Karapatan calls on presumptive President Rodrigo Duterte to reconsider the planned appointment of Lt. Gen. Ricardo Visaya as Armed Forces Chief of Staff. Visaya is a protégé of Ret. Gen. Jovito Palparan, known as ‘The Butcher’ because of his bloodied human rights record.
Karapatan calls on presumptive President Rodrigo Duterte to reconsider the planned appointment of Lt. Gen. Ricardo Visaya as Armed Forces Chief of Staff. Visaya is a protégé of Ret. Gen. Jovito Palparan, known as ‘The Butcher’ because of his bloodied human rights record.
Visaya was the ground commander during the 2004 Hacienda Luisita massacre where seven farmworkers were killed. He was also commander of troops in Central Luzon and Metro Manila involved in rights violations during Arroyo’s reign of terror during the implementation of the counterinsurgency program Oplan Bantay Laya.
Among the known victims in Central Luzon were Raymond and Reynaldo Manalo, two farmers who were abducted and tortured. In Metro Manila, Visaya’s stint was marked by military encampment in urban poor communities in 2006-2007, in time for the 2007 elections.
Visaya was among the generals promoted by the Aquino regime, despite their stained human rights record. He was promoted as 4th Infantry Division commanding general, the unit responsible for killing and forcible evacuation of farmers and Lumad in Caraga and Northern Mindanao regions. Instead of being promoted, Visaya should be prosecuted for the crimes he committed against the Filipino people.###