Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from a local NGO, the Families of Victims of Involuntary Disappearance (FIND), that on 18 September 2006, two young men of indigenous ethnicity, Mr. Nicolas Sanchez (27) and Mr. Heherson Medina (29) from the Tarlac Province, were allegedly abducted by 30 military soldiers in camouflage uniforms. The FIND organization has lent their services to the families of the victims in conducting an extensive search operation for the 2 missing persons. Despite the identification of 2 Military Officers’ involvement in the abduction, the Police have still not taken any serious action.
CASE DETAILS:
According to information we have received from the Families of Victims of Involuntary Disappearance (FIND), a nationwide human rights NGO in the Philippines, Mr. Nicolas Sanchez (27) and Mr. Heherson Medina (29) were abducted between the hours of 1:00am and 2:00am on 18 September 2006 by over 30 armed men in military uniforms, while they were catching edible frogs for their families in Sitio Cabatuan, Barangay Bueno, Capas, Tarlac Province. The two victims were then forcibly taken into a truck and have been missing since then.
The two victims are cousins from the indigenous Aeta tribe of the Northern Philippines. They worked and earned their livelihood as farmers in the Tarlac Province, and according to family members, had no involvement in local politics whatsoever.
There were no credible eyewitnesses of the incident until late last year, when two persons came forward who claimed that they had reportedly seen the victims several times in several Military camps. According to their eyewitness testimony, on September 21, the two victims had been seen in a military truck at the gate of the Northern Luzon Command at Camp Servillano Aquino, San Miguel, Tarlac City.
The truck that had been used in the abduction of the Mr. Sanchez and Mr. Medina was later identified as the same vehicle model which was spotted at the compound of the 71st Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army in Hacienda Luisita in Tarlac City by the said witnesses.
The victims were also seen at a later date on September 24 and November 1 at the camp of the Bravo Company of the 71st Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army in Aqua Farm located inside of the Havienda Luisita in Barangay Cut-Cut II, Tarlac City.
The witnesses identified two Military officers, Second Lt. Ali Sumangil of the Bravo Company’s Commander of the 71st Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army and Technical Sgt. Gil Q. Villalobos, whom they allege know the whereabouts of the two victims.
The local NGO FIND and the Region III office of the Philippines’ Commission on Human Rights have organized an extensive search mission and have made inquiries to the military about the eyewitness testimonies that last place the two victims at military camps in Tarlac City. Nonsurprisingly, the military have hotly denied that the two victims were ever detained on camp grounds.
It has been reported that the military have been searching for the two eyewitnesses, who have had to go into hiding to evade being caught and for fear of the severe repercussions of their testimonies.
The victims’ family have suffered both financially and psychologically, as Mr. Sanchez and Mr. Medina were the primary breadwinners for their families. The families are desperately campaigning for the release of Mr. Sanchez and Mr. Medina, and for the perpetrators to be brought to justice.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write to the concerned agencies requesting them to conduct thorough and extensive investigations into the disappearance of Mr. Nicolas Sanchez and Mr. Heherson Medina. Please also urge them to provide all necessary forms of assistance and compensation to the families of the victims.
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear __________,
PHILIPPINES: The alleged abduction and detention of two indigenous men by the State Military
Name of victims disappeared:
1. Nicolas Sanchez (27), Sitio Dalin, Barangay Bueno, Capas, Tarlac Province, Philippines
2. Heherson Medina (29), Barangay O’Donnell, Capas, Tarlac Province, Philippines
Alleged perpetrator/s: About 30 armed men in camouflage uniforms who are allegedly the soldiers from the 71st Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army (IB, PA)
Place of incident: Sitio Cabatuan, Barangay Bueno, Capas, Tarlac City, Philippines
Date of incident: between 1:00am and 2:00am on 18 September 2006
I am writing to you to express my grave concern regarding the forced abduction and detention of two indigenous men, Mr. Nicolas Sanchez (27) and Mr. Heherson Medina (29), allegedly by armed military soldiers on 18 September 2006.
According to information I have received, between the hours of 1:00am and 2:00am on September 18, the two victims- who are cousins- were abducted while catching edible frogs for their families in Cabatuan, Barangay Bueno, Capas, Tarlac Province by over 30 armed men in military uniforms. The victims were then forcibly pushed into trucks and speedily taken away. The two victims are member of the indigenous Aeta tribe of the Northern Philippines. Both of them were small-time farmers in Tarlac Province, and according to their families, had no involvement in local politics whatsoever.
