Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) deeply regrets to inform you that two more activists have been killed in separate incidents on 7 and 17 March 2006 in Mabini, Bohol and Hacienda Luisita, Tarlac. Gunmen riding on motorcycles shot dead Nestor Arinque of Bohol and Tirso Cruz of Tarlac. Arinque died from 11 gunshot wounds while Cruz died from six.
On March 7 at 11:30am, Arinque and his wife were buying goods at a market in Barangay (village) San Roque, Mabini. While Arinque’s wife was busy buying goods in one area of the market, Arinque waited at a store owned by Tony Salaum. Salaum was together with two other companions, one of whom is a member of the Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit (Cafgu) in Baragay Abaca.
Half an hour later, an elderly man named Jorge Tutor, who is known to Arinque, arrived and asked him to take him home. While on their way to Tutor’s house in Barangay Abaca, they stopped at Purok 1 as the motorcycle’s chain malfunctioned. Arinque was fixing the chain when gunmen riding on a motorcycle stopped and opened fire on him. The driver was wearing a bonnet while his companion was wearing no mask. Arinque died instantly from gunshot wounds inflicted by a 45-caliber pistol.
Prior to the incident, on March 2, at around 11am, military men and Cafgu members attached to the 15th Infantry Battalion, Philippine Army stationed in Sitio Mahayag, Barangay San Roque, were seen in front of Arinque’s house. When Arinque asked them why they were there, he was told they were just roaming around. Some of the men were known to Arinque.
It is reported that Arinque had been invited by the military to appear before their detachment in Sitio Mahayag. This invitation, however, he repeatedly refused. On one occasion, the military spoke to him and tried to discourage him from being involved in the peasant cause. Instead of heeding their warnings, however, Arinque engaged in an argument with them and as a result of this, it is alleged that he had been included in the military’s Order of Battle (OB).
Arinque was amongst those who had been receiving threats to their lives allegedly from the relatives of a Cafgu member who was killed by communist rebels. The two others were Rev. Dodo Valliente of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) and Willy Boybanting, Chairman of the Hugpong sa mga Mag-uumang Bol-anon (HUMABOL), a group of peasants.
In a separate incident, on March 17 labour leader Tirso Cruz was walking home when gunmen riding on a motorcycle shot him dead. He suffered six gunshot wounds in different parts of his body. Cruz had just came from a Pabasa or Lenten reading of the Passion of Christ from a Catholic Church when the incident took place.
Cruz is the 14th person to be killed in Hacienda Luisita. (Please see our previous appeals on these cases: UA-34-2005 and UP-26-2005). Prior to his killing, Cruz had received a number of threats to his life following a protest by labourers in 2005. Cruz was also actively involved in protesting against the construction of the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway project [SCTEP] and the deployment of soldiers inside the hacienda. In the days prior to his death, Cruz had led union members and residents in a protest calling for the withdrawal of soldiers deployed inside the hacienda and for the SCTEP construction to be stopped. Residents inside the hacienda have been protesting against the quarry operations by contractors of SCTEP in Barangay Asturias and for allegedly using soldiers to prevent them from holding protests.
It is reported that some 50 Cafgu members and soldiers attached to the 71st Infantry Division (ID) headed by Major Gen. Jovito Palparan have been deployed in Barangay Pando. They were alleged to have been using the managements office as their headquarters. The soldiers are allegedly being used to prevent any protest actions against the management.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write letters to the agencies listed below asking them to conduct an impartial investigation into the killings of Nestor Arinque and Tirso Cruz. The investigation must endeavor to reach conclusive findings as to who is responsible. The threats made against the victims prior to their deaths must be thoroughly looked into. Should the persons involved be identified, they must be investigated accordingly. The military men in Hacienda Luisita must be investigated for allegedly arbitrarily using their authority. Additionally, those activists who are facing threats must be afforded with adequate security without delay.
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear ___________,
PHILIPPINES: Two more activists killed in Bohol and Tarlac
Case 1:
Name of victim: Nestor Arinque (39), married and with five children, a resident of Sitio Cabangahan, San Roque, Mabini, Bohol. He was the chairman of Hugpong sa mga Mag-uuma sa Mabini (United Peasants in Mabini)
Name of alleged perpetrators: Three unknown gunmen riding on a motorcycle
Place of incident: Provincial road of Purok I, Abaca, Mabini
Date and time of incident: 7 March 2006 at around 12 noon
Case 2:
Name of victim: Tirso Cruz (33), married, a resident of Barangay Pando, Concepcion, Tarlac. He was the Board of Director of the United Luisita Workers Union (ULWU) and member of the Barangay (village) council.
