UPDATE (Philippines): Wounded victim in activist shooting dies 

[UA-34-2005 Killing of a labor rights activist for the Hacienda Luisita farm workers in Tarlac City; UP-26-2005 Priest supporting for the Hacienda Luisita farm workers in La Paz, Tarlac killed and two others wounded; UP-29-2005 Two more leaders from the Bayan Muna party are killed in Baguio and Tacloban City; UP-59-2005 Another human rights activist killed in Visayas]

Dear friends,

Further to our previous appeal, the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information that a person whom we reported wounded during the killing of Rev. Edison Lapuz on 12 May has died. The victim, Alfredo Malinao, was a peasant leader at the time of his death. Lapuz and Malinao were shot dead reportedly by three unidentified gunmen in San Isidto, Leyte.

Lapuz and Malinao became the latest victims of killings against political and human rights activists in Eastern Visayas. For further details please see UP-59-2005, UP-29-2005 and UA-30-2005. There has been growing suspicions to the alleged involvement of Major General Jovito Palparan, chief of the 8th Infantry Division, Philippine Army, regarding the killings, harassment and threats against political and human rights activists in the area.

Information received from the Promotion of Church Peoples Response (PCPR) claims that Maj. Gen. Palparan has been quoted in his previous pronouncements as if he was on a crusade to neutralize and eliminate activists. However, there has been no direct evidence to prove such allegations, nor any inquiries conducted to determine the veracity of such claims.

We therefore urge your immediate intervention asking both the Ombudsman for the Military and the Philippine Army of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to initiate an inquiry regarding Maj. Gen. Palparan previous statements against the activists. Such pronouncement must be dealt with accordingly. They must also initiate necessary restrictions on Maj. Gen. Palparan once the investigation commences to ensure its impartiality and independence.

Urgent Appeals Desk
Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)
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Brief reminder of the case:

Name of the victims: Rev. Edison Lapuz (39) and Alfredo Malinao
Date and place of incident: May 12, 2005 at around 5:30pm in San Isidro, Leyte
Perpetrators: Three unknown gunmen

Rev. Edison Lapuz and Alfredo Malinao were shot dead by three unidentified gunmen on 12 May 2005 around 5:30pm in San Isidro, Leyte.  They were the latest victims of killings against human rights activists in Eastern Visayas.

Rev. Allan Jose Arcebuche, the national chairman of the Promotion of Church Peoples Response (PCPR), believes that the perpetrators behind the killings of human rights lawyer Felidito Dacut and that of Lapuz and Malinao are one.  The name of Lapuz was reportedly included in the military’s Order of Battle and his photo was reportedly seen displayed at the camp of the Regional Mobile Group (RMG), a special police unit.

There have been several attacks on human rights activists in the area. On February 18, Fr. Allan Caparro, a priest for the Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI) and his wife Aileen, survived an assassination attempt (please see UA-30-2005 for details).

Rev. Arcebuche and his group suspects the killings and harassment of political and human rights activists happening in Eastern Samar, Visayas are in some way connected to Major General Jovito Palparan, chief of the 8th Infantry Division, Philippine Army based in Catbalogan, Samar. However, there has been no direct evidence yet to prove Palparan’s involvement, though he has been quoted in previous pronouncements as if he was on a crusade to neutralize the activists in his area.

The group’s demand to have Maj. Gen. Palparan, who was accused on 21 April 2003 of the killing of human rights activists Eden Marcellana and Eddie Gumanoy in Mindoro province, investigated over suspicions of involvement in the killings and harassment of human rights activists, has gone unnoticed.

 

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