Rommel “Buboy” Pacquin

1. Place of Incident: Purok Malinawon, Sitio Quary, Malabog, Paquibato District, Davao City
2. Date of Incident: June 16, 2005, 6:00 PM
3. Alleged Perpetrators: allegedly 8 elements Bagani Warriors (paramilitary group who are indigenous people) who are operating in Paquibato District. Usually they are wearing red scarf around their heads, carrying long machete and some of them have M16.
4. Account of Incident:

Around 6:00pm last June 16, 2005, while inside their house, Rommel heard some men calling him to go out of his house. And so he went down from his house and talk to them. They were talking near the comfort room. a few kilometers from the house when he was hacked by the perpetrators. He called out for help, crying out his mother’s name. His mother who was inside the house and was about to sleep heard his son; she immediately got the lamp and went out to look for her son. She was calling “Buboy!” several times when suddenly the perpetrators attacked her.

The next day, Aquilino Bustamante Jr. went to the victims’ house to tell the Pacquins’ that he wouldn’t be able to join them to clean the farm because it’s training and he doesn’t feel well. Upon arriving at the Pacquin’s place, he saw the dead body of Elena lying on the Bermuda grass in front of their house bathe with blood. He looked for Buboy and later on he found out that Buboy was also killed when he saw the dead body lying at the ground near the comfort room, also bathe with blood. The mother got 8 stabbed wounds mostly in her stomach passing through the back and his son bore 10 stabbed wounds on his body and both their neck were slashed.

Days before the incident, according to Jimmy Clarin, older brother of the victim, the Bagani warriors kept on going back to their place asking for money and several food supplies such as 15 kilos of rice, 15 kilos of meat (pork or chicken), cigarettes, lighter, canned goods and boots. The Pacquins’ was able to give them only 10 kilos of corn rice and some chicken meat and a few other supplies but the Bagani got mad because they don’t eat corn rice and the meat was not enough and so they returned it and said they need all the things they asked for. They threatened the lives of the Pacquins if they fail to give what they have requested and if they will report it to the NPA. The Bagani warriors were also notorious in extortion activities in Malabog area.

One of the residents also testified that there was a time that Buboy was so mad because the Bagani were asking too much and he was able to utter out of desperation that maybe these Bagani will stop if they report their extortion activities to the NPA. The Bagani warriors have also been suspecting the Pacquins’ to be supporters of the NPA.

A friend of Buboy said that, days before the incident Buboy told him that he had observed some burly men who were hanging around their vicinity and they looked like they were observing his moves. A cousin of Elena also said that days before the incident Elena confessed to her that for the past few nights, she was anxious because some men were visiting her place and asking to talk to her but she refused and said that maybe they can come back some other time since its already night time.###

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 summary execution extortion and divestment of properties of two lumad civilians
2. The arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators of the crime of summary execution, extortion and deivestment of properties committed.
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

President of the Republic

Malacanang Palace,

JP Laurel St., San Miguel

Manila Philippines

Voice: (+632) 564 1451 to 80