Two new victims of political killings as 2008 begins

Tildo Rebamonte, a 45-year old carpenter from Claveria town,
Masbate
province was allegedly abducted by members of the Philippine National Police-Regional
Mobile Group (RMG) on January 12, 2008 at around 5 am.

Tildo Rebamonte, a 45-year old carpenter from Claveria town,
Masbate
province was allegedly abducted by members of the Philippine National Police-Regional
Mobile Group (RMG) on January 12, 2008 at around 5 am.

According to reports, Rebamonte’s house was ransacked by police and he was
forcibly taken to a ranch owned by Claveria mayor Eduardo Andueza in Brgy.
Binas. Witnesses said the policemen tried to force Tildo to disclose the
alleged New People’s Army (NPA) camps in the area. On January 14, the
policemen allegedly took Tildo along in their
operation in search of NPA camps.

Rebamonte was dead by January 16. His mutilated body was brought by the
policemen to the municipal hall of Claveria. His hands were crushed and
he had gashes on the face.
A neighbor of the victim informed KARAPATAN-Masbate about the incident.


In another incident, ex-political prisoner Ronald Sendrijas was gunned down in Tagbilaran City,
Bohol province, on January 17, 2008, his 35th
birthday. Sendrijas was released from prison in August 2006 after being
charged with rebellion and criminal cases.

The victim visited his sister who had just given birth at the Ramiro Hospital
in Tagbilaran City. He came out to buy medicine
at the Paz Pharmacy across the hospital when two men on board a motorcycle stopped
in front of the pharmacy. The man riding on the rear of the motorcycle alighted
and approached him from behind, put his arm around
the victim’s neck and said, "Ronald", as if to confirm his identity, then
shot him twice at the back of his head with a 9-millimeter pistol instantly
killing the victim. The perpetrators sped off to an unknown direction after the
shooting.

Prior to Sendrijas’ death, he became a target of the police and military’s
vilification campaign. He was implicated by no less than the former Police
Superintendent of Bohol, Arturo Evangelista in
the assassination of BAYAN-Bohol Chairperson Victor Olayvar who was gunned down
on 17 September 2006.

He told his colleagues that he was offered with positions within the government
in exchange for his surrender and cooperation with the 302nd Infantry Brigade
of the Philippine Army.


Sendrijas’ sister told Karapatan-Bohol that the victim told her that he
was under surveillance and had been receiving death threats through his
mobile phone.

Karapatan condemns these killings in the strongest terms. These incidents
indicate that the extrajudicial executions have not stopped and will continue
with the AFP’s counter-insurgency program, Oplan Bantay Laya II.

Karapatan reiterates its call to stop the killings and calls on the public and
the international community to continue their vigilance. ###