Urgent Action Alerts

Karapatan staff receives death threats in Dumaguete, Negros Oriental

admin — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 05:34:45 -0500

On the afternoon of November 8, 2011, while Karapatan coordinator Jose Luis Blanco was resting at the office after a field work, he received a call on his cellphone from an unregistered number (09095596583).

The male caller asked if he is speaking to Jose Luis Blanco. After confirming that he is Blanco, the caller then burst out in a barrage of anti-communist monologue. The caller accused Blanco of being a member of the New People’s Army, and a “God-less automaton of Jose Maria Sison in the Netherlands. The caller threatened Blanco that he will be sexually abused and stabbed to death. The caller also warned that “they” know where Blanco is, and that “they” would have him killed.

Paramilitary men go on a rampage in Agusan del Sur, Philippines: two Lumad killed, two children wounded

admin — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Account of the Incident: On June 30, 2011 at around 5 am, Arpe was lying on the floor of his house with his wife Mayse and three children, aged 1 year old, 4 years old and 8 years old, when they heard men on the ground outside their house. About two meters from their house, Arpe's daughter (Michelle), 14 years old and his nephew Solte, 21 years old were asleep in a neighboring house. All of a sudden, gunfire was directed at the house where Michelle and Solte were sleeping. Solte jumped out of the house and was followed by gunfire. Michelle saw Solte fall to the ground as she was hit on the left leg. She rolled down the hillside to hide below.

The gunmen entered the Belayong house and as Arpe tossed his one-year-old daughter to Mayse, he was shot twice on the chest, falling over Adeb, who was still lying on the floor. After seeing Tala Mansinugdan and Laging Binsalan among the armed men who shot Arpe, Mayse jumped out of the house with her baby daughter and eight-year-old son and rolled down the hill to their farm plot below. She saw her wounded teenage daughter and told her to hide. Mayse then ran for two kilometers to get help at the house of Lagdam Hanghadon, her cousin and their nearest neighbors.

Leader of small-scale miners killed in Compostela Valley

admin — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0400

On April 12, 2011, at around 6 PM, Santos V. Manrique, also known as Ricky, was at the lawn in front of his house in Brgy. Kingking, Pantukan responding to a call in his two-way radio. His wife, Amelia, 46, said she was just a meter away from him, while their six-year-old grandson was also near when a man arrived and shot Ricky three times at the back with a .45 caliber pistol, from a three-and-a-half meter distance.

Human rights volunteers harassed, arbitrarily arrested and detained in Sta. Catalina, Negros Oriental, Philippines

admin — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Account of the Incident:

On March 17, 2011, the five-man HR Team of Karapatan-Central Visayas went to the village of Barangay Nagbinlod, municipality of Sta. Catalina in Negros Oriental, to document reported human rights abuses of the state security forces following an alleged clash between the military and the New People's Army (NPA).

Member of Bayan Muna abducted and killed in Albay, Philippines

admin — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 11:22:02 -0500

On 25 February 2011, Rodel Estrellado was walking home from a local market in Barangay 3, Malilipot, Albay, after buying food for his family. According to witnesses, at around 9:00 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.

Surprisingly, three hours earlier at 6:00 a.m., the Armed Forces of the Philippines through 9th Infantry Division spokesperson Maj. Harold Cabunoc issued a statement that an alleged member of the New People's Army named Elmer Estrollado was killed in an armed encounter in the village of Buluang, Municipality of 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 in PNP Bato that they conducted a strike operation in Buluang, Bato that resulted in the death of one Elmer Estrellado.

On 27 February, after searching for Rodel in various army camps, the Roodel's relatives decided to go to the funeral parlor where “Elmer Estrellado” was brought. However, the family found out that the deceased is their missing loved one, Rodel.

B'laan tribe chieftain and his son tortured and killed in Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur

admin — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0500

On the morning of February 27, Rudy and Rudyric Dejos was working on their respective farms which is near their residence in the village of Zone 1, Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur.

Peace consultant and JASIG-holder, arbitrarily arrested in Quezon Province, Philippines

admin — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Account of the Incident:

At around 6:30 pm of February 14, around 40 fully-armed elements of the PNP Region 3, 56th Infantry Battalion of the 7th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army, 7th Military Intelligence Group, 703rd Infantry Brigade, and Intelligence Security Group arrived at Villa Aurea Subdivision in Barangay Subic, Baliuag, Bulacan and closed-in on NDFP peace consultant Allan Jazmines while inside one of the houses in the said subdivision.

Young girl traumatized by military conducting operations in Calinog, Iloilo

admin — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Account of the Incident:

On January 5, 2011, at around 12:20 p.m., army soldiers and CAFGUs came to the house of Manuelito Loreno at Brgy. Binulusan Grande, Calinog, Iloilo. The soldiers went near the door of the low bamboo house while the CAFGUs stood at a short distance.

Combined military and police elements stormed and raided KARAPATAN office in Daet, Camarines Norte, Bicol, Philippines

admin — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0500

At around 10:30 in the morning of 22 November 2010, the combined elements of the Regional PNP and 902nd Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army (902nd IBPA) forcibly entered the office of KARAPATAN-Camarines Norte in F. Pimentel Ave.,Pasig, Brgy. II, Daet. KARAPATAN-Camarines Norte shares this office with the Makabayan (Nationalist) Coalition and the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas -Camarines Norte (KMP or the Philippine Peasant Movement-Camarines Norte).

Member of a Local Farmers’ Association gunned down in Balayan, Batangas, Philippines

admin — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0500

On 7 November 2010, between 7:00 – 8:00 in the morning, Ireneo M. Rodriguez (“Rene” to his friends) was riding his motorcycle on his way to the town of Balayan to visit his children who were staying with his in-laws. As he was traversing the National Highway, two men on board a motorcycle overtook his motorcycle and shot him using a .45 caliber pistol. The driver of the motorcycle was wearing a helmet, while the back-rider who shot the victim covered his face with a white handkerchief.