"The day has finally come. BS Aquino has lost immunity from suits!” Cristina Palabay, Karapatan secretary general said, as the President Rodrigo Duterte succeeds Aquino.
“With the 307 extrajudicial killings, 30 enforced disappearances, more than a hundred thousand victims of forced evacuations, torture and illegal arrests, BS Aquino should immediately be jailed,” Palabay said.Just before his term ends, 15 activists are threatened for arrest for helping the Lumad who forcibly evacuated due to Philippine Army and Alamara paramilitary’s occupation in their communities.
"The day has finally come. BS Aquino has lost immunity from suits!” Cristina Palabay, Karapatan secretary general said, as the President Rodrigo Duterte succeeds Aquino.
“With the 307 extrajudicial killings, 30 enforced disappearances, more than a hundred thousand victims of forced evacuations, torture and illegal arrests, BS Aquino should immediately be jailed,” Palabay said.Just before his term ends, 15 activists are threatened for arrest for helping the Lumad who forcibly evacuated due to Philippine Army and Alamara paramilitary’s occupation in their communities.
The latest documented incident of extrajudicial killing is Nelson Erepol of Sorsogon. Evening of May 6, Nelson’s family was watching television when two men with covered faces came to their home, saying they are delivering a letter for Nelson. Nelson’s mother, Rosalina went outside their balcony where Nelson was sitting, told him not to receive the letter and instead asked the two men to come in the house. As soon as the men came in to the gate, they shot Nelson several times. Nelson immediately fell down and died within minutes.
The family knew that it was the soldiers of 31st Infantry Battalion who killed Nelson. On February 16, a soldier was killed in an encounter with the New People’s Army. In retaliation, the soldiers ransacked and open fired at the Erepol’s home. The soldiers took the family’s IDs for suspicion that they are members of the NPA.
Another latest incident is the killing of a child in Talakag, Bukidnon on April 27, 206. At around 5 a.m. that day, 6-year old Edjan Talian, fetched water 200 meters from his community in Sitio Kaulayanan, Lirongan, Talakag, Bukidnon. He didn’t know that soldiers have already occupied their community and have been shooting residents. Edjan was on his way back to his house carrying water when he was shot by the soldiers of 1st Special Forces Battalion. He died immediately.
On that day, at least three community residents were shot, Rommel Talian, Micheal Sib-ot and Edjan Talian. Sib-ot was fired at the chest and died. Rommel Talian, who was shot at his back, was brought by the soldiers to the hospital. Later on, he was pressured to admit to the killing of Edjan.
Soldiers also tried to offer an amount of money to the parents of the child to keep them from filing a case and not make the incident public. The parents refused the offer and wanted to pursue justice.
“This was how cruel and deceptive the US-Aquino regime is. Through Oplan Bayanihan, state security forces killed, tortured and arrested civilians, Lumad, and even children with impunity! BS Aquino has nowhere else to go but behind prison bars,” Palabay concluded.