28 April 2004, Manano and Anakpawis Vice-Chair Guillermo Coz went to visit mayoral candidate Bodjie Ignacio at his residence/headquarters in Block 4, Brgy. Pachoca subdivision, Calapan city. They left Ignacio’s house at around 9 pm, and as they walked towards the main road, they noticed a man following them. They decided to part ways to evade the man. Manano crossed the street while Coz continued walking. Suddenly, Coz heard a shot being fired and Manano’s cry of pain. When he turned to look, Coz saw Manano fall to the ground and the assailant aiming at him from a kneeling position. Coz dodged and ran for safety while shouting for help.
According to a report by Tanggol Karapatan (Defend Human Rights), a human rights organization in Southern Tagalog, Manano died on the spot from two gunshot wounds. The first bullet, of a still-undetermined caliber, hit Manano in the back near the spinal column and exited through his stomach. The other bullet entered the right side of Manano’s temple and exited below his left ear.
According to the national co-chairman of the Promotion of Church People’s Response (PCPR), Rev. Fr. Allan Jose Arcebuche, “The series of political harassment and brutal killings of members of BAYAN MUNA, ANAKAPWIS and other progressive party list groups is the direct consequence of the McCarthyist witch-hunting of National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales and the demonization of said party list groups by the military.”
I join the PCPR’s call on the human rights monitoring body of the government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) to immediately pursue an investigation into the numerous cases of political killings in Mindoro Oriental. This level of violence raises the question of the legitimacy of the Philippine elections and the status of democracy in the country. I urge you to ensure the rule of law is upheld and that the victims’ families are suitably compensated.
Yours sincerely,
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Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Program
Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)
