Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) deeply regrets to inform you that four activists have been killed in separate incidents, among whom was a couple engaged in developmental work. On June 17, activist Tito Marata was killed by gunmen in Loboc village, Oroquieta City. On June 19, George and his wife Maricel were killed while riding on a motorcycle in Barangay (village) Singao, Kidapawan City. On June 20, armed men hooded with bonnets shot dead Eladio Dasi-an (a.k.a. Jazz) while on his way home.
According to a report from Mindanao News and Information Cooperative Center (Mindanews), a news organisation based in Mindanao, George and his wife Maricel were riding on their motorcycle when two armed men riding a motorcycle attacked them. George suffered four gunshot wounds while Maricel suffered two. The couple are survived by five children.
At the time of their death, George was a project officer of the Mindanao Youth Leadership Program of the Community and Family Services, International (CFSI), non-government organisation (NGO) based in Cotabato City. The group provides rehabilitation programmes to internally displaced persons (IDPs). His wife, Maricel, was working as communications consultant for a local public official. She was also area coordinator for SPOTS (Solar Power Technology System) of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), a project funded by British Petroleum. They distribute solar power to agrarian reform communities who have no access to electricity.
The Vigo couple were also formerly journalists and co-founders of the Federation of Reporters for Empowerment and Equality (FREE). They were likewise doing part-time work in the media.
After the killing, the local police created the Task Force Vigo, which is tasked to investigate the killing. The task force is composed of the Police Regional Office (PRO 12), the Criminal Investigation Detection Group (CIDG) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI). Although the task force has already released its finding pointing to an alleged liquidation squad of a rebel group as responsible for the killings, it did not satisfy the victims families. According Maricels younger sister, Maribel, the manner of investigation by the task force could have not been thorough as it was completed too quickly.
The finding was contrary to another report by local police who initially conducted the investigation. While the Task Force was certain of the alleged perpetrators, the local police had no clue as to the identities of the perpetrators. It also asked for enough time for them to investigate the case.
In his memorandum dated June 19, Superintendent Danny Reyes, Kidapawan City Police Office chief, said that: as of this moment, this station is still facing a blank wall as to the identity of the suspects, since, the witnesses could not identify the perpetrators because the driver was wearing a safety helmet that covered his face while his back rider used face towel to cover his head and face.
In another report from Karapatan (Alliance for the Advancement of Peoples Rights), two activists, namely Tito Marata of Oroquieta City and Eladio Dasi-an (a.k.a. Jazz) have been killed on June 17 and June 20 respectively.
According to reports from various sources, a gunman riding on a motorcycle shot dead Marata in Loboc village, Oroquieta City.
On June 20, Dasi-an was on his way home riding his motorcycle when three men hooded in bonnets and armed with 45-caliber pistols blocked his way. The gunmen shot him several times in the head and chest. Dasi-an was on his way home to his family in Sitio Tuminhao, Barangay (village) Malusay, Guihulngan town, about some 3 kilometers away from the town proper when the incident happened.
The gunmen left onboard a getaway vehicle after they were sure he was dead. There are allegations that the attackers could be members of a military “death squad”. Several days prior to the incident, Dasi-an had received information from neighbors and reliable sources that men riding on motorcycles had been asking for his whereabouts.
Dasi-an was a government employee and worked as a messenger for the Local Government Unit of Guihulngan, Negros Oriental. He is survived by his wife and two children.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write letters to the concerned government agencies, in particular the Task Force Usig – a police investigating body tasked to investigate killings of activists – asking them to exhaust all means to resolve these cases. Effective measures must be taken by the authorities to closely coordinate with the victims families to address this. Allegations of possible involvement by authorities, in particular in the killings of George and his wife Maricel and Eladio Dasi-an must be looked into.
Automated email letters can be sent by the AHRC Urgent Appeals on-line support system. To support this appeal please refer to http://www.ahrchk.net/support.php?ua=UA-205-2006. For those contacts without an email address, we ask that you still write a letter and post or fax this. If you have any problems or questions using this system, please feel free to contact us at ua@ahrchk.org.
