Peace of the Dead

(First of Two Parts)

A graveyard’s peace drapes the countrysides of Bicol. The muteness of peasant huts, the hush of wary gestures in the farms, the tautness of villagers’ faces – all these bespeak the dread that has crept across the barrios of the region. This silence is the dark peace of Oplan Bayanihan.

Now entering its third year, the government’s “internal peace and security plan” (a moderation for “counter-insurgency”), patterned after the US Counterinsurgency Guide of 2009, has for its ultimate objective the reduction of the “capabilities of internal armed threats…to a level that they can no longer threaten the stability of the state and civil authorities can ensure the safety and well-being of the Filipino people.” In the Bicol region, with the government having only one formidable armed opponent, Oplan Bayanihan means to “render the NPA irrelevant.” The Philippine Army’s 9th Infantry Division initiates the campaign in the region.

For the Bicolano masses however, Oplan Bayanihan only means thus: Terror and Deceit,  a two-pronged spear of brutality and psywar being thrust at the people leading to further impoverishment in a land already belonging to the country’s four poorest regions.


Terror and Deceit: A Predicament in Pairs
In the province of Albay, Oplan Bayanihan’s misleading “Peace and Development” operations have for more than two years been ravaging the interiors of Guinobatan town, and has turned a cluster of villages in the second district into a seemingly enormous military complex with large deployment of Philippine Army troops and CAFGU paramilitaries. These state forces, sustained by public money, essentially come to be private security forces for companies undertaking the construction of an international airport, and also of major eco-tourism and residential projects in the area.

In Camarines Norte, the 49th Infantry Battalion’s “Peace and Development Teams” (PDTs) disrupt the once tranquil lives of the people of Labo town’s 13 barrios – Domagmang, Malaya, Malibago, Malatap, Anameam, Macogon, Bagong Silang II, Pag-asa, Maligaya, Calabasa, Excivan, Daguit, and Maot.

Likewise, 12 villages in the town of Bato in Camarines Sur likewise suffer the afflictions of military presence. The villages of Payak, Pagatpatan, Sooc, Cotmon, Cristo Rey, Coguit, Mangga, Lubong, Salvacion, Cawacagan, Del Rosario, and Caricot have also been rounded up by the Philippine Army’s 42nd IB for Oplan Bayanihan’s storm of repression.

Villages in the towns of San Miguel, San Andres, and Virac in Catanduanes province share the same fate, as well as those in the boundaries of Bulusan and Barcelona towns in the province of Sorsogon, who have soldiers from the 31st IB occupying their barangays since September of 2012.

Needless to say, the AFP’s dismal human rights record makes its prolonged presence troubling on the part of villagers. A mere day of government soldiers raking through the countryside already spells fear and anxiety on the farmers to go to their lands, they being accosted with brusque, physical harm, and assaults to their livelihoods such as the stealing of crops and fowls from unguarded farms - thus equating military operations to loss of livelihoods.

But to simply paint a picture of menacing military patrols in the hinterlands of rural villages is to downplay the intent of Oplan Bayanihan’s focused terror. Despite the 9th ID’s platitudes on “peace and development” and “respect for human rights”, the opposite is what has been taking place. Oplan Bayanihan’s so-called “people-centered approach” is designed to impress upon the peasants the harsh consequences of advocating or supporting just struggles for land, livelihood, and other democratic rights and interests.  PDTs – on the average a squad of soldiers trained in combat, intelligence, and psywar – direct their brunt primarily on peasants and members of progressive organizations in the barrios whom they suspect to be supporters of the New People’s Army (NPA).

Various forms of human rights violations assail the victims of PDTs. From intimidation to physical harm, from illegal detention to unlawful interrogation, from torture to murder – soldiers of the 9th ID have not run out of methods in repressing Bicolano masses. In the villages of Guinobatan alone, no less than 80 individuals fell prey to the 2nd IB's PDTs just on its first month in July to August of 2011.

Emelio Odeña, a village watchman of Barangay Balite, had a knife shoved at him by a Sgt. Mariano. Novo Otico of Barangay Pood was hit in the head and legs while under interrogation. Fellow villager Oscar Pardines was hit with a rifle’s butt and was knocked in the stomach by his interrogators led by a Corporal Carpio. Village officials of Bololo and Cabaloaon were harassed into withdrawing their opposition to the PDTs’ presence, and were forced to provide materials and construct dwellings for soldiers. Rodrigo Bosquellos, also of Barangay Balite, was interrogated and illegally detained for seven hours, during which he was also denied any legal counsel and even food. Eli Oguis, a village councilman of Cabaloaon, whom the 2nd IB put under severe interrogation in August 2011, was later found headless in the muds. The list of savagery displayed by the 2nd IB in Albay goes on but is also matched elsewhere in the region where Oplan Bayanihan’s PDTs operate.

