Dear friends,

 

We are forwarding another urgent action on the killing of a peasant from Laguna in the Philippines. This latest atrocity is just one among the many more continually documented by KARAPATAN. As of our latest update there are already 2,421 cases of rights abuses under President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's Government with 260 individuals already killed.

in all there are 169, 343 individuals, 18, 470 families, 70 communities and 196 households victims of different human rights violations.

 

We are requesting for your immediate action and to please distribute this UA to your network. Thank you for your support!

 

 

In solidarity,

KARAPATAN-National Office

Alliance for the Advancement of People's Rights 

 

 

 

UA Date:         02 November 2003

 

UA Title:                     PEASANT KILLED IN LAGUNA,

SOUTHERN TAGALOG, PHILIPPINES

 

UA Case:        Killing

 

I.                     Victim:                        Mario Mercurio

·         Male

·         36 years old, married with three children

·         peasant

·         a resident of Barangay Ayute, Lucban, Quezon, Philippines

 

II.                   Place of Incident:      Along the boundary of Barangay Igang, Lucban Quezon

and Barangay Taytay, Majayjay, Laguna, Philippines

 

III.                Date of Incident:       29 October 2003, between 8:00 – 8:30 AM

 

IV.                Perpetrators:             Elements of the 1^st Infantry Battalion Bravo Coy of the

Philippine Army based in Barangay  San Roque, Luisana, Laguna, headed by Commanding Officer, Col. Virgilio Espenelli

 

V.                  Account of Incident:

 

At dawn on October 29, 2003, the victim, Mario Mercurio like any other farmer prepared early to go to the fields with the help of his wife Benita. At exactly 6:00AM Mario left to go to Barangay Taytay, Majayjay, Laguna to work on his farm and brought with him a black bag containing an extra t-shirt, packed lunch and medicine for his horse and carabao. He rode a jeep on the way to Barangay Igang, to get his horse, which he will use to ride going to Barangay Taytay.

 

In Barangay Igang, between 8:00 – 8:30 AM, peasants on their way to the ricefield, heard loud bursts of gunfire. Some of them immediately ran when they saw at least 30 soldiers wearing fatigue uniforms and carrying high-powered guns, shooting somebody whom they could not identify. After a few more shots, two soldiers approached two farmers – Nario Magro and Ernesto Burinis and asked if they supported the New People’s Army, a rebel group. They were also prevented from going to the place where the shooting just took place. Later one farmer saw the soldiers changing the clothes of a person in the same place.  At around 10:00AM four peasants –Nario Magro, Ernesto Burinis, Ely Mercurio (Mario’s uncle) and Barangay Councilor Pio Esquilo where told to go to the place where the body of Mario Mercurio lay. The soldiers, who identified Mario as an NPA member said that the person they shot wore parachute pants, black boots, kept a carbin and M16 and had a black bag. While waiting for they’re other companions to arrange the place where the body of Mario would be placed, they saw a soldier remove the magazines from a gun beside the victim’s corpse and put it inside Mario’s black bag. Because Mario was muddied and bloodied, the four peasants could not immediately identify him.  More than 15 soldiers brought Mario’s body to the Barangay Hall in Barangay Taytay, Majayjay. While there, they also placed beside him the things allegedly found in his possession. At 11:00AM Nestor Mercurio, the victim’s brother, was called to identify him. After acknowledging that indeed the dead corpse was Mario, he also denied the soldiers’ allegation that his brother was a member of the NPA. This was affirmed by his neighbors who maintained that he was a farmer whom they regularly saw tending his farm and not a rebel. The soldiers immediately ordered the local police to get the body of Mario. The police then brought him to a funeral parlor in Sta. Cruz for an autopsy.

 

What KARAPATAN got hold of later on was as the death certificate, which indicated that Mario’s death was caused by “Hemorrhagic shock due to or a consequence of multiple gunshot wounds in the trunks and right upper extremities.” According to the victim’s sibling, Mario had a lot of gunshot wounds in the body and right shoulder.

 

His wife also found it unusual that Mario wore parachute pants when he was never fond of wearing pants, never wore boots and that he was commonly seen wearing shorts.

 

Currently the 1^st Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army is continuing its military operations in the area.

 

Mario is reportedly a relative of a peasant leader Leon Mercurio who was also killed in September, 2000 by soldiers belonging to the same battalion.

 

 

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 killing of Mario Mercurio;

2.      The prosecution of the perpetrators of the crime of killing as well as investigations of other atrocities committed not only by the 1^st Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army but by the Army’s 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]