The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) regrets to inform you that three months after a land rights activist was killed in Negros Occidental, there is no progress in the investigation of his case. He was assisting farm workers to organize their community as they attempted to claim ownership of the land they were cultivating. After he refused to accept a bribe to stop his activities, he was shot dead in front of his wife and cousin.
CASE DETAILS: (Based on documentation by the Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP))
On 29 November 2014 at 9pm, Rolando Panggo, 47, of Barangay (village) Payao, Binalbagan, Negros Occidental, was shot dead by unknown gunmen at the crossing in Hacienda Garrason in Barangay San Jose, Binalbagan, Negros Occidental. At the time of his death, he was a community organizer for the Worker’s Party (Partido Manggagawa).
Panggo’s party was holding a meeting of farm worker members in sugarcane plantations. They were making preparations for activities to mark Bonifacio Day (on November 30) in Binalbagan, Negros Occidental. At 9pm, his wife Nemsie, her husband and his cousin, Rolly Herollo, were riding a single motorcycle on their way home.
When they reached the crossing in Hacienda Garrason, Barangay San Jose, Binalbagan, Negros Occidental, a car with five unknown persons overtook them and blocked their path. Two of them alighted from their car walking towards Panggo. They forcibly dragged him away then shot him dead at close range.
The gunmen ordered Panggo’s cousin, Herollo, to drop to the ground, then kicked him in the head. Nemsie said her husband sustained eight gunshot wounds, one in the left side of his head, the others to his right shoulder and back. Herollo told Nemsie that he heard the perpetrators saying: “Kasabad sa imo, pati duta ginahilabtan mo pa.” (You are a troublesome person. You interfere even in land problems.)
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
In 1994, a Spanish-Filipino sugarcane planter, Manuel Lamata, leased the property of Hacienda Salud, and it became landholding up to the present. In June 2013, the farm workers of Hacienda Salud sought the assistance of Partido Manggagawa (PM). He was asked to intervene on their behalf in their pending petition to have the farmland covered under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).
Panggo was assigned by his organization to assist the farmers in the communities of Binalbagan and Isabilla. From that time, Panggo worked with the members of the Hacienda Salud Farm Workers Association (HASAFAWA).
Days before Panggo’s murder, his wife Nemsie remembered that three of Lamata’s men came to their house. They allegedly offered Panggo cash and a farm lot if he would stop his activities, namely, organizing the farm workers in their claims on the land of Hacienda Salud. Panggo refused the offer.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write letters to the concerned authorities listed below expressing your concern about this case.
The AHRC is also writing a separate letter to the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights defenders and on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions.
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SAMPLE LETTER
Dear __________,
PHILIPPINES: A land rights activist was killed in front of his wife and cousin, for refusing a bribe to stop helping landless farmers
Name of killed victim: Rolando Panggo, 47 years old, of Barangay (village) Payao, Binalbagan, Negros Occidental. He was a community organizer for the Worker’s Party (Partido ng Manggagawa).
Alleged Perpetrators: Five unidentified men alleged to have links with Manuel Lamata, a sugarcane planter who leased the Hacienda Salud.
Date of incident: 29 November 2014 at 9pm
Place of incident: at the crossing of Hacienda Garrason, Binalbagan, Negros Occidental.
I am writing to express my deep concern on the killing of Rolando Panggo, a land rights activist and community organizer. Three months after his murder, there has been no progress in the investigation of his case. Panggo had been assisting farm workers to organize their communities. They were in the process of claiming ownership of the land they were cultivating.
Panggo was killed days after he refused to accept a bribe to stop his activities. He was shot dead in front of his wife and cousin. It was on 29 November 2014 at 9pm, that Panggo was shot dead by unknown gunmen at the crossing of Hacienda Garrason in Barangay San Jose, Binalbagan, Negros Occidental. He was an organizer for the Worker’s Party (Partido Manggagawa) at the time of his death.
Panggo’s party was holding a meeting of farm worker members in sugarcane plantations. They were making preparations for activities to commemorate Bonifacio Day in Binalbagan, Negros Occidental. At 9pm, Nemsie, her husband and his cousin, Rolly Herollo, were riding a single motorcycle on their way home.
When they reached the crossing in Hacienda Garrason, Barangay San Jose, Binalbagan, Negros Occidental, a car with five unknown persons inside overtook them, blocking their path. Two of them alighted from their car walking towards Panggo. They forcibly dragged him away, shooting him dead at close range.
The gunmen ordered Panggo’s cousin, Herollo, to drop to the ground and kicked him in the head. Nemsie said her husband sustained eight gunshot wounds, one in the left side of his head, the others in his right shoulder and back. Rolly told Nemsie that he heard the perpetrators saying: “Kasabad sa imo, pati duta ginahilabtan mo pa.” (You are a troublesome person. You interfere even in land problems.)
Prior to Panggo’s murder, in 1994, A Spanish-Filipino sugarcane planter, Manuel Lamata, had leased the Hacienda Salud, and it became landholding up to present. In June 2013, the farm workers of Hacienda Salud sought the assistance of Partido Manggagawa (PM). They were asked to intervene on their behalf on their pending petition to have the farmland covered under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).
Panggo was assigned by his organization to assist the farmers in the communities of Binalbagan and Isabilla. From that time on, Panggo worked with the members of the Hacienda Salud Farm Workers Association (HASAFAWA).
Days before Panggo’s murder, his wife Nemsie remembered that three of Lamata’s men came to their house. They allegedly offered cash and a farm lot if Panggo would stop his activities. He had been helping farm workers with claims to ownership of their land in the Hacienda Salud. Panggo refused the offer.
I am deeply concerned that despite his wife, Nemie and his cousin, Herollo, being eyewitnesses to Panggo’s murder, there has not been any substantial progress made in the investigation. Prior to his murder, Nemie met with the three men who allegedly had links to the sugarcane planter, and who offered him a bribe.
Nemie’s testimony should be able to assist the investigators and prosecutors in the identification of the gunmen, and the one in charge who gave the orders. Whoever killed Panggo had a clear intention. They wanted to stop him from supporting the farm workers who were demanding ownership of the land they were cultivating.
I trust that you will take appropriate action in this case.
Yours sincerely,
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PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:
1. Mr. Benigno Aquino III
President
Republic of the Philippines
Malacanang Palace
JP Laurel Street, San Miguel
Manila 1005
PHILIPPINES
Fax: +63 2 736 1010
Tel: +63 2 735 6201 / 564 1451 to 80
2. Ms. Loretta Ann Rosales
Commission on Human Rights
SAAC Bldg., Commonwealth Avenue
U.P. Complex, Diliman
Quezon City
PHILIPPINES
Fax: +63 2 929 0102
Tel: +63 2 928 5655 / 926 6188
E-mail: chair.rosales.chr@gmail.com
3. Police Director Alan LM Purisima
Chief, Philippine National Police
Camp General Rafael Crame
Quezon City, Philippines
Fax +632 7248763
Email: feedback@pnp.gov.ph
4. Ms. Leila de Lima
Secretary
Department of Justice (DOJ)
DOJ Bldg., Padre Faura
1004 Manila
PHILIPPINES
Fax: +63 2 521 1614
E-mail: soj@doj.gov.ph
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ua@ahrc.asia)
