Carpenter abducted and killed by the PNP Regional Mobile Group in Claveria, Masbate province, Philippines

At around 5:00 in the morning of 12 January 2008, more that 20 elements of the PNP-RMG, some were wearing uniforms but without nameplates, surrounded the house of Tildo Rebamonte in Brgy. Pasig, Claveria, Masbate. Five of them forcibly entered and ransacked the house, handcuffed the victim and took him to the ranch owned by Claveria mayor Eduardo M. Andueza in Brgy. Binas. Tildo was then handcuffed with his arms raised to a post inside the ranch. Witnesses said the policemen tried to force Tildo to disclose the alleged New People's Army (NPA) camps in the area. On 14 January, the policemen took Tildo along in their operation in search of NPA camps.

On 16 January, between 1:00-2:00 in the afternoon, police claimed Tildo was killed in Brgy. Nabasagan in an alleged encounter with the NPA, even though no encounter actually happened. His mutilated body was brought by the policemen to the municipal hall of Claveria. His hands were crushed and he had gashes in the face.

A neighbor of the victim informed KARAPATAN-Masbate about the incident on 12 January. They later learned that policemen had threatened to also kill the victim's family including the children because they are all supposedly members of the NPA. Because of the policemen's threat, Tildo's family became too terrified to even claim his body.

As of this writing, the decomposing body of Tildo is still at the municipal hall of Claveria. The police reportedly plan to bury him without the family's permission.

KARAPATAN regional (Bicol) and provincial (Masbate) chapters will conduct a fact finding mission in the area where the violation occurred on 19 January 2008.