The chain of events was prompted by a request from the Mayor of Gloria, Oriental Mindoro for the Karapatan-ST to investigate  new alleged cases of human rights violations in the said municipality .   A Quick Reaction/Response Team (QRT) was then organized for such purpose.   The QRT went to the places where the human rights violations actually happened.  But the team could not bring home the results of their investigation.  Everything was seized by armed elements who  kidnapped them on the night of April 21. 

 

No documents, footages, photos were  left in the hands of the documentors.   Those who gathered testimonies from the witnesses and victims became witnesses and victims themselves.   

 

April 17 (Good Friday)       

 

KARAPATAN-Southern Tagalog discussed the report and request for documentation of Mayor Romeo Alvarez regarding the incidents of alleged human rights violations committed allegedly by Col. Jovito Palparan and some elements of 204^th IBPA  in Bgy. Buong Lupa and Tambong in Gloria, Oriental Mindoro.

 

Around MIDNIGHT    Initial members of the quick response team (QRT) met at the “Kanlungan ng mga Internal Refugees” at the Philippine Christian University in Dasmarinas, Cavite.

 

April 18 (Saturday) 

 

10:00 am          Eden Marcellana, together with Eddie Gumanoy, Mark Suva, Josephine Musico and Christine dela Cruz left “Kanlungan.” They went to the office of KASAMA-TK in Tanauan, Batangas to prepare the materials needed for the QRT.     

 

April 19 (Sunday)    

 

8:00 am          Final briefing of the QRT at the Bayan Muna-ST office in Sto. Tomas, Batangas.

 

12:30 pm          Virgilio Catoy II joined them later. The QRT boarded a Starlight Ferry bound for Calapan.

 

2:30 pm  Arrival in Calapan City.  Marcellana’s group was fetched by Christopher de Lara, Francis Saez and Marlvin Jocson  --local participants for the QRT.

 

3:00 pm          The 11-member QRT boarded a van to Gloria town.

 

5:00 pm          Arrival at Mayor Alvarez’ house.  The QRT talked to Mayor Alvarez about the residents of Bgy. Buong Lupa presently detained at 204^th IBPA headquarters.  Marcellana called Oriental Mindoro Governor Bart Marasigan.  She asked about the detainess and if he could come with them to the 204^th IBPA headquarters.  The governor told her that he is on vacation and already endorsed the case to PNP Provincial Director Voltaire Calzado.  Marcellana called Col.  Calzado, but to no avail.  Mayor Alvarez asked his men to fetch Kapitan Aquilino Morong of Buong Lupa, Gloria.

                  

7:30 pm          Mayor Alvarez facilitated the QRT’s stay at Byahero’s Inn.  The man Mayor Alvarez asked to fetch Kapitan Morong returned and said:  “Di na ako tumuloy dahil may checkpoint sa Bgy. Malamig.”

 

9:00 pm          Suva and de La Cruz went to a store near the inn.  They saw a “suspicious-looking man.”

 

April 20 (Monday)   

                  

7:00 am          The QRT returned to Mayor Alvarez' house.  (Mayor Alvarez texted Marcellana early morning and told her that Kapitan Morong was already at his house.)  They met Kapitan Morong, interviewed him and got his testimony.  Marcellana called Col. Calzado to inform him about their visit to the 204^th IBPA and asked him if they could talk to the detainees.  Col. Calzado said that they are not allowed to enter the headquarters. Marcellana replied, "Sige, doon na lang kami sa labas ng kampo, sino ngayon ang lalabas na kahiya-hiya."  Col. Calzado called Marcellana afterwards and said that Col. Palparan has allowed them to see the detainees, but “they would not be allowed to speak.”  Col. Calzado also told Marcellana that Col. Palparan is not in the camp.  They should find a certain Capt. Gutierrez instead. The two kagawads of Buong Lupa arrived.  Nanay Fe Dimaranan arrived. Mayor   Alvarez hired a jeepney for the QRT. 

 

9:00 am          The QRT arrived at the 204^thIBPA headquarters in Pinagsabangan II, Naujan.  Marcellana, Catoy, Dimaranan, Kapitan Morong and his two kagawads went inside the headquarters, and the rest remained inside the jeepney.  Kapitan Morong and his kagawads were allowed to talk to the detainees.  Marcellana and Dimaranan were left in the “kubol” (hut) talking to some military personnel.  Signing in the logbook and picture taking by the military of all the members of the QRT took place.

 

2:00 pm           The QRT left the headquarters and returned to Mayor Alvarez’ house.  Kapitan Morong reported the result of his conversation with the detainees.

                  

4:30 pm          The QRT went to Dimaranan’s house in Bgy. Bulbugan, Gloria.

 

 April 21 (Tuesday)  

                  

7:00 am          Over breakfast Marcellana received a call and text message from Mayor Alvarez requesting them to respond to the mauling incident in Bgy. Tambong the night before.  Alvarez said that the complainants were already in his office.  The QRT left Dimaranan’s house and went to Mayor Alvarez' house but did not find him.  They walked to the municipal hall.

 

8:00 am          Arrival at the Gloria municipal hall.  The QRT talked to Mayor Alvarez.

 

9:00 am          Gumanoy, Suva, Padilla and Musico went to Pinamalayan to investigate reports of the killing of a farmer and two Mangyans.  They got a copy of the police report. Tambong Bgy. Capt. Reymando Ricalde and the other victims of mauling incident arrived at the Gloria municipal hall.  De la cruz and Catoy went to another victim, Roger Sales, in Bgy. Bulaklakan.  He executed a sworn statement. Meanwhile, De Lara, who was outside the municipal hall noticed a man monitoring the team. Mayor Alvarez' personal secretary warned him not to give any information to the man because she knows that he is an "asset" of the vice mayor.