And as if all these were not terroristic enough, the Philippine Army’s 9th ID has even placed itself in the people’s midst – stockpiling weapons and occupying public structures as their barracks, and subjugating the people in their own locales of comfort and fellowships. AFP Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Emmanuel Bautista, Oplan Bayanihan’s chief architect, must have perfected in his military experience the thrashing of a people’s dignity that he and his men are now committing human rights violations – the intimidations and tortures, the unlawful detentions and cruelties – the crushing of a people’s spirits – inside barangay halls, daycare centers, chapels, and other public establishments.

All of these makes one thing very clear: that the government’s armed forces have the least respect for International Humanitarian Law which puts a premium on the protection and security of civilians in times of armed conflict; that certainly, it is not the poor and marginalized people in the region or elsewhere that they have come for to serve and protect.

With the 9th Infantry Division adept in all the functions of a repressive tool, Bicol’s countrysides would most likely illustrate the demise of democratic aspirations, with 9th ID troops posturing as butchers, but with once stifled Bicolano masses steadily breaking away from their fetters. #

Two Civilians Murdered by Lt Col Andrew Costelo’s 2nd IB

LEGAZPI CITY_

Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Costelo’s minions are on a killing rampage. Less than two weeks into his command, and in a span of just two days, Costelo’s 2^nd Infantry Battalion has already murdered two civilians. After mauling and shooting to death a farmer in Pio Duran town on February 11, soldiers of the 2^nd IB in Brgy Tobgon, Oas matched the crime with another civilian murder in the person of Dalmacio dela Punta.

News reports as well as communications from people’s organizations in the area confirmed that a firefight ensued between government troopers and alleged NPA rebels on February 12, with the 2^nd IB suffering casualties.  The victim’s family and other witnesses said that after the firefight, the soldiers arrested dela Punta at a nearby sityo, mauled and dragged him from his house, and peppered him with bullets on the way to the barrio center. He was then declared a New People’s Army rebel killed in the encounter.

The new 2^nd IB commander is bloating with lies in his attempt to cover up his soldiers’ crimes - for  the plain truth that dela Punta is a civilian. He was killed in disgust of 2^nd IB’s losses in the said encounter.  

It is indignant that such is Costelo’s civil-military operations after all – to systematically kill civilians in order to keep the populace terrorized and subdued, and fabricate lies to hide the atrocity.  And such is the evil of Oplan Bayanihan. The terror and impunity of the failed Oplan Bantay Laya escalates in this next counter-insurgency campaign, along with crooked psywar designs to attempt to blind the people of the AFP’s murderous nature.

Karapatan vows to exact justice for the loathsome murder of Dalmacio dela Punta. A Truth Mission is set to be organized to further expose the brutality carried out by Costelo's men. The 2nd IB's commander can expect no less than a murder case slapped against him and his soldiers.

Powerless as they are, poor peasants can only seek strength from fellow oppressed and exploited people. We call on the just and well-meaning people of Albay to aid in condemning Lt. Col. Andrew Costelo’s unsparing attack against civilians, and the impunity that envelops his counter-insurgency campaign.#

2nd IB-Philippine Army Frantically Shooting Civilians in Albay

LEGAZPI CITY_Romero Octavo is a former NPA rebel who has decided to lay down his arms and pursue civilian life. From the time Romero settled as a civilian resident of Brgy Rawis in neighboring Jovellar town, he has since survived the daily struggles ordinary peasants confront.  As was his nature, he would assist fellow villagers in their daily endeavors, his efforts be in form of words or direct participation in farm labor. Apart from tending to his land, he joined gatherings that fight for the people’s rights, though this time on the legal front.

