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Dear
Friends, At the
heels of the recent killing of four youth organizers of Anak ng Bayan
and Anakbayan in Southern Mindanao, Philippines, comes another case of
abduction and harassment on a BAYAN MUNA (People First) partylist
regional coordinator from Central Visayas. The
victim's wife was initially afraid of coming out into the open but was later
convinced that this was the only way to expose the State's efforts in
systematically violating the human rights of even those who belong to
legitimate people's organizations. BAYAN
MUNA(People First)-Cebu believes that this latest incident is part of
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's OPLAN BANTAY LAYA. In the guise of a
counter-insurgency campaign, this program is after monitoring and suppressing
activities of legal organizations like BAYAN MUNA (People First), BAYAN (New
Patriotic Alliance), KARAPATAN, etc. We once
again seek for your immediate action on this case. Likewise, we hope that you
distribute the UA to your widest network. in
solidarity, KARAPATAN-National
Office Alliance
for the Advancement of People's Rights
UA Date: 01 October 2003 UA Title: BAYAN MUNA*-CEBU
REGIONAL OFFICER ABDUCTED
AND HARASSED UA Case: Abduction
and Harassment I.
Victim: Mario “Mayong” Auxillo ·
Male ·
45 years
old, married with one child ·
resides
at Quizo, Mandaue City, Cebu, Philippines ·
Regional Officer,
BAYAN MUNA II.
Place
of Incident: Near the sidewalk of
the DBP** and old SSS*** Building at Osmeña Boulevard, Cebu City, Philippines III.
Date
of Incident: 26 September 2003, past 7:00PM IV.
Perpetrators: Agents of the Regional
Intelligence and Investigation Division (RIID) of the Philippine National Police (PNP), Region
7 Office V.
Account
of Incident: On September 26, 2003 at around past seven
in the evening, BAYAN MUNA* Regional Officer Mario Auxilio or Mayong as is he
is commonly called by colleagues, was on his way home from a meeting of the
BAYAN MUNA* Chapter in Sitio Riverside, Inawayan, Cebu. When suddenly a
heavily-tinted dark green L-300 van with no license plate, pulled over ahead
of him along the sidewalk of the DBP and old SSS* Building at Osmeña Blvd., Cebu
City. Armed plainclothesmen believed to be agents of the Regional
Intelligence and Investigation Division (RIID) of the Philippine National
Police, Region 7 Office jumped out of the van and hauled Mayong inside the
van. They took him to a safehouse near the Mactan Airbase in
Lapu-Lapu City where he underwent tactical interrogation about the activities
of the New People’s Army (NPA) and BAYAN MUNA* until the evening of the
following day. The agents likewise
name dropped known NPA personalities from the region and asked him about them
as well. Mayong’s captors punched him on his stomach in between
interrogation and hit him on the head, if he failed to answer their
questions. During the entire period, he was neither informed of his basic
rights or of the reason for his arrest. He was only given a few pieces of
bread the day after his abduction and was subsequently released that evening. BAYAN MUNA*-Cebu believes that this is the handy work of
elements of the government particularly the military who is being mobilized
to implement its intensified campaign of terror dubbed as OPLAN Bantay-Laya.
Disguised as an anti-insurgency program, this campaign is aimed against
perceived enemies of the state such the Partylist Group BAYAN MUNA* and other
legitimate people’s organizations and non-governmental organizations. * BAYAN MUNA - People First **DBP – Development Bank of the Philippines ***SSS – Social Security Systems 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 harassment of Mario Auxilio; 2. The
prosecution of the perpetrators of the crime of abduction and harassment as
well as investigations of other atrocities committed not only by the Regional
Intelligence Group of the Philippine National Police but by the its other
units 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] |
