The family of the slain eight-year boy reacted strongly to the decision of the government prosecutor who thrashed its murder complaint against soldiers they claimed to have been in the area at the time of the incident.
“Are authorities really that insensitive to children’s rights, that children can become collateral damage to military offensives?” asked Rius Valle, Children’s Rehabilitation Center Southern Mindanao spokesperson
“As families and friends commemorate the death of Juvy Capion and her two sons, the decision comes as an insult to the family and to all the victims of human rights violations,” said Bayan Muna Partylist Representative Carlos Zarate
“Can the present Aquino administration show that it is possible to obtain justice for the killing of Fr. Pops as it was possible under Cory’s administration to obtain justice in court for Father Tullio Favali, PIME?” Fr. Geremia asked.
Benjie Planos, a Bisaya settler living among the Manobos, and other leaders of KASAKA had been receiving death threats from the Philippine Army’s 26th Infantry Battalion and the paramilitary group Bagani. the militarization, KASAKA leaders said, is linked with the entry of New Britain Palm Oil Ltd, which is eyeing KASAKA’s ancestral domain.