But Lt. Col. Andrew Costelo and his 2nd IB death squad denied Romero the chance of returning to civilian life. Costelo’s rabid adherence to AFP Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Emmanuel Bautista's Oplan Bayanihan, being 901st Brigade’s former civil-military operations (CMO) chief, exposes the AFP’s vicious counter-insurgency campaign as being ultimately deadly to civilians. On February 11, Romero Octavo was never able to enjoy the small joys of a village dance, as he was mauled and shot to death by ten fully armed masked men believed to be Costelo’s soldiers. After mercillesly killing Romero Octavo, the murderers got on their motorcyles, in full death-squad fashion, and retreated to the direction of an army camp at nearby Brgy Halabang Puro.

Costelo’s lies  as a CMO implementer secretes from his pores  while he gloats on Oplan Bayanihan’s glorification as supposed peace and development for the people. With Octavo’s killing, Costelo seems to be saying that former NPA rebels have might as well remained hiding in the mountains, because apparently civilians are the primary targets of Oplan Bayanihan. Costelo’s perceptible reasoning in having Octavo killed is that civilians who are vocal in legally fighting for their rights might as well take up arms if only to defend themselves, because apparently Oplan Bayanihan virulently snaps on any sign of dissidence. This seems to be the logic Costelo wants to convey to the people of Albay.

With Lt. Col. Andrew Costelo and his 2nd IB frantically shooting civilians as if these were their armed opponents, peace based on justice would obviously be far-fetched in this province.

People’s leader survives murder attempt by suspected soldiers

Terror strikes most callously in its victims’ joyous moments.

A wedding anniversary is not at all one occasion for death squads to be considerate. On the night of December 5 in San Pablo, Del Gallego, Camarines Sur, as Barangay Captain Angel Mendoza and his wife Helen prepare their repose from a day’s celebration of their 25^th wedding anniversary, a motorcycle stopped outside the Mendozas’ house and a man’s voice called out Kapitan Angel’s name. Thinking that the man was a belated well-wisher, the barangay captain went out to check his visitor. He was instead met by gunshots.

Badly wounded were Kapitan Angel and his wife Helen. The couple’s niece Shirly Magpantay and husband Norman, who happened to be visiting for the occasion, were also hit. According to a report prepared by the Camarines Sur Ecumenical Movement for Justice and Peace, the bullet that hit Angel on his right arm pierced through his armpit, while Helen suffered a bullet each on her leg and arm, crushing her elbow. The victims were rushed to the Bicol Medical Center in Naga City for treatment.

Neighbors of the Mendozas confirmed having heard the motorcycle speed away at around 11 PM, following the gunshots. They found eight spent bullet casings for a .45 caliber pistol.

While news reports relate that the police are still investigating the incident and have yet to point to suspects, the people of San Pablo have no puzzles on the perpetrators and their motives in attempting to murder their village chief, and in the end almost carrying out a massacre.

Barangay Captain Angel Mendoza is a well-liked fellow and leader. He was San Pablo’s barangay captain from 1984 to 1994, again from 1997 to 2002, and yet again from 2007 up to the present. The people of San Pablo can suggest nothing in Kapitan Angel’s character and performance that would stoke the ire of anyone. Except, they say, when Kapitan Angel stood up for his barrio constituents against the harassment of the 902^nd Infantry Brigade from 2007 to 2009.

The people of San Pablo and its neighboring barangays in Del Gallego have long been committed in advocating the fight for human rights. They have also gained victories in reducing land rent through legal mass struggles, and are active in joining rallies and mobilizations that advance the people’s interests. It was not unexpected of San Pablo and its neighboring barangays to be focused on by the past regime’s Oplan Bantay Laya. Apparently, the military believes that those who righteously fight for the people’s interests, or simply, those who join rallies, are enemies of the State.

From May 2007 until 2009, San Pablo and its neighboring barangays were occupied by the army’s Special Operations Teams. The soldiers started out with campaigning for congressional candidate Dato Arroyo(which caught the media’s eye), then conducting patrols and operations, in the process intimidating the people, most especially those whom the military suspects of being NPA supporters, or rally participants. A military camp would eventually be set up at neighboring Sta. Rita.

This was what Brgy. Captain Angel Mendoza faced up to when in 2007, he chastised soldiers of the 902^nd IBde on their conduct and warned them that no less than the Barangay Council will file charges against any violation of San Pablo people’s rights. Apart from being barangay captain, Mendoza was then BAYAN MUNA Municipal Coordinator for Del Gallego.

