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UA Date : 4 November 2002

UA Title: Harassment of College Editors Guild Vice-

President for the Visayas, in Cebu,Philippines

I. Case: Harassment and Divestment of Property

II. Victim/s: Loyd Wilson Sato

· 21 years old, single

· a resident of 255 J. Junguera St., Cebu City, Philippines

· Vice-President for the Visayas, College Editors Guild of the Philippines

III. Place of Incident: Osmeña Boulevard, Cebu City

IV. Date of Incident: 01 November 2002, 7:45 PM

V. Perpetrator/s: Agents of the Military Intelligence Group based in Central Command, Camp Lapu-Lapu, Lahug, Cebu City, Philippines

VI. Account of Incident:

At 7:45 PM on November 1, 2002, Loyd was waiting for a ride in front of the Bangko Central ng Pilipinas Bldg. (Central Bank of the Philippines), along Osmeña Boulevard, when a white Toyota Corolla-XL with no plate number stopped in front of him.

The driver lowered his window shield and asked Loyd for directions. Loyd ignored them and pretended not to hear. With this, the man, a second agent, who was seated beside the driver signaled for Loyd to come closer. Loyd saw this and did as was told. When the victim came near, the man drew out a 9mm pistol and pointed it at Loyd, ordering him to get into the car. When the victim moved back, the man got out of the car and threatened Loyd “Ayaw’g dagan! Maapsan gihapon ka sa bala!” (“Don’t run! The bullet will still catch up with you!”). The driver motioned the victim to the backseat, using his gun to goad him inside.

Inside the car, Loyd sat at the right side by the window. Another man, a third agent, who was seated on Loyd’s left side immediately grabbed his arm using his right hand, while he rested his left hand, which was holding a 9mm pistol on the victim’s lap. To the far left side of the car was another man, the fourth agent, who had his arms stretched behind the third agent beside him while pointing a gun on Loyd’s shoulders.

From the passenger seat, the driver and the second agent faced the victim. They commented that Loyd had not learned his lessons after being warned before (In a similar incident last May 15, 2002, Loyd was pressed to a wall beside the Cebu Normal University by an L-300 van, whose occupants took the his bag and cellular phone at gun point.)

The fourth agent, seated at the far left, added that the victim still continues to join rallies even spoke at the picket outside of the Central Command Camp on October 21. He went on to ask for the whereabouts of Roxanne (Roxanne Doron is the former Chairperson of Anakbayan-Cebu), “Ingko” (Reiner Joseph is the former Secretary-General of Anakbayan-Cebu) and “Pancit” (Mary Frances Veloso is current Chairperson of Anakbayan-Cebu). The agents repeatedly asked these questions until the car stopped at the North Reclamation area in Subangdaku, Mandaue City.

Before leading Loyd out of the car, the second agent grabbed the victim’s bag. They kept it after finding an envelope containing a cash of P6,000.00 and P3,000.00 in one of its pockets.

Outside the car, the second agent, placed his arm across Loyd’s shoulders and walked him some 30 meters away, repeatedly asking questions about the three abovementioned youth leaders. He also asked about Yancy (Yancy Gadiongko is the present Chairperson of the College Editors Guild of the Philippines-Cebu) as his alleged “replacement” after supposedly being “transferred” to KARAPATAN-Central Visayas. He mentioned that Loyd and his co-workers should not yet celebrate after the release of suspected New People’s Army rebel, Nestor Lumban as they were not done yet. (Lumban suffered from torture and arbitrary arrest and detention from his military persecuters after being abducted last Aug. 6, 2002. He was released on October 23, 2002 after KARAPATAN-CV filed a petition for the writ of habeas corpus to the local courts.)

Loyd was brought back to the car after a multi-cab passed by. They occupied the same seating arrangement with the agent at the far left commanding the driver to proceed to the “office” which turned out to be that of the People’s Initiative and Development Center (PIDC). On the way there, they passed at the V. Rama Avenue where the perpetrators pointed at the victim’s alleged “other office” which was actually that of the Cebu Relief and Rehabilitation Center.

The car stopped outside the PIDC at around 9:00PM. As Loyd stepped out of the car, the agent seating beside him pulled him back and slashed his left arm with a swiss knife four times. He said it was a senyales (sign) for him. The victim reported the incident to the T. Padilla Police Station and underwent medical examination at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center.

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 harassment and theft on Loyd Wilson Sato.

3. The prosecution of the perpetrators of the crime of harassment and theft and investigation of other atrocities committed not only by the Military Intelligence Group in Cebu City, but by the Philippine National Police and Armed Forces of the Philippines as well;

4. The immediate and proper indemnification of the family/relatives of the victim/s; and

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

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] / [email protected]

Hon. Eduardo R. Ermita

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

Email: [email protected]

Hon. Angelo T. Reyes

Secretary, Department of National Defense

Camp Emilio Aguinaldo

E. de los Santos Avenue,

Quezon City, Philippines

Voice: (+632) 912-9281

Fax: (+632) 911 6213

Email: [email protected]

Hon. Purificacion Valera Quisumbing

Chairperson, Commission on Human Rights

SAAC Bldg., UP Complex

Commonwealth Avenue

Diliman, Quezon City

Philippines

Fax: (+632) 926 6188

Email: [email protected]

Please send 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

9B K-9 St., West Kamias Quezon City, Philippines

TeleFax: (+632) 926 7877

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

Website: www.karapatan.org