Dear friends,

Please find recent urgent action on the abduction and enforced disappearance of the acting chairperson of ANAKPAWIS Partylist and his companion in Cavite, Philippines.

This latest human rights violation is an addition to the rising human rights violations record of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo who is currently facing a campaign by progressive people's organizations and the rest of the Filipino masses calling for her ouster.

The grave human rights condition afflicting the nation today, among other issues like fraud and corruption, is one of the reasons why there is such a call for her immediate resignation.

We urge for your usual response.

In solidarity,

KARAPATAN-National Office

Alliance for the Advancement of People's Rights

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UA Date: 28 July 2005

UA Title: *ANAKPAWIS Acting Chair and companion, missing in Cavite,

Philippines

UA Case: Frustrated Murder, Physical Assault and Involuntary Dissapearance

Victim/s: Armando Barquillo

• 40 years old, married with one child

• Male

• A resident of both Camarin, Quezon City and Tansa, Cavite, Philippines

• Acting Chairperson of *ANAKPAWIS-Camarin Chapter

• Chairperson, Triskelion Alumni Organization-Camarin (community fraternity)

• Store Propietor

Lirio de Castro

• 21 years old

• tricycle driver

* ANAKPAWIS in Filipino means "Toiling Masses" it is a Partylist Organization representing both workers and peasants at the Philippine House of Representatives.

Place of Incident: Trece Marteres Public Market, Trece Marteres, Cavite,

Philippines

Date of Incident: 26 July 2005 between 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM

Perpetrators: At least 12 unidentified men suspected to be agents of the

Intelligence Service of the

Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP)

Account of Incident:

• July 21, 2005 (Friday)

o An acquaintance of Armando Barquillo nicknamed "Kelly" visited the

victim’s house in Tansa, Cavite, looking for his whereabouts. Since the victim was not in the vicinity at that time, "Kelly" talked to Barquillo’s father-in-law and got Barquillo’s cell phone number from him.

• July 24, 2005 (Sunday)

o Barquillo’s wife read a text message in the victim’s cell phone from her

husband’s supposed acquaintance"Kelly", asking if they could meet.

o Barquillo together with Lirio de Castro, a tricycle driver left their

home in Amaya, Tansa, Cavite at around 8:30 a.m. on a yellow motorcycle to meet "Kelly" at the Trece Martires Public Market.

o While driving along de Ocampo, before reaching Trece Martires, the two

noticed that they were being trailed by a tinted red Pajero (plate for registration, Batangas Toyota) along the road. Unidentified men were riding inside the said vehicle.

o Along the road, the Pajero repeatedly and intentionally tried to

overtake and sideswipe the motor Barquillo and de Castro were riding on.

o The motor almost hit another vehicle (Elf) after the Pajero attempted to

sideswipe them for the third time, and swerved to the side of the highway. Barquillo jumped from the rear seat, and sustained severe contusions in his lower legs. De Castro, the driver of the motor, fell and sustained lacerations and bruises on his shoulders and knees.

o The Pajero reportedly turned left and sped off in the direction of

Dasmarinas.

o The two proceeded to meet "Kelly" at the public market, where they

talked for around 2 hours.

• July 25, 2005. (Monday)

o Barquillo received a text message from "Kelly", stating that a certain

"Maui", reportedly a former acquaintance, wanted to meet with him later that afternoon. The text message was sent thrice.

o Since they were attending the SONA mobilization in Quezon City during

that day, Barquillo texts "Kelly" and reset the meeting to Tuesday, 9:00 a.m. at the Trece Martires Public Market.

• July 26, 2005 (Tuesday)

o Barquillo and his companion de Castro left the house at 8:00 a.m. aboard

a yellow motorcycle to meet "Kelly" and "Maui" by 9:00 a.m., as previously agreed upon. Barquillo told his wife that he will be back by around 12 noon to buy food for his family. His wife handed him a red handkerchief.

o According to eyewitness accounts, two men with the same description as

Barquillo and de Castro were seen eating and chatting at an eatery inside the public market with another unidentified man at around 9:30 a.m. (described as tall, fair, of medium built, "pleasant looking" and "hairy") when around eight unidentified and heavily-built males carrying four armalites and 4 .45 caliber revolvers approached them from behind.

o The unidentified assailants took hold of the victim’s arms from behind,

tied them up with packing tape, and began hitting their heads with .45 caliber revolvers. The other assailants aimed their long rifles at bystanders in order to prevent them from helping the victims.