Regardless of his stature as a barangay leader, Kapitan Angel was still subjected to various forms of harassment and intimidation. On November 2007, he was made to grasp an M-16 rifle and was photographed against his will. He was also coerced into betraying his constituents and was told to identify those who supposedly are NPA supporters, to which Kapitan Angel strongly stood up against. Then on 2009, together with his cousin and fellow barangay leader Diego de Torres, Kapitan Angel was once again subjected to interrogation by the soldiers and was pressed to “clear” their names of being NPA supporters and active rally participants.

Through the years of Oplan Bantay Laya’s torments, Brgy. Captain Angel Mendoza has not faltered in protecting his constituents and has remained devoted in his principles of fighting for what is just, even as the government’s counter-insurgency campaign has assumed another name in Oplan Bayanihan. The counter-insurgency fanatics may well be maddened by Kapitan Angel’s stance. This may be as infuriating for the 902^nd IBde to have him killed.

Shortly after the interrogation in 2009, San Pablo lost one of their leaders when Diego de Torres was extra-judicially murdered allegedly by elements of the 902^nd IBde. With the recent events threatening to once again put the barrio in martial plague, the people of San Pablo can only conclude that Oplan Bantay Laya’s Palparan model of killing activists is still being employed under Oplan Bayanihan.  But ultimately, as they are fortunate to still having their barangay captain to fight with them, so are the people of San Pablo most sharpened by collective experience forged by years of Kapitan Angel’s leadership.

Kagawad ng barangay sa Bikol pinaslang ng militar?

Repost from http://pinoyweekly.org

Kagawad ng barangay sa Bikol pinaslang ng militar?

by Macky Macaspac

Mga labi ni Ely Oguis. (Kontribusyon)

Pinabulaanan ng Karapatan ang mga magkakaibang pahayag ng militar hinggil sa pagpatay kay Ely Oguis, isang kagawad ng Barangay Cabaloan sa Guinobatan, Albay.

Ayon sa grupo, inililigaw ng militar ang katotohanan sa brutal na pagpatay sa biktima na natagpuang may mga tama ng bala sa dibdib at pinugutan pa ng ulo noong Nobyembre 12.

Sa magkakaibang pahayag ng militar sa midya, unang sinabi nilang nagkaroon ng engkuwentro ang mga kasundaluhan at rebeldeng New People’s Army (NPA) kung saan napatay si Oguis. Pero sa pangalawang pahayag, sinabi nilang isa umanong tagakolekta ng buwis para sa NPA ang biktima at pinatay siya at isang maliit na may-ari ng plantasyon ng niyog ng mga kasamahan niya.

Sa sariling imbestigasyon ng Karapatan, napag-alaman sa mga residente ng lugar na noong Nobyembre 11, pumasok pa sa barangay hall ang biktima para gampanan ang kanyang tungkulin. Nanatili siya mula alas-8 ng umaga hanggang alas-4 ng hapon.

Dahil nakagawian na umano niyang makihalubilo sa mga residente, hindi agad umuwi si Oguis matapos ang kanyang duty sa barangay hall. Bagkus, ayon sa mga nakasaksi, nakipag-inuman daw ang biktima kay Juanito Sumaupan, na kapwa kagawad, at Rodrigo Mirabite na kapitbahay niya.

Makalipas ang ilang saglit, sumama sa kanilang inuman ang dalawang sundalo na sina Cpl. Gilbert Ramos, kumander ng kampo ng 2nd Infantry Batallion ng Philippine Army, at isang nakilalala lamang bilang Patoy.
Batay sa kuwento ni Sumaupan, matapos makaubos ng ilang bote ng beer, lumipat umano sila sa tindahang pag-aari ni Marly na anak ng biktima. Umalis umano ang mga sundalo bandang alas-10 ng gabi at sumunod naman si Oguis makalipas ang ilang minuto.

Ayon pa sa Karapatan, nakarinig ng sunud-sunod na putok ang ilang residente bandang alas-11 ng gabi.
Dagdag pa grupo, ilang residente, kasama ang isang kagawad din ng barangay na si Minda Sumaupan, ang pauwi na galing sa pakikipaglamay bandang alas-1 ng madaling araw.

Pagdating nila sa isang purok ng barangay, nailawan nila ang isang taong nakahandusay na inakala nilang lasing. Nang lapitan nila, nakita nilang taong pugot ang ulo. Ipinaabot kaagad ng grupo ang nakita sa kanilang barangay chairman na nagpasyang hintayin na magliwanag bago imbestigahan.
Sa ganap na alas-singko ng umaga, siniyasat mga opisyal ng barangay ang bangkay at nakita ang ulo sa layong mahigit isang metro. Nakilalang itong labi ni Oguis at agad dinala sa isang punerarya para maawtopsiya matapos ipagbigay alam sa mga kamag-anak.

