Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) deeply regrets to inform you that another peasant leader has been seriously wounded while his wife and son have been killed following armed men firing at them in San Marcelino, Zambales on 20 March 2006. Amante Abelon, his wife Agnes and their 5-year-old son Amante Jr. were attacked by armed men while riding a motorcycle on their way home.
The Abelon family was passing a road from the town of Castillejos, where they paid bills at the Zambales Electric Cooperative (ZAMECO), on their way to Palayan. When they reached the unpopulated area of Sitio Mauao, Barangay San Isidro, armed men riding in a dark colored vehicle opened fire on them. Amante was hit in different parts of his body but managed to run for safety while his wife and son were left behind. Their bodies were later found near the motorcycle still embracing each other. They both had gunshot wounds to their heads.
Amante sought shelter behind a nearby tree, some 70 meters away from where the shooting happened. While in hiding, he tried to ask for help from two peasant workers who at the time were working at a plantation but they ran away when they saw him being chased by an armed man.
Amante immediately phoned a friend on his mobile phone asking for help. The friend rushed to his location and took him to the hospital in San Marcelino for treatment. He was later transferred to the James L. Gordon Memorial Hospital in Olongapo City where he underwent surgery and was declared in a stable condition the following day. He sustained nine gunshot wounds to his body.
During the incident, a truck driver was passing on his way to San Marcelino when he saw the victims motorcycle on the ground. Beside it was service vehicle. Thinking it was an accident, the driver then turned back to help out. But when the driver, along with another volunteer, arrived at the scene the other service vehicle was already gone. When they recovered the bodies of Agnes and her son, only then did they realise the victims were killed and it was not an accident at all.
According to Francisco Pigao, Barangay (village) Chairman of Barangay San Pablo, Amante is known to be actively involved with the quarry problem in Sitio San Isidro in Barangay San Pablo. It is believed that his involvement as a peasant and community leader could be the primary reason for the attempt on his life and the attack on his family.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write letters to the concerned agencies listed below and raise your concern in this case. An impartial and adequate investigation must be conducted to effectively prosecute the alleged perpetrators. Amante and his other two children must be placed under protective custody without delay to ensure their security once the investigation commences. If the situation requires, they must be placed under the Witness Protection, Security and Benefit Act (RA 6981) of the Department of Justice. Additionally, appropriate compensation and assistance must be afforded to the families of the dead.
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SAMPLE LETTER
Dear ___________,
PHILIPPINES: Another peasant leader wounded and his wife and son killed by armed men in Zambales
Name of wounded victim: Amante Abelon (42), a resident of Palayan, San Marcelino, Zambales. He is the vice Chairman of the Alyansa ng mga Mambubukid sa Gitnang Luson (Alliance of Peasant from Central Luzon), Coordinator for party list Anakpawis (Toiling Masses) and a member of their Barangay (village) Council
Name of victims killed: Agnes Abelon (30) and her son, Amante Abelon, Jr. (5)
Name of alleged perpetrators: Armed men alleged to have connections with the Intelligence Group of the Philippine Army
Place of incident: Sitio Mauao, Barangay San Isidro, Castillejos, Zambales
Date and time of incident: 20 March 2006 between 10 and 11am
I am writing to express my deep concern regarding peasant leader Amante Abelon and his family. I have learned that Amante was seriously wounded while his wife Agnes and their 5-year-old son Amante, Jr. were killed when armed men opened fire on them on 20 March 2006 in Barangay (village) San Isidro, Castillejos. They were onboard their motorcycle on their way home between 10 and 11am from a nearby town when attacked by the gunmen.
According to the information I received, the perpetrators were onboard a dark-colored service vehicle. Agnes and her son Amante Jr. died on the spot after being shot in the head. Their dead bodies were later found on the ground still embracing each other. Amante managed to run for cover behind a nearby tree. He sustained multiple gunshot wounds to his body. Amante was later rescued and taken to hospital for treatment by a person known to him whom he had asked for help.
I am appalled by this further violence against peasant leaders, and in this case his innocent family. The attempt made on Amantes life, the killing of his wife Agnes and their son is totally unacceptable. I therefore urge you to conduct an effective and impartial investigation in order to prosecute the alleged perpetrators. Allegations into the possible involvement of armed men believed to have connections with the militarys intelligence group must be adequately looked into. Amante and his two other children must be afforded with appropriate protection and security to prevent further violence and attempts made on their lives.
I urge the Department of Justice to consider placing Amante and his two children under protective custody and to include them under the Witness Protection, Security and Benefit Act (RA 6981). I strongly believed that unless Amante and his children are afforded with government-sponsored security any investigation conducted in this case might not be effective as their security is still at risk. Amantes testimony of the perpetrators identity is essential in this case.
Additionally, I urge you to consider affording the Abelon family appropriate compensation and medical assistance. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) should initiate appropriate counseling to Amante as well as his remaining children.
I trust that your intervention will be forthcoming in this case.
Yours sincerely,
———————–
PLEASE SEND YOUR 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 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. Mrs. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
President
Republic of the Philippines
Malacañang Palace
JP Laurel Street, San Miguel
Manila 1005
PHILIPPINES
Tel No: +63 2 735 6201 / 564 1451 to 80
Fax: +63 2 736 1010
5. 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
6. Ms. Yakin Erturk
Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women
c/o Ms Vernonica Birga
Room 3-042
c/o OHCHR-UNOG
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Tel: +41 22 917 9615
Fax: +41 22 917 9006 (ATTN: SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN)
Email: vbirga@ohchr.org (please also cc: rrico@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
8. Mr. Jacob Egbert Doek
Chairperson
Committee on the Rights of the Child
OHCHR-UNOG
8-14 Avenue de la Paix
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Fax: +41 22 917 9022
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ahrchk@ahrchk.org)
