National artist home cased by AFP intelligence units

UA case type:

<b>Threat/Harassment/Intimidation</b>

Victim(s):

Dr. Bienvenido Lumbera

77 years old
Married, with children
Resident of Mapayapa Village, Quezon City
National Artist for Literature
Founding member and chairperson of ACT Teachers Partylist, former chairperson of Alliance of Concerned Teachers, national council member of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, convenor of Concerned Artists of the Philippines

Place of the incident:

<div>The Lumbera residence at Mapayapa Village which is also registered as the National Headquarters of ACT Teachers Partylist</div>

Date of the incident:

17 September 2009, at around 6:00 am

Alledged perpetrator(s):

3 men believed to be members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. One of them was identified as Navy Corporal Hannival Mondido Guerrero

Initial reports revealed that at around 6:00 am of September 17, 2006, three men were seen taking photos of the home of National Artist Bienvenido Lumbera in Mapayapa Village, Quezon City. The Lumberas’ house helpers noticed the men taking photos of the house at all angles.

Alarmed, the Lumberas immediately called the Village security personnel who quickly responded to the residence. The security was only able to apprehend one of the men, identified by his Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) ID as Corporal Hannival Mondido Guerrero. Guerrero’s companions quickly escaped when the village security arrived.

Guerrero’ was questioned by village security why he was casing the Lumbera home. Guerrero insisted that he was only interested in the vacant lot beside the Lumbera home.

The village security turned over custody of Guerrero to the local police. The PNP released Mondido shortly after questioning and after Prof. Lumbera filed a complaint.

The Philippine Navy confirmed to the media that Guerrero is indeed a member of the Philippine Marines and that he’s undergoing “surveillance training” under the military’s Naval Intelligence Security Force.

Recommended action:

Send letters, emails or fax messages calling for:

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 surveillance and harassment of Bienvenido Lumbera and his family.
The military to stop the labeling and targeting of human rights defenders as “members of front organizations of the communists” and “enemies of the state.”
The Philippine Government to be reminded that it is a signatory to 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 these instruments’ provisions.

You may send your communications to:

H.E. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo

President of the Republic

Malacañang 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: corres@op.gov.ph / opnet@ops.gov.ph

Gen. Avelino Razon, Ret. PNP

Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process

Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP)

7th Floor Agustin Building I

Emerald Avenue, Pasig City 1605

Voice:+63 (2) 636 0701 to 066

Fax:+63 (2) 638 2216

osec@opapp.gov.ph

Atty. Gilberto C. Teodoro Jr.

Secretary, Department of National Defense

Room 301 DND Building, Camp Emilio Aguinaldo,

E. de los Santos Avenue, Quezon City

Voice:+63(2) 911-9281 / 911-0488

Fax:+63(2) 911 6213

Email: osnd@philonline.com

Atty. Agnes VST Devanadera

Secretary, Department of Justice

Padre Faura St., Manila

Direct Line 521-8344; 5213721

Trunkline 523-84-81 loc.214

Fax: (+632) 521-1614

Email: soj@doj.gov.ph

Atty. Leila De Lima

Chairperson, Commission on Human Rights

SAAC Bldg., UP Complex

Commonwealth Avenue

Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines

Voice: (+632) 928-5655, 926-6188

Fax: (+632) 929 0102

Email: chr.delima_at_yahoo.com

Please send us a copy of your email/mail/fax to the above-named government officials, to our address below.

URGENT ACTION Prepared by:

KARAPATAN (Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights)

National Office

2/F Erythrina Bldg., #1 Maaralin cor Matatag Sts., Brgy. Central, Diliman, Quezon City 1100 PHILIPPINES

Voice/Fax: (+632) 435 4146