“Sa aming imbestiagsyon, wala namang nangyaring putukan sa detatchment kung saan iniulat ng mga sundalo na may nangyaring labanan. Ang narinig ng mga taga-barangay ay mga putok ng baril na hindi nga umabot ng isang minuto mula sa kinakitaan ng pugot na bangkay ni Kgd. Ely Oguis,” ani Vince Casilihan, tagapagsalita ng Karapatan-Bicol.

Sinabi rin ni Casilihan na mas malakas ang kanilang hinala na mga militar ang pumaslang kay Oguis.
Ilang beses umanong pinatawag ng mga militar si Oguis dahil pinaparatangan siya ng mga militar na miyembro ng NPA.

“Noon ngang Agosto 21, 2011 humingi siya ng tulong sa Karapatan-Bikol dahil dito. Sa katunayan, may sinumpaang salaysay pa siyang pinirmahan,” sabi pa ni Casilihan. Pareho umano ang mga pahayag ng militar hinggil sa pagkamatay ni Oguis at ni Rodel Estrellado na dinukot at pinatay noong  Pebrero 25, 2011.
“Gumawa sila ng moro-morong engkuwentro para palabasing nadamay sa labanan ang biktima. Pero ang totoo, sila-sila lang naman ang nagpaputok,” sabi pa ni Casilihan.

Sinabi rin ng grupo na ang pagpatay ay bahagi ng Oplan Bayanihan.

“Ang karahasang militar ay pilit nilang itinatago sa pamamagitan ng Community Peace and Development Team (CPDT) na wala namang pagkakaiba sa tigmak-dugong special operations teams (SOT) ng Oplan Bantal Laya I & II ng rehimeng US-Arroyo,” paliwanag pa ni Casilihan.

Kasapi ng Albay People’s Organization (APO) si Oguis at aktibong lumalaban sa militarisasyon sa kanilang lugar at sa paglabag sa karapatang pantao sa Kabikulan.
Short URL: http://pinoyweekly.org/new/?p=21804

Albay councilman shot, beheaded by suspected soldiers

Repost from bulatlat.com

Published on November 16, 2012

By INA ALLECO R. SILVERIO and RONALYN V. OLEA
Bulatlat.com

One military unit claimed that councilman Ely M. Oguis, 60, was killed in an encounter between soldiers and NPA guerrillas; another military spokesman said he was a NPA tax collector who was killed by his comrades for not remitting his collections; while another said he was killed by the NPA for not paying taxes. But one thing is for sure, he was last seen drinking with a fellow councilman and two soldiers the night before he was killed.
MANILA — A village councilman in Guinobatan, Albay province was found beheaded, November 12. According to reports from the Karapatan chapter in Bicol, the councilman, 60-year-old Ely M. Oguis, was accused of being a tax collector of the New People’s Army (NPA) by the Philippine Army and was shot and decapitated.

Oguis, 60, was a member of the Albay People’s Organization.
Early on the morning of November 11, Oguis left his house to report for duty as village councilor at Cabaloaon village. He stayed at the village from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., but did not immediately go home afterwards. Witnesses said that Oguis, as his practice, made social calls at the homes of various neighbors and other village residents after work.

Later that evening, he met with fellow village councilor Juanito Sumaupan, and neighbor Rodrigo Mirabite for a drink. Eventually, they were joined by the detachment commander of the 2nd Infantry Battalion Cpl. Gilbert Ramos and another soldier known only as “Patoy.”

Sumaupan said they drank a few bottles of beer before they moved to another store, this time owned by the victim’s daughter, Marlyn. The two soldiers left past 10 p.m., and Oguis followed some 30 minutes after.

Based on reports gathered by Karapatan Bicol, at around 11p.m., some of the residents heard gunfire. Sumaupan went back to Marlyn’s house, who is also a neighbor, to ask if she knew if her father had arrived home safely. Marlyn, in turn, called a sibling living in their parents’ house. She was told that Oguis had not returned. Not suspecting anything, Sumaupan returned home.