 

10:00 am          The team who went to Pinamalayan returned to the municipal hall of Gloria.  At about the same time, Catoy and De la Cruz arrived from Bgy. Bulaklakan. The fact sheet of the Tambong incident was written by Suva and De la Cruz.  Marcellana mentioned that 204^th IB Deputy Brigade Commander Col. Juanito Gomez called Mayor Alvarez and said to him, 'paalisin na kami sa Gloria dahil nanggugulo lang raw kami'

 

Gumanoy complained of stomachache.  Jocson and De Lara brought him to the health center.  They told Marcellana about it.   Marcellana, De la Cruz and Padilla went to the health center of Gloria to ask for the medical report of the Tambong victims.  They saw Gumanoy at the health center.  The doctor advised that Gumanoy be brought to a hospital.  Mayor Alvarez’ Trooper fetched them and brought them to a hospital.  Marcellana asked De Lara and De la Cruz to go back to the municipal hall and wait for them. After a few minutes, Marcellana, Gumanoy, Padilla and Jocson arrived from the hospital.

 

5:00 pm             From the municipal hall, the QRT took a tricycle that will bring them to the highway where they can get a ride to Calapan.  Marcellana got an information that several men  of the 68^th Infantry Battalion were stationed in  Pinamalayan.   The QRT decided that they will spend the night at the Bayan Muna office in Calapan.   They will meet with Gov. Marasigan the next day to get the position paper against the promotion of Col. Palparan.  They were expected to  return to Batangas in the afternoon. 

                                     

Jocson got two tricycles that will bring them to the Pinamalayan terminal.  During this time, some members of the QRT  saw a light blue FX and a passenger-type jeepney filled with an undetermined number of military men with armalites. 

 

Between 5:30 - 6:15 pm     The QRT arrived at the Pinamalayan bus terminal. They learned that the last trip to Calapan was at 4:00 pm.  They negotiated with the vans and minicab that arrived.            Marcellana sent a text message to Mayor Alvarez to request for a vehicle that will bring           them to Calapan.   Several minutes later, a dark blue tinted Grace van driven by           Nomer Marabe arrived.  He offered a fare cheaper than those approached by the QRT before him.  Marcellana sent another text message to Mayor Alvarez and asked if he sent that van to  them.  The Mayor told Marcellana that he was not able to arrange a vehicle for them.  The QRT then took the van.

  

Between 6:15 – 7:30 pm     After passing the Pinamalayan triangle, four passengers boarded the van  (2 males and 2 females). In front of  the 68^thIBPA headquarters in Merit, Victoria, one of the two male passengers got off the van. Two female passengers got off the van in two different barangays in Victoria. Yolly Manzano and another male passenger boarded the van. The van passed the 204th IBPA headquarters in Bgy. Pinagsabangan II, Naujan.

                  

7:30 pm          The ABDUCTION in Bgy. Barcenaga, Naujan  -- about 5.5 kilometers away from the 204th IBPA headquarters.

           

around 9:00 pm          Marcellana, Gumanoy, Catoy, Saez and Jocson and the other passenger (Zosimo Gripon) were transferred to a passenger-type jeepney in Sitio Kanto Pamawisan, Bgy. Loyal in the municipality of Victoria.  The other members of the QRT including passenger Manzano were left inside the van.   For reasons unknown to the six witnesses-survivors (Suva, De La Cruz, De Lara, Fabella, Padilla and Musico) left in the van, the driver of the van refused to leave until 11:00 pm.

 

11:00 pm          The van left Bgy. Loyal, bound for Calapan.

 

around 11:30 pm          The passenger-type jeepney reached a “compound”  where Marcelllana dn Gumanoy were  separated from Catoy, Saez and Jocson and Gripon  They remained in the jeepney.  A few minutes later, the jeepney left the compound.  This was the last time that           they heard Marcellana and Gumanoy alive.

 

“after about 30 minutes”          The jeepney stopped. Gripon was taken out of the the jeepney.  After a few minutes, Catoy was also dropped.  He was told:  “Pangalawang buhay mo na ito.  Magbago ka na...  Hindi gusto ng masa ang ginagawa mo.”   The jeepney stopped again.  Saez was told by one of their abductors, “Magbagong buhay ka na.”  He was led down the jeepney and was abandoned in an area. Jocson was dropped last.  One of the abductors whispered to him, “Buddy, pag inihagis ka namin wag ka nang tatayo o kikibo.” From different drop points, Catoy, Saez and Jocson realized that they were already in the municipality of Bongabong.

 

Between 11:30pm - 12:30am     Manzano alighted from the van in Biga, Calapan.

The other male passenger alighted in Komunal, Calapan. The six witnesses-survivors alighted at the Calapan City proper.  They proceeded to the Bayan Muna-MO office.  Then, the group called Bayan-ST to report the incident.

 

April 22 (Wednesday)

 

7:00 am          Marcellana and Gumanoy were found dead in Bgy. Alcadesma, Bansud.   Bansud PNP went to investigate the reported dumping of dead bodies in Bgy. Alcadesma.

                       

9:00 am          Embalmers collected the bodies of Marcellana and Gumanoy and brought them to Marasigan Funeral Homes.

   

between 9:15 -10:30 am       Dr. Preciosa Soller, Bansud municipal health officer, performed post-mortem examination on the two.