Dear Friends,

At the heels of the gruesome murders of Bayan Muna (People First) endorsed Mayoral candidate and human rights lawyer Vice Mayor Juvy Magsino and Bayan Muna member and KARAPATAN Acting Secretary General Leima Fortu, comes another murder in the highly militarized province of Mindoro Occidental. This time Adrian Alegria a ANAKPAWIS (Filipino word meaning "toiling masses") coordinator and organizer was abducted and murdered last February 18, 2004.

Like Bayan Muna, ANAKPAWIS is also gunning a seat in the Philippine Congress with the platform of Politics of the Masses.

we seek your urgent action on the following incident.

in solidarity,
KARAPATAN-National Office
Alliance for the Advancement of People's Rights
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UA Date:             19 February 2004

UA title:               ANAKPAWIS* partylist coordinator and organizer abducted and killed in militarized Mindoro Occidental, Philippines

UA case:             Coercion, Abduction and Murder

I. Victim/s:

Adrian Alegria

• Male
• 21 years old
• married
• coordinator and organizer of the partylist group ANAKPAWIS*
• a resident of Barangay Lumangbayan, Sta. Cruz, Mindoro Occidental, Philippines
  

II. Date of incident: 18 February 2004, around 2:30 AM

III. Place of incident: Barangay Lumangbayan, Sta. Cruz, Mindoro Occidental, Philippines

IV. Perpetrators: A Death Squad called IMPAACCT or Integrated Mindoro Peoples' Alliance Against Crime and Communist Terrorists from the province and members of 16th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army

V. Summary of Incident:

Initial reports from the province state that at around 2:30 AM on February 18, seven armed men believed to be members of both IMPAACCT, a death squad based in Mindoro Occidental, Philippines and the 16th Infantry Battalion, aboard a red pick-up went to the house of Adrian Alegria and forced him to come with them. When he resisted, they broke down the door of his house and bodily dragged him out with them.

At around 10 AM that same day, his lifeless body was found beneath a bridge over a river in Amnay, Sablayan, Mindoro Occidental, Philippines. He had two gunshot wounds on his chest, another behind his head exiting on his face and seven stab wounds on the body.

Before his death, Alegria was coordinator and organizer of the Partylist group ANAKPAWIS*. With the Politics of the Masses as its platform, the partylist group is seeking a seat in Congress to ably represent peasants, workers and the urban poor in the ongoing campaign for the Philippine National Elections in May 2004.

ANAKPAWIS* is a Filipino word meaning "toiling masses".

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 abduction and murder of Adrian Alegria;
2. The prosecution of the perpetrators of the crime of harassment and violation of domicile as well as investigations of other atrocities
committed not only by the 16th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army but by other units of both the Armed Forces of the Philippines and
the Philippine National Police in different parts of the country as well.
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 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]

Hon. Teresita Deles
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. Eduardo R. Ermita
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]