Mindanao indigenous leader Jomorito Goaynon faces another trumped-up criminal case for the murder of his cousin Dorlito Goaynon dela Mance on March 28, 2015.
Goaynon, Chairperson of Kalumbay, a regional organization of Lumad in Northern Mindanao, was named in a complaint filed by Jenita dela Mance, Dorlito’s wife, at the Malaybalay City police station. Also named respondents in the murder charge were seven of Jomorito’s siblings. The complainant claimed the Goaynon brothers were members of the Rexan Perez Command-New People’s Army.
Mindanao indigenous leader Jomorito Goaynon faces another trumped-up criminal case for the murder of his cousin Dorlito Goaynon dela Mance on March 28, 2015.
Goaynon, Chairperson of Kalumbay, a regional organization of Lumad in Northern Mindanao, was named in a complaint filed by Jenita dela Mance, Dorlito’s wife, at the Malaybalay City police station. Also named respondents in the murder charge were seven of Jomorito’s siblings. The complainant claimed the Goaynon brothers were members of the Rexan Perez Command-New People’s Army.
“This is the second time Jomorito Goaynon was falsely charged with criminal offense since he figured in prominently in the anti-militarization campaign in Mindanao, specifically the recent evacuation of the more than 1,000 residents from 14 communities to Balit, Agusan del Sur due to the continuous military operations in the villages, which victimized civilians,” said Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay.
Tortured “complainant”
A month earlier, on March 23, Jomorito Goaynon and seven other leaders of people’s organizations and human rights workers received a copy of a petition for a Writ of Habeas Corpus and Writ Amparo filed by the 4th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army (IDPA) in the name of Tedy Ostos in February 23. Ostos accused the respondents of illegal detention of his son Rene Ostos and family. Rene was among those who stayed at the evacuation center in Bgy. Balit.
The Court of Appeals however, in a resolution dated March 5, 2015, pointed out defects in the petition and ordered the petitioner to correct them within five days.
But when sought out by some of the respondents, Tedy Ostos said he was tortured by soldiers of the 26th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army (IBPA) in a CAFGU detachment and was detained; that forced him to execute the complaint affidavit.
On April 1, Tedy Ostos, through Atty. Hilarion P. Clapiz Jr., executed an affidavit recanting his testimony against the respondents.
Unsubstantiated statement
“The case of the dela Mance killing may be another case of trumped-up criminal charge after the first case against Jomorito Goaynon et al failed. The military is determined, at all cost, to jail Goaynon and others leaders of people’s organizations who actively expose the escalation of the dirty war instigated by the BS Aquino regime in Mindanao. What happened to Goaynon is one of the numerous violations committed against civilians in many remote communities,” said Palabay.
By her own account, dela Mance’s wife based her complaint on the perpetrators’ statement that they were members of the New People’s Army when they shouted, “Igna ang nagpatay sa imong bana mga NPA. Igna ang mga dela Mance nga panghut-don namo silang tanan kay mga dautang binuhatan! (Tell them the NPA killed your husband. Tell them we will finish off all the dela Mances because of their wrongdoings!).
Dorlito dela Mance was killed in the presence of her wife and three children, including two minors. He was shot several times, hitting him on the left side of his mouth, neck and then in the different parts of his body. The attending physician declared him dead on arrival. ###