I have since learnt that no official investigations have been conducted by the police into this case, nor have they taken any serious action in the last four months. There were no reliable witnesses of the case until late last year however it seems unclear as to why the police have not taken this case seriously.
Recently, two witnesses who had seen the two victims several times in military camps last year came forward with their testimonies. According to the witnesses, on September 21, the two victims had been seen on a military truck at the gate of the Northern Luzon Command at Camp Servillano Aquino, San Miguel, Tarlac City.
The truck that had been used in the abduction of the Mr. Sanchez and Mr. Medina was later identified as the same vehicle model which was spotted at the compound of the 71st Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army in Hacienda Luisita in Tarlac City by the said witnesses. The victims were also seen at a later date on September 24 and November 1 at the camp of the Bravo Company of the 71st Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army in Aqua Farm located inside of the Havienda Luisita in Barangay Cut-Cut II, Tarlac City.
The witnesses identified two Military officers, Second Lt. Ali Sumangil of the Bravo Company’s Commander of the 71st Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army and Technical Sgt. Gil Q. Villalobos, whom they allege know the whereabouts of the two victims.
The local NGO FIND and the Region III office of the Philippines’ Commission on Human Rights have organized an extensive search mission and have made inquiries to the Military about the eyewitness testimonies that last place the two victims at military camps in Tarlac City. Nonsurprisingly, the military have hotly denied that the two victims were ever detained on camp grounds.
I have learnt that the victims’ families are also suffering from financial crisis as Mr. Sanchez and Mr. Medina were the primary breadwinners for their families. The families are desperately campaigning for the release of Mr. Sanchez and Mr. Medina, and for the perpetrators to be brought to justice.
It has been reported that the military have been searching for the two eyewitnesses, who have had to go into hiding to evade being caught and for fear of the severe repercussions of their testimonies.
I strongly condemn this unnecessary delay in investigations into this abduction case, which is a reflection of the widespread negligence of fundamental duty and obligation of the police in the Philippines. It is my understanding that there have been over hundred cases of extra-judicial killings and abductions reported in the Philippines over the past few years. Such human rights atrocities must not be tolerated, and so therefore it is of utmost importance that the Philippine government take immediate action in preventing such atrocities being committed in the near future.
I therefore urge you to join us in our appeal for a fair and thorough investigation into this case without further delay. I also urge you to take all necessary measures to grant the families of Mr. Sanchez and Mr. Medina, their fundamental right to redress. Additionally, I request you to demand that the necessary protection be provided to the two witnesses. Lastly, I recommend the Philippine government to ratify the recently adopted UN Convention on enforced disappearance in order to prevent such violations in the future.
I look forward your immediate action into this important case.
Yours sincerely,
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PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTER TO:
1. Ms. Purificacion Quisumbing
Commissioner
Commission on Human Rights
SAAC Bldg., Commonwealth Avenue
U.P. Complex, Diliman
Quezon City
PHILIPPINES
Tel: +63 2 928 5655 / 926 6188
Fax: +63 2 929 0102
Email: drpvq@yahoo.com
2. Director General Oscar Calderon
Chief, Philippine National Police (PNP)
Camp General Rafael Crame
Quezon City
PHILIPPINES
Tel: +63 2 726 4361/4366/8763
Fax: +63 2724 8763
Email: bluetree73@gmail.com
3. Mr. Raul Gonzalez
Secretary
Department of Justice
DOJ Bldg., Padre Faura
1004 Manila
PHILIPPINES
Fax: +63 2 521 1614
4. Mr. Orlando Casimiro
Deputy Ombudsman
Office of the Deputy Ombudsman for the Military and Other Law Enforcement Offices
3rd Floor, Ombudsman Bldg., Agham Road, Diliman (1104)
Quezon City
PHILIPPINES
Tel: +632 926 9032
Fax: +63 2 926 8747
Email: omb1@ombudsman.gov.ph
5. Ms Leila Zerrougui
Chairperson
Working Group on arbitrary detention
Attn: Mr Miguel de la Lama
OHCHR-UNOG
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Fax: +41 22 917 9006 (ATTENTION: WORKING GROUP ARBITRARY DETENTION)
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ahrchk@ahrchk.org)