At 1:00 a.m. the following morning, November 12, another village councilor Minda Sumaupan, with three others were returning home from a wake in another village. When they reached Palapbuton subvillage, Cabaloaon, the group’s flashlight shone upon a person lying along the road. At first, the group thought the person was asleep in a drunken stupor. They were shocked when, after coming closer to the person, they found the body with no head.

The body of Ely Oguis at the funeral parlor.(Photo courtesy of Karapatan-Bicol / bulatlat.com)

They immediately informed the village chief. Because of the darkness, the village captain decided to wait for daylight before investigating. At around 5 a.m., village officers examined the body. They found the decapitated head more than a meter away from the body, almost buried in mud, and identified it as Oguis. The ears had been hacked off.

The victim’s wife, Nila, and other family members were immediately informed. The body was taken to a funeral parlor in Guinobatan town proper for autopsy.
Initial information gathered by Karapatan-Bicol revealed that Oguis sustained five gunshot wounds in the chest causing severe damage to the lungs and heart. The decapitated head also bore signs of being hit with a hard object.

In the meantime, units of the Armed Forces of the Philippines have already released statements, each one in conflict with the others.

On Nov. 12, Major Narzan Obuyes, spokesman of the 2nd Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army, said that an encounter between the NPA and the military occurred at the military detachment in Cabaloaon village. Col. Ricardo Visaya, commanding officer of the 901st Brigade based in Daraga, Albay, said that Oguis was an NPA tax collector and may have been killed by the NPA as punishment for not remitting collections.

Another military spokesman, Maj. Angelo Guzman of the 9th Infantry Division said that Oguis was a small-scale coconut plantation owner and that he was killed by the NPA for not paying taxes.
The National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) in Bicol, however, has already issued its own statement, saying that there was neither NPA presence in the village nor an encounter.
In a statement sent to Bulatlat.com, Vince Casilihan, spokesman of Karapatan-Bicol and among those who conducted an independent investigation of the incident, quoted the residents as saying that they never heard any firefight. The gunshots did not last for even a minute, Casilihan said.

“The military is lying to cover up for their heinous crime,” Casihilan said. “They are the only ones who have the motive to kill Oguis.”

The heavy deployment of soldiers in Guinobatan, Albay began in July 2011. The 2nd IBPA arrived in 11 villages, including Cabaloaon. The soldiers first used the village hall as their headquarters before forcing the residents to set up their detachment in the village center. It is still, however, right near the village hall.
Karapatan-Bicol has previously documented several incidents of the military issuing threats and harassing residents, among them Oguis.

On August 21, 2011, soldiers known only as Ontolan and Amolar invited Oguis to their detachment. In a sworn statement, a copy of which was sent to Bulatlat.com through email, the councilman said the two soldiers accused him of being a member of the NPA, and told him to leave the group. Oguis vehemently denied the accusations and asserted that he was only a village councilor.
In the same affidavit, Oguis related that sometime in August of the same year, the military ordered the residents to bring bamboo and other materials for their headquarters. Oguis said that out of fear, the residents obeyed and built the structure without any payment.

Karapatan-Bicol noted that the military also did the same to Bayan Muna member Rodel Estrellado.
On February 25, 2011, Estrellado was walking home from a local market in village 3, Malilipot, Albay, after buying food for his family. According to witnesses, at around 9 a.m., around four men who introduced themselves as members of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) accosted Estrellado and forced him inside a gray car with plate number MXN 902.

It was found out later that three hours before Estrellado’s abduction at 6 a.m., the spokesman of the 9th Infantry Division Maj. Harold Cabunoc issued a statement that an alleged member of the NPA named Elmer Estrollado was killed in an armed encounter in the village of Buluang, Bato, Camarines Sur.
Also on the same day at 1:25 p.m., a certain Major Danilo Ambe and 2nd Lt. Maribel Donilla based in Mabaludbalud, Tigaon, Camarines Sur filed a blotter report at the PNP Bato that they conducted a strike operation in Buluang, Bato that resulted in the death of one Elmer Estrellado.

Two days after Estrellado’s abduction, February 27, Estrellado’s family decided to go to a funeral parlor where they heard an “Elmer Estrellado” had been taken. They had previously looking for Rodel in various army camps, but the military denied having him in custody.

In the funeral parlor, the family found their loved one’s body under the name “Elmer Estrellado.”
Casihilan said the killing of Oguis is part of the implementation of the Aquino administration’s counterinsurgency program Oplan Bayanihan. “The state forces who present themselves as Community Peace and Development Team (CPDT) are no different from the bloody Special operations teams of Arroyo’s Oplan Bantal Laya I and II.

