DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Human rights advocates, lawyers, and relatives of those killed in the April 19 tragic incident in Toboso, Negros Occidental launched the Justice for Negros 19 Campaign Network on Tuesday, June 24.
Organizers cited findings from a national fact-finding and solidarity mission which showed that nine of those killed were civilians, disputing the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP) account that the deaths resulted from an armed encounter with members of the New People’s Army (NPA).
Defend Negros spokesperson Ariel Casilao said the network was formed to pursue justice for those killed, and to question the pace of the investigations.
“CHR, hanggang ngayon, they are facing a blank wall. Hindi sila hinaharap ng PNP, ng SOCO. Hindi sila binibigyan ng mga dokumento ng sinasabi ng PNP ng kanilang investigation,” Casilao said.
(The CHR is facing a blank wall. The PNP and SOCO are not engaging with them. They are not being provided the documents related to the police investigation.)
The CHR had sought access to aerial and drone footage of the operation, which he claimed showed NPA commander Roger Fabillar near a fishpond and unarmed before he was killed.
According to Casilao, the footage has yet to be turned over despite requests from investigators.
Lawyers representing the victims’ families had also requested copies of police investigation reports and postmortem examinations from the Negros Occidental Provincial Police Office, but were informed that the investigation had not yet been completed.
Organizers are waiting for the schedule of a proposed congressional inquiry into the incident after the State of the Nation Address (SONA) in July.
National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) secretary general Kristina Conti said their investigation found inconsistencies in the narratives presented by the AFP and the Philippine National Police (PNP).
“Ang naging malinaw po sa aming pakikipag-usap sa mga residente ay una, sibilyan ang kalakhan sa mga pinapakilala namin. Tinatanong po namin partikular kung ano ang pagkakakilala nila kay Errol, kay Alyssa, at sa iba pa… kilala po nila itong mga ito bilang mga researcher na nakikipanayam sa kanila patungkol sa kanilang issue,” she said.
(It became clear from our conversations with residents that most of those we identified were civilians. When we asked them about Errol, Alyssa, and the others, they knew them as researchers interviewing them about issues affecting their communities.)
Members of the mission recovered spent bullet casings and other material evidence in the crime scene that they believed should have been included in the official investigation.
Relatives and friends of several victims also attended the launch and called for accountability.
Sheila Alano, mother of UP Diliman student councilor Alyssa Alano, questioned the military’s characterization of the victims and called for an independent investigation.
“Baka nakakalimutan ng karamihan na they are people who want to serve for our country. Mga taong lumalabas sa komportable nilang buhay para makipamuhay at maranasan ang kalagayan ng mga magsasaka at ipamulat sa atin kung ano ang kalagayan nila sa kanayunan.”
(Many seem to forget that they were people who wanted to serve our country. They left the comfort of their lives to live among farmers, understand their conditions, and help bring attention to the realities they face in rural communities.)
The network also demanded for the release of the remains of community researcher Errol Wendel Chen, whose family and legal representatives said they have yet to recover his body more than two months after the incident.
Meanwhile, the AFP has maintained that the April 19 operation in Toboso was a legitimate encounter with members of the New People’s Army.
“That NPA leader [Fabillar] had a standing warrant of arrest. That was the purpose of the troops, to arrest him. But while approaching, the encounter happened,” Philippine Army spokesperson Col. Louie Dema-ala insisted.
The campaign network will organize forums, cultural events, and public education activities in the coming months to sustain calls for justice.
Among the activities announced were a cultural production on July 19 marking three months since the incident, a planned inquiry by the CHR on July 21 and 22, and solidarity activities in Bacolod City in August. (davaotoday.com)
