Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been informed that another six persons have been killed on the pretext that they were either involved in criminal activities or had criminal records in General Santos City. The AHRC is seriously concerned by the continued failure by the concerned authorities to prevent these murders and to have the cases properly investigated.
UPDATED INFORMATION: (Based to a reliable source and other media sources)
Further to our previous appeal AHRC-UAG-008-2008, the AHRC has been informed that six other persons have fallen victim to “vigilante killings”, a style of murder systematically perpetrated by gunmen riding on motorcycles, on the pretext that the victims had been involved in criminal activities or had criminal records prior to their murder. Those who were murdered recently were:
1. GERMAN SANCHEZ, 27 years old; of Upper Matibay, Barangay (village) San Isidro, General Santos City. On May 24, German was driving his passenger tricycle going towards the downtown area from his place when he was shot dead, allegedly by his two passengers. The witnesses have claimed that it was his passengers, who he had just ferried, that shot him in the head. The gunmen, who had escaped after the incident, have not been seen since.
2. ALCON RAMIREZ, of Litan Phase 1, Barangay Sinawal, General Santos City. On May 24, Alcon whose elder brother, Danny (see Story No. 1 of our previous appeal) was shot dead in a robbery was himself killed. Alcon was driving his motorcycle together with his nephew, Laro Martinez, when they were attacked by five gunmen. Alcon suffered gunshot wounds to his head. The gunmen, who apparently had positioned themselves along the roadside, simultaneously open fired at them. Laro survived the shooting unhurt. Five empty shells from a .45 calibre pistol were found at the crime scene.
3. DALMACIO TIEWEN, 28 years old; of Purok Balunto, Barangay Labangal, General Santos City. On May 22 at around 9:30am, Dalmacio’s dead body was found at a village in Conel. Dalmacio’s colleague, Sammy Toremocho, last saw him alive on his way to claim his salary. His body bore several stab wounds and his right arm tied with a wire to his neck. The police investigator, Police Officer (PO2) Marvin Caresma, in absence of identification cards and documents from the victim, has implied that the victim was an unlikely target since he had no tattoo, an indication P02 Caresma claimed as proof of bad character.
4. VIENVINIDO AGUSTINES, 22 years old; of Dagohoy Paradise, Barangay North, General Santos City. On May 20, at around 8:40pm Vienvinido was walking on his way together with his two other companions when he was shot dead. The five men were apparently waiting for him at the roadside. He suffered gunshot wounds to his chest while his companions were unhurt. The gunmen immediately escaped onboard their motorcycle. Vienvinido’s neighbours immediately went to his rescue. They took him to a nearby hospital but he died on his way. But even before the police complete their investigation, they had already started looking into the victim’s background and his supposed criminal records.
5. ALVIN TULIO, of Zone 4, Barangay Labangal, General Santos City. On May 19, at around 1:30pm Alvin was approached by two men, who had introduced themselves to him as soldiers, who pretended that they were looking for his place. However, when Alvin pointed to them where he was living, they shot him in the head from behind using a .45 calibre pistol. He died on the spot due to fatal gunshot wounds. The gunmen had immediately escaped onboard their motorcycle. Alvin’s death had also been reported as yet another case of vigilante killing.
6. JERRY LAPATIS, 34 years old; of Purok 1 extension, Barangay Conel, General Santos City. On May 19, at around 8:30pm Jerry was together with his wife, Fe, taking part in his neighbour’s birthday party, when two of his five attackers shot him dead. He was seated outside his neighbour’s house when the attackers, armed with a .45 calibre pistol, suddenly appeared and shot twice in the head.
Jerry had tried to run away from his attacker but three other attackers had open fired at him as he was running. He slumped dead to the ground. Five empty shells from a .45 calibre pistol were recovered from the crime scene.
According to his wife, Fe, all the gunmen’s faces were covered by the balaclavas they were wearing. One of them shot her husband as he was seating outside. Upon seeing them shooting her husband, she even yelled at them to stop shooting him but they ignored her. She said her husband has done nothing wrong and that they were only planting vegetables as their means of livelihood there.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Although it already appears that some of the victims have had no criminal records, the police investigators nevertheless had already prematurely concludes they were all victims of “vigilante killings”. But though they are largely convinced the victims have had criminal records, they have continuously unable to address this phenomenon, which is contrary to their obligation to ensure protection of lives.
Also, not only this method of investigation had effectively become convenient excuse for the police for not doing their work by way of thoroughly investigating these cases, it likewise exposed the security and safety of any persons there to be become unnecessary targets, once they are suspected of having involved in criminal activities, without any sort of protection at all.
The AHRC has been seriously concerned by the manner in which the General Santos City Police Office (GSCPO) is investigating these murders since this pattern of arbitrary deprivation of lives began early this year. The methods of investigation employed by the police deprive the families of the dead of their rights to have the death of relatives adequately investigated; and they are forced to suffer the trauma of public humiliation for the reason that their relatives were supposedly criminals.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Please refer to our previous appeal (AHRC-UAG-008-2008) and kindly mention the names of these six victims above in addition to the previous one. Please urge the authorities to act on these cases effectively.
The AHRC has also written an appeal to the UN Special Rapporteur on Extra-judicial, Summary, or Arbitrary Executions calling for intervention in this matter.
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ua@ahrchk.org)
