UPDATE (Philippines): Another human rights lawyer killed; wounded priest died while being treated at a hospital 

[RE: UA-34-2005: Killing of a labor rights activist for the Hacienda Luisita farm workers in Tarlac City; UA-30-2005: Attempt on the life of human rights advocate and his wife in Abuyog, Leyte, Philippines; UP-59-2005: Another human rights activist killed in Visayas; UP-61-2005: Wounded victim in activist shooting dies: UP-101-2005: Another priest wounded in latest attacks on human rights activist in Visayas]

Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from the Promotion of Church People Response (PCPR) that another human rights lawyer, Norman Bocar, was killed on 1 September 2005 in Eastern Visayas, while Rev. Raul Domingo, a priest who was wounded in another attack died on September 4 while being treated at a hospital. Bocar and Domingo are the latest victims of attacks against activists in the Philippines.

These latest attacks and violence against human rights activist in the Philippines, in particular in the islands of Visayas demonstrate that the killings of activists are continuing unabated with the government failing to arrest those responsible and prevent further attacks and violence from reoccurring. The impunity enjoyed by the alleged perpetrators is mainly a result of an ineffective witness protection program by the government.

Since these systematic attacks began, most of the alleged perpetrators have not been identified, arrested or prosecuted. There are also strong suspicions that they could in fact be military agents. Even where there have been potential witnesses, such as in the case of Atty. Felidito Dacut (UP-29-2005) and Rev. Edison Lapuz (UP-59-2005), no progress has been made because they refuse to cooperate. Likewise, the families and relatives of the dead have also opted not cooperate for fear of their life and safety. The AHRC has previously issued a statement regarding this concern (AS-74-2005).

The absence of witnesses or their refusal to cooperate is due in large part to the lack of an effective and functional program to provide protection for witnesses. Although the government is aware of this situation it has not done enough to address this. In most cases, they have put the blame on the witnesses and families of the dead instead of ensuring their safety and protection during trial.

We request your intervention to pressure the Philippine government, in particular the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to seriously take immediate steps to address these cases. The DOJ must evaluate and consider placing witnesses under a witness protection program. It must also provide protection and afford indemnification to the families of the dead.

Urgent Appeals Desk
Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)
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UPDATED INFORMATION:

Name of the victim:
1) Atty. Norman Bocar, chairperson of the regional chapter of Bagong
Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) in Eastern Samar.
Date and place of the incident: 1 September 2005 at around 2:00a.m. near the
capitol in Borongan, Eastern Samar, Visayas

Name of wounded victim who died:
2) Rev. Raul Domingo (35), a pastor for the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) and leader of human rights group Karapatan
Updates:
Rev. Domingo died while being treated at the Philippine Lung Cancer Center on September 4. He was comatose and did not recover after he was shot on 20 August 2005.

Account of the incident:

On the morning of 1 September 2005, another human rights lawyer, Norman Bocar, was shot dead by two unidentified gunmen in Borongan, Eastern Samar, Visayas. It was reported that Bocar was coming out from a meeting when shot in the head by his attackers riding on a motorcycle. He was the regional chairman of Bayan, a human rights group, at the time of his death.

Bocar was the latest human rights lawyer to be killed following the killing of Atty. Felidito Dacut on March 14 in Tacloban City, Visayas. Bocar is a known progressive lawyer and local leader of people’s organizations. He was among the lawyers defending the human rights of the poor and the oppressed.

Meanwhile, Rev. Raul Domingo, a priest who was shot on August 20 died while being treated at the hospital. After Domingo was shot in Barangay San Jose, Puerto Prinsesa City, Palawan, he was taken to Manila for treatment. He was confined at the Philippine Lung Cancer Center (PLCC) where he underwent treatment for his lungs. Domingo fell into coma before dying in the hospital.

Rev. Domingo was survived by his wife and five children. Domingo was a dedicated pastor of the United Church of the Philippines (UCCP). As Key Minister of the Palawan Associate Conference  (PAC) – District II, he was active in the life of the church especially in the PAC- Church Workers Organization and Christian Witness and Service (CWS) program of the UCCP.

Domingo denounced military abuses and large-scale mining in the Southern Tagalog region. He had been the victim of harassment and under threats in the past several years before he was shot on August 20. He was the latest victim of killings against activists and church leaders following the death of Rev. Edison Lapuz of Visayas, Fr. William Tadena of Luzon, Joel Baclao and others.

As an activist in the promotion of human rights and social justice, he served as a dedicated leader of the provincial chapter of the human rights alliance (KARAPATAN), KASIMBAYAN and the multi-sectoral alliance Bagong Alyansang Makabayan.

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