Dear Friends,

Here is another UA on the shooting of four children in Rodriguez, Rizal by the 80th Infantry Battalion.

We urge for your usual support.

In Solidarity,
KARAPATAN-National Office
Alliance for the Advancement of People's Rights

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UA Date: 01 May 2004

UA Title: Four children shot at by soldiers at checkpoint

UA Case: indiscriminate firing, frustrated murder, denial of medical attention

I. Victim/s:

• Vanessa Ramos
• 15 years old, female
• student
• a resident of Barangay Geronimo, Rodriguez, Rizal, Philippines

• Mary Joy Macasa
• 14 years old, female
• student
• a resident of Lolotino, Subdivision, Geronimo, San Rafael, Rodriguez, Rizal, Philippines

• Diana Buenaflor
• 10 years old, female
• student
• a resident of Lolotino, Subdivision, Geronimo, San Rafael, Rodriguez, Rizal, Philippines

• Delfin Afiado, Jr.
• 18 years old, male
• janitor at the Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Parish
• a resident of San Rafael, Rodriguez, Rizal, Philippines

II. Date of Incident: 27 April 2004 at around 2:00 AM

III. Place of Incident: Sitio Wawa, San Rafael, Rodriguez, Rizal, Philippines

IV. Perpetrators: Soldiers belonging to the 80th Infantry Battalion under Lt. Col. Ricardo Nepomuceno

V. Summary of Incident:

On April 27, 2004 between 1:00 - 1:30 AM Vanessa Ramos, Mary Joy Macasa, Diana Rose Buenaflor and Delfin Afiado, jr. decided to go on a joy ride to Sitio Wawa, San Rafael, Rodriguez, Rizal using the Mitsubishi Adventure owned by the Parish of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary.

On the way to the area, they decided to fetch Diana's sister Daisylyn from her work place along the highway in San Delfin. On their way to
her, they noticed a checkpoint along the road. Delfin immediately tried to turn away because he was afraid to be caught driving without a license.  However, he panicked and as he was backing out, he hit an electric post.

The soldiers suddenly open fired at the vehicle, hitting the front and the driver's side of the car. The children were grazed with bullets and
hit with splinters from the broken glass of the windshield. They incurred injuries on the face, head and chest. Diana was spared because she
snuck out of the vehicle and ran away to safety.

The rest of the kids, led by Vanessa approached the soldiers and asked them "Bakit ninyo kami pinaputukan? Mga bata lang kami." ("Why did you fire at us? We are only a group of children.")

The soldiers only dismissed them saying "Wala na kaming magagawa umalis na kayo." ("We cannot do anything, just go away.")

Vanessa and Mary Joy, being kids, did not insist on their right to be brought to the hospital for treatment. Instead, they went home to
Vanessa's house where Vanessa's mother immediately took them to the local hospital. There they were transferred again to the Amang Rodriguez Hospital in Marikina for treatment.

That day, the 80th Infantry Battalion through Lt. Col. Nepomuceno released a press statement that their soldiers engaged in an encounter with
alleged New People's Army rebels at a checkpoint in Brgy,. San Rafael, Rodriguez, Rizal. He also claimed that one of their soldiers was even
injured during the gunfire exchange.

The children are now undergoing Psycho-socio treatment with the Children's Rehabilitation Center (CRC). Their parents are demanding that their children be given a public apology for being wrongly tagged as NPA rebels and for them to be indemnified.

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Send letters, email 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 indiscriminate firing, frustrated murder and denial of
medical attention of Vanessa Ramos,. Mary Joy Macasa, Delfian Afiado, Jr. and Diana Rose Buenaflor.
2. The prosecution of the perpetrators of the crime of indiscriminate firing, frustrated murder, and denial of medical attention as well as
other atrocities committed not just by the 80th Infantry Battalion but by other units of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and/or Philippine
National Police as well.
3. The immediate and proper indemnification of the family/relatives of the victims; and
4. That 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 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 of the Philippines
Malacañang Palace,
J.P. 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
Email: [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. delos 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]

Please send us a copy of your email/mail/fax to the said government
official at our address below:

URGENT ACTION Prepared by:

KARAPATAN (Alliance for the Advancement of People's Rights)-National
Office
43 Masikap St., Barangay Pinyahan, Quezon City, 1100 PHILIPPINES
Voice: (+632) 435 4146 / Fax: (+632) 928 6078
Emails: [email protected] / [email protected]
Website: www. karapatan.org