o The men dragged the victims away from the market while beating them up,

and forced them inside a red Pajero similar to the one that sideswiped the victims on July 24. The Pajero and a red motorcycle were parked in the street in front of the market.

o Barquillo and de Castro’s companion was reportedly left untouched by the

assailants and even boarded the Pajero.

o When the victims did not arrive home at 12 noon as agreed upon,

Barquillo’s wife sent a message, "Papa, why aren’t you here yet, a lot of people here are already hungry". Barquillo did not respond.

o Barquillo’s wife tried calling the cell phone of her husband and de

Castro’s. The cell phones, she said, were still open but neither one texted back or responded to her calls.

o She also texted "Kelly" asking if he already met with Barquillo and de

Castro. He did not respond, even though she sent the same message at least ten times later that afternoon.

o She tried texting Barquillo another message at around 1:30 p.m. The

victim still did not respond. Barquillo’s wife sent around 30 more text messages from 1:30 to 4 p.m. and missed calls. No one texted back or answered the phone.

o At around 4 p.m., she received a text from Barquillo, saying "SA MGA

PINABIBILI KO AY K.MUSTA N DYAN?MAULAN B JAN?MAY NAGHANAP B SA AKIN?".("Those which I asked to be bought are ok, how are you? Is it raining there? Did anyone look for me?") The victim’s wife found this message dubious, since her husband usually sent text messages with small caps and was not wont to ask so many questions such as those.

o Barquillo’s wife tried calling de Castro at around 5 p.m. de Castro

answers the phone with a "very weak voice", she describes. de Castro telling her that they still have not met up with their companions, and that they would come home later.

o She received another text from de Castro, saying "Kumain ka na, maya pa

kami’. ("We will be coming in a while, so eat now.") She also finds this suspicious, since de Castro usually answers with "po", ("po" is a Filipino ederm used to show respect). She again texts de Castro asking their whereabouts, and also texted her husband asking if he was the one who texted using de Castro’s phone. Neither of them replied.

o At around 7 p.m, Barquillo’s wife and an unidentified "kumpare" (male

friend) had aides go to Trece Martires to inquire about the victim’s whereabouts. There they learned of the abduction earlier that morning.

• July 28, 2005

o At around 6 a.m., Barquillo’s wife sent "Kelly" a text message, asking

where he was and why he did not respond to her previous calls and texts. "Kelly" replied a few minutes later, saying that he did not have any load and that he was not able to meet up with Barquillo. Throughout their entire exchange of text messages, "Kelly"claimed that he arrived at the public market at around 9:30, and waited up until 11:00 am for Barquillo and de Castro.

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Send letters, emails or fax messages calling for:

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 enforced disappearance of Armando Barquillo and Lirio de Castro;

2. The arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators of the crime of physical

assault, frustrated murder and involuntary disappearance;

3. The immediate and proper indemnification of the family/relatives of the

victims; and

4. The Philippine Government to be reminded that it is a signatory to the

Universal Declaration of Human Rights and that it is also a party to all the major Human Rights instruments, thus it is bound to observe all of its provisions.

5. The Philippine Government to be reminded that it is a signatory to the

Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law, thus it is bound to observe all of its provisions.

You may send your communications to:

H.E. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo

President of the Republic

Malacanang Palace,

JP Laurel St., San Miguel

Manila Philippines

Voice: (+632) 564 1451 to 80

Fax: (+632) 742-1641 / 929-3968

Cell#: (+ 63) 919 898 4622 / (+63) 917 839 8462

E-mail: [email protected] / [email protected]

Hon. Rene Sarmiento

Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process

7F Agustin Building I

Emerald Avenue

Pasig City, Philippines

Voice: (+632) 636 0701 to 0766

Fax: (+632) 638 2216

Hon. Avelino Cruz

Secretary, Department of National Defense

Camp Emilio Aguinaldo

E. de los Santos Avenue,

Quezon City, Philippines

Voice: (+632) 912-9281

Fax: (+632) 911 6213

Hon. Purificacion Valera Quisumbing

Chairperson, Commission on Human Rights

SAAC Bldg., UP Complex

Commonwealth Avenue

Diliman, Quezon City

Philippines

Fax: (+632) 929 0102

Email: [email protected]

Please send us a copy of your email/mail/fax to the said government official to our address below.

URGENT ACTION Prepared by:

KARAPATAN (Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights)-National Office 43 Masikap St. Barangay Pinyahan, Quezon City 1100 PHILIPPINES

Voice: (+632) 435 4146 / Fax: (+632) 928 6078

Emails: <[email protected]> / [email protected]