Strong Cases? Human rights and progressive groups, shown here during a press briefing on Friday, say their case against the military is strong. (davaotoday.com photo by)
Major Randolph Cabangbang, spokesman of the Eastern Mindanao Command (EMC), however, said in a separate press briefing that most of the killings happened because of the purging within the ranks of the Communist New Peoples Army.
“We’re preparing reports to show that the Communist New Peoples’ Army are committing more human rights violations than what they accuse the soldiers of committing, Cabangbang said. We want to show that the government is doing everything to protect its citizens rights but are being hampered by the NPA.
Even Joma (Jose Maria Sison) himself admitted that, in the 1980s, they had carried out purges within the organization, said Aguilar of the armys CRG. “Some of them were informers wanting to lie low, quit or simply get out of the organization, he said.
But Karapatans Delgado said his group has gathered enough documents that point to the military allegedly having a hand in most of the killings. He cited among these cases the massacre of a Blaan family in Matanao in March 2005, allegedly involving the 25th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army.
Delgado said that enough documents would show that Franciso Bulane, 32, Promencio Bulane, 28 and Padilla Bulane, 29, were fired upon and killed during a military operation, contrary to the militarys claim that the family died in a legitimate military encounter. Rogelio Bulane, 42, Richard Bulane, 30 and Rogelios son, Ricky, 26, were injured in that incident, according to Karapatan.
Delgado also said that the killing of 74-year old Bayan Muna provincial chairman in Misamis Oriental only three days before Alstons arrival in Manila only shows how rampant and serious these human rights abuses are. Dalmacio Gandinao, also known as Tatay Daki, was gunned down in Salay town in front of his wife and grandchildren.
Delgado said that the intervention of the UN itself is already a grave sign that the human rights situation in the country is abnormal and that the government has failed to solve the extrajudicial killings and other human rights abuses.
Delgado said that, in the long term, his group will bring the cases to international tribunals, possibly charging the Arroyo government with crimes against humanity.
The Reverend Antonio Ablon, a parish priest of Iglesia Filipina Independencia (IFI) in Cagayan de Oro, said that Alstons independent mission, although hosted by the government, is a boost to the morale of victims families still seeking for justice. (Germelina Lacorte/davaotoday.com)
Extrajudicial Killings
