Amid a number of competing factors, increasing US troop deployments
in the Philippines, the Philippine governments withdrawal from peace talks
with the National Democratic Front, and the deteriorating situation for Islamic
peoples in the southern Philippines we have begun to witness arise in a variety
of human rights violations in the Philippines (arrests for political and
labour activities, and now summary executions on the part of the Philippine
military). For this reason we are establishing a monitoring group (The Ontario
Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines) OCHRP and would like to ask
your support in participating in our monitoring activities.
For the most part this will consist of further distributing human rights
notices through your networks and writing the odd email to MP's and Philippine
officials, just to make sure they know we are paying attention.
In the near future we hope to have a website up and running
and perhaps a newsletter, for the time being however, it will be simply done
via email network. Your support would be greatly appreciated.
In Solidarity,
CUFSA (Carleton University Filipino Students Association)
Carleton University
c/o Carleton University Students Association (CUSA)
1255 Colonel By Drive
Ottawa, Ontario
K1S 5B7]
UA Date: 10 April 2002
Case: Killings and Harassment
I. Victims: EXPIDITO ALBARILLO
-- Killing
·
48 years old, married with 8 children
·
Barangay Councilor
· Member of Katipunan
ng mga Samahang Magbubukid sa Mindoro Oriental (KASAMA-MO)
· Municipal Coordinator
of BAYAN MUNA
· Body found to
be having a big wound in the left arm, 4 gunshot wounds in his left side,
1 gunshot wound in the armpit, 3 gunshot wounds in the back. Body found with
one eyeball missing, with skull cracked open from the back.
MANUELA ALBARILLO -- Killing
· 45 years old,
wife of Expidito Albarillo
· Leader of Samahan
ng Kababaihan sa San Teodoro
· Member of BAYAN
MUNA
· Body found to
be having 1 gunshot wound below right eye, 1 gunshot wound in left armpit.
Body found with neck shattered.
ADELISA ALBARILLO
-- Harassment
·
10 years old, youngest child of Expidito and Manuela Albarillo
LORNA PANTOJA and husband
– Harassment
II. Place Of Incident:
Sitio Ibuyi, Brgy. Caisapa, Oriental Mindoro
III. Date Of Incident:
8 April 2002
IV. Suspected Perpetrators: Suspected
elements of the 16th Infantry Battalion under the command of a certain Lt.
Dimapinto
V. Account of the incident:
Last March 2002, military elements "invited" Expidito "Ispid" Albarillo
to their camp (which they called club house), but before arriving at the
camp he proceeded to the house of Mar Aldava to ask the latter to go with
him. Upon arriving at the camp, Ispid conversed with 1st Lt. Dennis Plaza,
who said to him, "Ka Ispid, malinis ka na dahil nagreport ka na dito sa kampo."
(Comrade Ispid, you're clear with us because you have reported to us here
in the camp.) To which Ispid retorted, "Ano po ba ang dapat kong ipalinis
sa inyo? Ang Ispid naman po ay palayaw na ginagamit ko." (What, sir, am I
supposed to clear with you? Ispid is a nickname I use.)
Before he left, the military asked Ispid for a copy of his
picture. Ispid hesitated, and said, "Baka po iyan lang ang magbigay ng kapahamakan
sa akin." (Giving you my picture might get me into trouble.) The military
personnel snapped, "Hindi, gusto lang namin na lagi kang nakikita at lubos
na makilala." (No, we just want to frequently see you and get to know you
better.)
Mar Aldava, in the meantime, talked with Lt. Dimapinto, who
said, "Lahat ng nasa order of battle na hindi namin masupil ay tinutuluyan
naming patayin, at si Ka Ispid Albarillo ay nangunguna sa nasa order of battle,
pumapangalawa ang apat na Aldava." (We kill everyone who is in our order
of battle and cannot be silenced. Ispid Albarillo is at the top of our order
of battle, seconded by the four Aldavas.)
On April 8, 2002, Monday, at around 5:00 in the morning, at
least 8-armed men arrived at the house of Lorna Pantoja. Some of the armed
men were in complete military uniform, while some were wearing black outfits
with bonnets covering their faces. Lorna's husband was about to leave their
house when the armed men prevented him from leaving. The armed men then proceeded
to guard the house so no one inside can leave.
At around 5:30 am, some of the men guarding Lorna's house
proceeded to Ispid Albarillo's house. Soon afterwards, Lorna and her husband
heard Manuela, Ispid's wife, screaming, "Bakit nyo kami ginaganito? Maawa
naman kayo sa amin!" (Why are you doing this to us? Please have mercy on
us!) They then saw the couple being forced by the armed men out of their
house. They were hugging each other, crying, and pleading for mercy as they
were being taken by the armed men. Lorna and her husband can only helplessly
watch as the armed men held captive the terrified couple.
Ispid and Manuela's pleadings were continuously ignored by
their captors, who then forcibly took them 200 meters away from their house.
At around 6:00 am, Lorna heard gunshots, and hysterically pleaded to the
armed men not to hurt the couple. Lorna and her husband attempted to leave
the house, but once again they were prohibited by the armed men.
Moments later, the armed men left the premises. Lorna immediately
proceeded to the spot where the Albarillo couple was forcibly brought. She
saw the couple on the ground, bloodied and lifeless. Immediately, Lorna noticed
three gunshot wounds in Ispid's back. She turned over Ispid, and was shocked
to see that Ispid's left eye was missing, apparently gouged out by a knife.
Lorna noticed a large wound on Ispid's left arm, one gunshot wound in his
armpit, and 4 gunshot wounds in his side. The left side of Manuela's neck,
meanwhile, was shattered, due to a gunshot wound entering below her right
eye. Manuela also had a gunshot wound in her left armpit.
Because of what happened, two relatives of the slain Albarillos
went to the San Teodoro town to ask for help from the police. At about 7:00
in the morning, the two relatives arrived with two police officers, one of
them introducing himself as Inspector Patrick, along with at least 14 soldiers
who were camped in the San Teodoro town. Upon arriving at the scene of the
crime, the soldiers ignored the empty shells scattered around the scene.
The soldiers were laughing most of the time. Some military men asked the
villagers whom they thought were responsible and what they looked like. The
villagers replied that the perpetrators looked like the soldiers and wore
the same uniforms. Afterwards, the military men fell silent and stopped asking
questions.
At around 11:00 of the same morning, members of the Quick
Reaction Team belonging to KARAPATAN Mindoro Oriental examined the scene
of the incident and saw combat shoe prints all around.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
1. The immediate formation of an independent
fact-finding and investigation team composed of representatives from human
rights groups, the Church, local government, and the Commission on Human
Rights that will look into the killings of Expidito and Manuela Albarillo;
2. The prosecution of the perpetrators of
the crime of murder and gross human rights violations, and investigations
of other atrocities committed not only by elements of the 16th Infantry Battalion
under Lt. Dimapinto, but also by other units of the Armed Forces;
3. The immediate and proper indemnification
of the family of the victims; and
4. The implementation of the Comprehensive
Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law.