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KARAPATAN UA on the Massacre in Sulu with corrections UA Date : 24 March 2003 UA Title: MASSACRE OF MORO PEASANTS AND MINORS IN SULU, PHILIPPINES I. Case: Massacre, Frustrated Murder, Torture and Coercion II. Victim/s: RADJAIL MUKAMMALI (killed) · 68 years old · a farmer and a resident of Brgy. Lampaki, Indanan, Sulu ALMAJAR JAINUL (killed) · 21 years old · a farmer and a resident of Brgy. Lampaki, Indanan, Sulu JUL SAHIBUL (killed) · 17 years old · a student and a resident of Brgy. Lampaki, Indanan, Sulu BENNASIR MUAMMIL (killed) · 13 years old, · a grade school pupil and a resident of Brgy. Lampaki, Indanan, Sulu ANTAJUL AYYADI (survivor) · 28 years old · a farmer and a resident of Brgy. Lampaki, Indanan, Sulu III. Place of Incident: Lampaki, Indanan, Sulu, Philippines
IV. Date of Incident: 20 March 2003 at around 4:00PM
V. Perpetrator/s: A group of around 100 unidentified troopers of the AFP-Scout Rangers based in Sulu
VI. Account of Incident/s: It was just another ordinary afternoon in Brgy. Lampaki, Indanan, Sulu but for survivor Antajul Ayyadi and the families of Radjail Mukammali, Almajar Jainul, Jul Saibul and Bennasir Muamil, everything that happened on the afternoon of 20 March 2003 was far from ordinary. At around 4:00 pm that day, Antajul Ayyadi and his uncle Radjail Mukammali went together to tend and bring back their cattle after letting them graze freely in the grassy areas in the outskirts of their barangay. Neighbors Almajar Jainul, Jul Sahibul and grade school pupil Bennasir Muamil also set off to do the same chore. Since their cows were in another place, the group of A. Jainul, J. Sahibul and B. Muamil separated from A. Ayyadi and R. Mukammali. As they were nearing their cows, Ayyadi and Mukammali saw a group of around a hundred fully armed men wearing black uniforms. The two suspected that they were military personnel belonging to the Scout Rangers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP-SRs). Upon seeing the two, the government troopers shouted at them and motioned for both to come near the group. They were then ordered to take off their clothes. The soldiers used these clothes to blindfold them and tie their hands on their back.After forcing Ayyadi and Mukammali to put their heads down, the soldiers began accusing them to be members of the Abu Sayyaf Group(ASG) which both vehemently denied. The soldiers continued to force the two to admit that they had knowledge of the members of the Abu Sayyaf Group in their area and to point where they were. Ayyadi and Mukammali would also continue denying since they both had no information about the ASG. The soldiers then started to hit Ayyadi and Mukammali indiscriminately with their high-powered rifles. Realizing that no information could be extracted from the two, the soldiers put grass into the mouth of Ayyadi and Mukammali. Ayyadi recalled that after his mouth was filled with grass, he felt something hit his neck. Then he started to feel something warm flowing over his body. He realized that he was wounded and that blood was gushing from his neck. He fell to the ground and “played dead.” And while at this, he heard somebody snoring nearby. He could not see who it was because he was blindfolded. (Later, he realized it was his uncle Radjail Mukkamali who was gasping for his last breath). After around 20 minutes of “playing dead,” Ayyadi noticed that the government soldiers started to leave the place. And when he felt it was safe, he took his blindfold and untied his hands. He was able to catch a glimpse of the Scout Rangers going away as they were still around 40-50 meters from where he was. Then Ayyadi ran back home and related his and Mukammali’s ordeal. The Brgy. Chairperson (village chief) and relatives of the other missing persons came. The village chief brought Ayyadi and the relatives of the missing persons to the nearby Army Headquarters of the 4th IB-AFP. The army commander, a Colonel by rank immediately ordered his men to bring the wounded Ayyadi to the Sulu Provincial Hospital. Meanwhile, a son of Mukammali and the families of Almajar Sainul, Jul Sahibul and Bennasir Muammil requested the army commander to call by radio the group of Scout Rangers involved in the operations and to plead that the other missing persons be spared. The Army commander did and asked one of his men to contact by radio the Scout Ranger unit. (Upon contact, the radioman could be heard having a heated argument with the Scout Ranger unit, as this military group would not answer their query). Realizing that the Scout Rangers would not give them the exact whereabouts of the other missing persons, the relatives decided to look for them on their own. However, they failed to locate them because it was already dark. As early as 3:00 AM the following day (21 March 2003), residents of Brgy. Lampaki noticed that all the soldiers in the military camp started to pack up their things and leave the place. At around 7:00 AM, the family and relatives of the other missing persons left their barangay to search for their missing relatives. Shortly after, three (3) shallow graves covered with leaves were found with the dead bodies of A. Sainul, J. Sahibul and B. Muammil. All bore deep wounds on their necks. At around 9:00 AM of the same day, the body of Rajail Mukammali was recovered also with a fatal wound on his neck. The 4th IB-AFP would later spread the story that it was the ASG who killed the 4 persons and wounded Antajul Ayyadi because the Scout Rangers did not have “bolos” with them. However, A. Ayyadi asserted that the Scout Rangers got their “bolos” from the victims, and used these to execute the four and wounded him. As of this writing, Antajul Ayyadi is still at the Sulu Provincial Hospital recovering from his wounds.
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 massacre of the Moro peasants and minors as well as the wounding of another in Limpaka, Indanan Sulu last March 20, 2003.
2. The prosecution of the perpetrators of the crimes of massacre, frustrated murder, coercion, grave threats and torture as well as investigations of other atrocities committed by elements of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in Sulu, Philippines.
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 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 |
