Extrajudicial Killings

Justice sought for murdered peasant leader

WE WANT JUSTICE! Militants and relatives of Celso Pojas, the slain secretary general of Farmers Association of Davao City-Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas, hold a picket here on Friday, May 16. They demand justice for the peasant leader, who, according to the rights group Karapatan, is the first activist killed in Davao city and the 14th killed in the country this year alone. They condemn the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Arroyo government's Oplan Bantay Laya (Freedom Watch) which they say, already claimed close to a thousand lives of progressive leaders and members since President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo rose to power. Pojas was shot dead by unidentified motorcycle-riding men on Thursday morning, outside their office in Maa. He is the first victim of political killings, just three days after Lt. Gen. Alexander Yano replaced Gen. Hermogenes Esperon as the AFP Chief-of-staff.(davaotoday.com photo by Barry Ohaylan)

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Leader of farmers’ group shot dead in Davao City

By CHERYLL D. FIEL | Davao Today

BREAKING NEWS | Celso Pojas was the secretary-general of the Farmers' Association of Davao City and spokesman of the KMP in Southern Mindanao. He was the first militant leader assassinated in Davao city, according to Karapatan-Southern Mindanao.

Slain farmers' leader Celso Pojas during the peasant month press conference in October last year. The words on his hat reads "Land, not bullet." (davaotoday.com file photo by Barry Ohaylan)


Continue ReadingLeader of farmers’ group shot dead in Davao City

Killings in Philippines leave deeply entrenched fear, distrust

At the height of the escalating incidents of the murder of activists, there was strong condemnation, both within and outside the country that forced the government to do something to stop the killing. Now that the number of killings has declined, condemnation has also decreased and discussion into finding reasonable remedies and redress for the victims had waned. It has even prompted the government to take the credit for the decline in the number of killings as proof of the improved human rights conditions in the country.

Continue ReadingKillings in Philippines leave deeply entrenched fear, distrust

Duterte, Nograles squabble over broadcaster’s murder

By Marilou M. Aguirre | Davao Today

Mayor Rodrigo Duterte hinted that a Davao Congressman, who hired retired Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan as a consultant, must have known something about the killing of Davao broadcaster Ferdinand "Batman" Lintuan.

Continue ReadingDuterte, Nograles squabble over broadcaster’s murder