Name of alleged perpetrators: Armed men riding on a motorcycle believed to be elements of the 71st Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army (IBPA)
Place of incident: Barangay Pando, Concepcion, Tarlac
Date and time of incident: 17 March 2006 at around 12:30am
I am writing to draw your attention to the killing of Nestor Arinque of Mabini, Bohol and Tirso Cruz of Hacienda Luisita, Tarlac on 7 and 17 March 2006 respectively. I am deeply concerned by this further incident of killings and violence against human rights and political activist in your country. I am aware that the perpetrators of Aringue and Cruz’s killings have not been identified. Although the concerned policemen conducted investigations, no conclusive findings have been reached.
According to information I have received, on March 7, two unidentified gunmen riding on a motorcycle shot dead Arinque. Arinque was together with another companion, Jorge Tutor, on their way to the latter’s house in Barangay Abaca when the shooting took place. The gunmen fired at him when they stopped to fix the chain of their motorcycle. One of the gunmen was wearing a bonnet while his companion was not. Arinque died on the spot from 11 gunshot wounds.
In a separate incident, another labour leader, Tirso Cruz was shot dead by unidentified gunmen riding on a motorcycle on March 17. Cruz was the latest of a number of labour leaders to be killed inside the Hacienda Luisita. It is reported that Cruz was on his way home after attending a religious activity when the shooting took place. He died of multiple gunshot wounds.
I have learned that Arinque and Cruz had received threats against their lives prior to being killed. I urge you to exhaust all means to investigate Arinque and Cruz’ killings. Investigations conducted must endeavour to achieve conclusive findings to effectively prosecute those responsible. Those persons who are reported to have issued threats against Arinque and Cruz must be investigated. Allegations of the possible involvement of the relatives of a slain militiaman on threats made to Arinque must be looked into. Likewise, the military men in Hacienda Luisita must be investigated for allegedly arbitrarily using their authority against the villagers, and must be held accountable if the allegations are found to be true.
I further urge you to afford security to other activists known to Arinque who are facing threats to their lives in Bohol. They are Rev. Dodo Valliente of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines and Willy Boybanting, chairman of the peasant group Hugpong sa mga Mag-uumang Bol-anon (HUMABOL). I also urge you to have the threats allegedly being made against these two people thoroughly inquired into. This is essential in securing the life of these individuals.
Additionally, authorities handling these cases must have performance pledges in completing their investigations, provisions of security protection and other interventions required to the concerned persons. Appropriate sanctions must be imposed on personnel from concerned agencies, in particular the police, if they fail to comply with essential time requirements. They must also closely coordinate with the victim’s relatives on any action taken in these cases.
I trust that your intervention in these cases is forthcoming.
Yours sincerely,
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PLEASE SEND LETTERS 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@chr.gov.ph
2. P/DIR Gen. Arturo Lumibao
Chief, Philippine National Police (PNP)
Camp General Rafael Crame
Quezon City
PHILIPPINES
Tel: +63 2726 4361/4366/8763
Fax: +63 2724 8763
3. Mr. Raul Gonzalez
Secretary
Department of Justice
DOJ Bldg., Padre Faura
1004 Manila
PHILIPPINES
Fax: +63 2 521 1614
Email: sechbp@infocom.com.ph
4. Gen. Generoso Senga
Chief of Staff
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)
Armed Forces of the Philippines General Headquarters Offices (AFP-GHQ)
Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo
Quezon City
PHILIPPINES
5. Mrs. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
President
Republic of the Philippines
Malacanang Palace
JP Laurel Street, San Miguel
Manila 1005
PHILIPPINES
Tel: +63 2 735 6201 / 564 1451 to 80
Fax: +63 2 736 1010
6. Mr. Philip Alston
Special Rapporteur on Extra-judicial, Summary, or Arbitrary Executions
Atten: Lydie Ventre
Room 3-016, c/o OHCHR-UNOG
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Tel: +41 22 917 9155
Fax: +41 22 917 9006 (general)
Email: lventre@ohchr.org
7. Ms. Hina Jilani
Special Representative of the Secretary General for human rights defenders
Attn: Melinda Ching Simon
Room 1-040, c/o OHCHR-UNOG
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Tel: +41 22 917 93 88
Fax: +41 22 917 9006 (ATTN: SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS)
E-mail: MChingSimon@ohchr.org
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ahrchk@ahrchk.org)
