“BS Aquino’s only effort on the case of Fernando Baldomero, the first victim of extrajudicial killing under his reign, was to lie before the public during his first State of the Nation Address that Baldomero’s case is already resolved. With his last SONA coming up, BS Aquino could not brag about human rights as hundreds more were killed after Baldomero,” said Cristina Palabay, Karapatan secretary general said on the fifth year of Fernando Baldomero’s killing.
“BS Aquino’s only effort on the case of Fernando Baldomero, the first victim of extrajudicial killing under his reign, was to lie before the public during his first State of the Nation Address that Baldomero’s case is already resolved. With his last SONA coming up, BS Aquino could not brag about human rights as hundreds more were killed after Baldomero,” said Cristina Palabay, Karapatan secretary general said on the fifth year of Fernando Baldomero’s killing.
Baldomero was killed on July 5, 2010 by suspected members of the paramilitary Revolutionary Proletarian Army-Alex Boncayao Brigade (RPA-ABB), five days after BS Aquino took office. He was shot in front of his house in Brgy. Sta. Cruz, Bigaa, Lezo, Aklan. A member of the Samahan ng mga Ex-Detainees Laban sa Detensyon at Aresto, Baldomero was municipal councilor of Lezo town and chairperson of Bayan Muna–Aklan chapter, and coordinator of Makabayan Coalition.
“It was around this time that counterinsurgency program was transitioning from Arroyo’s Oplan Bantay Laya to Oplan Bayanihan,” Palabay said.
“The case against the suspect of Baldomero’s killing was archived due to the government’s failure to serve the warrant of arrest. Worse, a colleague, Romeo Capalla was killed by the same paramilitary group four years later on March 2014,” Palabay said. Both Capalla and Baldomero were jailed for trumped-up charge of arson during the Arroyo administration in 2005. Both were released after their case was dismissed. They were included in the 5th Infantry Battalion’s Order of Battle list.
Another victim of extrajudicial killing who recently reached another year of injustice is Willem Geertman. On July 3, 2012, Geertman, a Dutch missionary, was shot in front of his office in Angeles City, Pampanga. He was executive director of Alay Bayan-Luzon Inc. He organized peasant communities in Central Luzon and helped them in their plight against destructive mining and anti-people government programs. He was against the Aurora-Pacific Economic Zone (APECO) project of the Angara’s, a political dynasty in Aurora province. The APECO project displaced the peasants, fisherfolk and indigenous peoples of Aurora.
Only one of the many suspects in the shooting of Geertman, Marvin Marzan, was arrested and detained. Marzan and colleagues are said to have been ordered by the police to kill Geertman. Up to now, the case is still on trial and other masterminds are still on the loose. “The resolution of Baldomero and Geertman’s case, and all other cases of human rights violations, are hopeless while BS Aquino is in power,” Palabay said.
The cases of Baldomero and Geertman were filed and will be tried during the International People’s Tribunal on July 16 to 18 in Washington, DC.
“Our hearts are enraged with the continuing impunity as our colleagues are being targeted. With the implementation of Oplan Bayanihan, which killed the likes of Baldomero and Geertman, BS Aquino is considered as people’s enemy. Like Gloria Arroyo, once Aquino leaves his office, he should not go unpunished,” Palabay concluded. ###