Death squads accused in killing of village chief, 4-year old, in Cam Norte

Repost from bulatlat.com

Death squads accused in killing of village chief, 4-year old, in Cam Norte

Published on August 9, 2012

 

Death squads accused in killing of village chief, 4-year old, in Cam Norte

Published on August 9, 2012

 8 2 40 1

 

One of the victims, Merlyn Diones Bermas, exposed the the February 12, 2012 massacre involving members of the Philippine Army’s 49th Infantry Battalion.
By INA ALLECO R. SILVERIO
Bulatlat.com
MANILA — A 48-year old woman and a four-year old boy were killed by members of a suspected death squad in Labo, Camarines Norte in Bicol.
At around 3:30 pm on August 7, Merlyn Diones Bermas, the village chairwoman of Malaya village in Labo and pre-school pupil Gerald Oreza were shot and killed by four members of what is alleged to be a death squad operated by the Philippine Army’s 9th Infantry Division, according to an urgent action alert sent by human rights group Karapatan. Injured during the same incident was 45-year old farmer Cenon Maulion, also a resident of the same barangay as Bermas.

That day, Bermas was returning to her house after going to the market at the Labo town center. She and other residents of Malaya village were on board two “haulers,” the usual transportation vehicle for villagers in the area. A hauler is a motorcycle with a sidecar without a roof.
The child Gerald was inside the sidecar, sitting next to the farmer Maulion. Gerald’s mother, in the meantime, sat behind the motorcycle driver, and Bermas sat at the rear of the motorycle. On board the second hauler were four other Malaya residents.

As the two vehicles made its way towards Labo and was passing through the adjacent village of Anameam, a motorcycle ridden by two men sped past the second hauler, and positioned itself between the two vehicles, just behind Bermas.

One of the men on the motorcycle pulled out a gun, prompting one of the passengers of the second hauler to shout out a warning to Bermas.
The gunman fired twice, hitting Bermas in the back, and the four-year-old Gerald in the head. The gunman fired for a third time, grazing Maulion in the back. As the gunmen fled, a second motorcycle, with two men on board, followed, speeding past the two vehicles.

Witnesses and the other passengers took Bermas and Gerald to the Camarines Norte Provincial Hospital in Talobatib village, Labo, where she was declared dead. Gerald was transferred to the Bicol Medical Center in Naga City where he later died. Maulion was grazed by a bullet on his back.

According to reports from Karapatan, the witnesses did not see the faces of the perpetrators except to say that the drivers of the motorcycles wore helmets. The passengers, one of whom was the gunman, wore ski masks. They also wore long-sleeved shirts and gloves. The gunman’s motorcycle had no plate number, instead only a “for registration” sign. The second motorcycle’s plate number was covered by a black jacket that was tied around the waist of one of the passengers.

Karapatan said that as the chairwoman of Malaya village, Bermas helped expose the Feb. 25, 2012 massacre in her community, where farmer Benjamin Mancera was killed, along with his two sons, Michael, 10 and Richard, seven years old.

Mancera’s 14-year-old daughter was wounded when 49th Infantry Battalion soldiers strafed their hut. Bermas also assisted the surviving members of the Mancera family in seeking safety after the military issued death threats against them.

Karapatan also said that Bermas’s daughter had told the human rights group that her mother had also received death threats from suspected military agents on her cellphone. The military also accused Bermas of being a member of the New People’s Army and threatened to kill her.
Bermas is survived by her husband and their five children.

Military implicated in massacre of farmer, 2 sons in Cam Norte

Repost from bulatlat.com

Military implicated in massacre of farmer, 2 sons in Cam Norte

Published on March 7, 2012

 Benjamin Mancera died while embracing his seven-year old son Richard; another son Michael, 10, died still holding a ballpen in the bedroom.
By RONALYN V. OLEA
Bulatlat.com

MANILA – Ella (not her real name), 14, never imagined that she would lose his father and two brothers in one day.