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear _________,
PHILIPPINES: A couple engaged in development work and two other activists killed in separate incidents
Case 1:
Name of victim: Tito Marata
Place of incident: In Loboc village, Oroquieta City
Date of incident: 17 June 2006
Case 2:
Names of victims: George Vigo (33) and his wife Maricel (36) (a.k.a Macel)
Name of alleged perpetrators: Two gunmen riding on a motorcycle
Place of incident: Apo Sandawa Homes, Phase 1, Barangay (village) Singao, Kidapawan City
Date and time of incident: 19 June 2009 at around 5pm
Case 3:
Name of the victim: Eladio Dasi-an (a.k.a. Jazz), 37-years-old, married with two children. He was a resident of Sitio Tuminhao, Barangay (village) Malusay, Guihulngan, Negros Oriental. He was a volunteer for Karapatan (Negros-Chapter)
Names of alleged perpetrators: Three men hooded with bonnets and armed with .45-caliber pistols
Place of incident: Sitio Tuminhao, Barangay (village) Malusay, Guihulngan, Negros Oriental
Date and time of incident: 20 June 2006 at around 6pm
I am writing with extreme shock that another four activists, two of whom was a couple engaged in development work, were killed in separate incidents in your country. On June 17, activist Tito Marata was killed in Loboc village, Oroquieta City. On June 19, George and his wife Maricel were killed while riding on a motorcycle in Barangay (village) Singao, Kidapawan City. On June 20, Eladio Dasi-an (a.k.a. Jazz) was killed by armed men hooded with bonnets while riding on his motorcycle on his way home.
As you are aware, these are yet further incidents of extra-judicial killings and violence against activists and people involved in developmental work in your country. I am extremely shocked by these renewed attacks against activists and the further failure of the government, in particular the police authorities, to identify and arrest the alleged perpetrators, bring them into a court of law, and afford protection to those facing threats.
Although the Task Force Vigo was created to investigate the killing of George and his wife Maricel Vigo, I have learned that the manner in which they are conducting their investigation may not be being done thoroughly. I am aware that one of the victims relatives had discontentment as to the result of the task forces findings. This, however, has not been acted on accordingly by the authorities.
I urge you to closely coordinate with the Vigos relatives and ensure they are actively involved in the process of investigation. Whether the allegations of possible involvement by military forces in the area true or not, there should at least be an inquiry to look into this. It is necessary that the relatives version of the case be properly looked into. Should there be new or valuable information to help resolve the case, this must be acted upon accordingly.
Similar actions must also be taken into the killings of activists Tito Marata and Eladio Dasi-an who were killed on June 17 and June 20 respectively. All means must also be exhausted in order to identify and arrest the perpetrators of Maratas killings. Allegations into the possible involvement by a local military unit into Dasi-ans killing must also be looked into. Should there be sufficient grounds to have those military men sanctioned and investigated it must be done so without delay.
Additionally, I again urge the government, in particular the Department of Justice (DoJ) to ensure the safety of the remaining families of the slain victims. If it is necessary that they be provided with adequate protection, this should be afforded to them without delay. As victims of violence, the children of the victims, in particular the Vigo couple and Dasi-an, must be afforded with appropriate assistance by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). The welfare of these children must be ensured. If necessary, they must also be afforded with adequate counseling to ensure their full emotional and psychological recovery.
Finally, I urge the DoJ to look into the possibilities of affording appropriate assistance to the orphans of the Vigo couple. It should be looked into whether they could qualify for the provision of appropriate compensation given the situation they are presently in. Also, I urge the DoJ to ensure that these cases are given adequate attention and progress in court once sufficient information is made available to prosecute the perpetrators. This is essential to ensure that families of slain victims seeking justice are afforded with remedies.
I trust that you will take action in this case.
Yours sincerely,
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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 Lomibao
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. 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
5. Mr. Ronaldo V. Puno
Secretary
Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG)
A. Francisco Gold Condominium II
EDSA cor. Mapagmahal St., Diliman
Quezon City
PHILIPPINES
Voice: +63 2 925 0330 / 31
Fax: +63 2 925 0332
Email: rvpuno@dilg.gov.ph
6. Mr. Orlando Casimiro
Deputy Ombudsman for the Military and
Other Law Enforcement Offices
3rd Floor, Ombudsman Bldg., Agham Road
Diliman (1104) Quezon City
PHILIPPINES
Tel: +63 2 926 9032
Fax: +63 2 926 7572
7. Mr. Philip Alston
Special Rapporteur on Extra-judicial, Summary, or Arbitrary Executions
Atten: Lydie Ventre
Room 3-016
OHCHR-UNOG
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Tel: +41 22 917 9155
Fax: +41 22 917 9006 (general)
Email: lventre@ohchr.org / urgent-action@ohchr.org
8. Ms. Hina Jilani
Special Representative of the Secretary General for human rights defenders
Attn: Melinda Ching Simon
Room 1-040
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 / urgent-action@ohchr.org
9. Ms. Yakin Erturk
Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women
Attn: 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 / urgent-action@ohchr.org (please also cc: rrico@ohchr.org)
10. 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)