On Feb. 25, just after lunch, Ella saw soldiers approaching their house located in purok 6, sitio Mapatong, barangay Malaya, Labo, Camarines Norte. She then woke up her father, Benjamin Mancera, 54, who was having a nap. At that time, Michael, 10, was studying his lessons and the youngest of three siblings, Richard, aged seven, was playing with bubbles.
Benjamin looked out the window and called out to Richard to come to him. Not long after, their house, made of bamboo and dried anahaw leaves, was peppered with bullets. Ella was lying on the ground beside her father and brother. After 30 minutes of gunfire, there was silence. A soldier came inside, and said in Filipino, “There are dead children. There are dead children.” Benjamin died while embracing his son Richard. In a room was Michael who was found lifeless, still holding a ballpen. Another man was found dead in the sala. Only Ella survived. She sustained wounds on her arms and legs.

“The soldiers peppered the house of the Manceras with bullets even if they knew that there were civilians there. This is a clear violation of the International Humanitarian Law (IHL) or the law on armed conflict that primarily protects civilians and non-combatants and provides restrictions on warfare,” Maricel Delen, coordinator of Karapatan-Camarines Norte, said in a statement.

Following the incident, officers of the 49th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army (IBPA) declared that Benjamin was a New People’s Army (NPA) fighter, saying that what happened was a legitimate encounter. Investigation by human rights groups in Bicol revealed that Mancera was a farmer and small-scale miner and concluded it was a massacre. A copy of the report was sent to Bulatlat.com through email.

Lourdes Mancera and her daughter Ella (not her real name), 14, (second from left) attend the burial of Benjamin, Richard and Michael.(Photo courtesy of Karapatan-Camarines Norte / bulatlat.com)

In a three-day fact-finding mission held Feb. 27 to 29, members of Karapatan-Camarines Norte and Karapatan-Bicol interviewed Ella who is recuperating at the Daet Provincial Hospital, still heavily guarded by soldiers and policemen. They also went to the funeral parlor where the father and sons were brought. Joined by some 130 residents of barangay Malaya at neighboring barangay Malibago, the fact-finding team also went to the house of the Manceras. They were able to recover 231 empty shells.

During the interview with members of the team, Ella insisted that her father was not an NPA. While she admitted that an NPA stayed at their house, a certain Ka Pedro, the latter was not able to return fire.

In a separate statement sent through email, the NPA’s Armando Catapia Command confirmed that their comrade, alias Ka Gupi or Rafael V. Llantino, was killed in the incident. The NPA, however, said Benjamin was a civilian.

In her testimony, Ella said after the shooting, the soldiers asked her if she knew the NPA and she replied that the man’s name is Pedro. She said there were about 20 soldiers in their house. The soldiers gave her biscuits and medicines. After around three to four hours, she was placed in a hammock and brought to the barangay (village) hall. She was given first aid and then brought to the Daet Provincial Hospital. It was past 9 p.m. when they reached the hospital.

Members of the fact-finding team visit the bullet-riddled house of the Manceras.(Photo courtesy of Karapatan-Camarines Norte / bulatlat.com)

The next day, Ella’s mother, Lourdes, arrived. She has been working as a domestic helper in Manila. Accompanied by the village chieftain, Lourdes was not allowed by the soldiers, who have been guarding Ella, to see and speak to her daughter.

The following day, Delen said, they had to assert the right of Lourdes to visit Ella. When the soldiers finally gave in, a soldier secretly handed an envelope to Lourdes, containing cash amounting to P10,000 ($232). On the same night, the soldiers on board a military truck, went to the funeral parlor and brought some grocery items for the wake of Benjamin and his two sons.

The fact-finding team also learned that on Feb. 26, soldiers of the 49th IB under the command of a certain 2nd Lt. Lee ordered some residents of barangay Malaya to recover the bodies of the Manceras.

One of the soldiers told the local residents that the NPAs fired first. The soldier also warned the residents not to entertain NPA guerrillas in their homes or else they would suffer the same fate.

Soldiers guard the funeral parlor where the Manceras where brought.(Photo courtesy of Karapatan-Camarines Norte / bulatlat.com)

In its statement, the NPA’s Armando Catapia Command said that since the counterinsurgency program Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan (Peaceful and Resilient Communities) or Pamana started in Labo, soldiers have been occupying village halls, chapels and schools in 14 sub-villages. The soldiers, according to the NPA, are conducting census, obliging residents to attend their meetings, threatening civilians of being arrested, stealing their crops and poultry, among others.

The four were buried on March 1 at the Bulhao Catholic Cemetery in barangay Bulhao, Labo, Camarines Norte.
Meanwhile, Ella stopped schooling. Before, she and her two brothers would walk for two hours every day to reach the Malaya Elementary School. Her freedom to live a simple life has been taken away.