Dear friends,
Please join us in our call to immediately release Jose Nayve, Armando Matres, Rommel Nuñez, and George Bruce who were arbitrarily arrested by the police on November 23, 2015 who were allegedly in a “hot pursuit” operation after a telecommunications manhole exploded in General Trias Cavite.
Nayve, Matres, Nuñez, and Bruce were simultaneously and arbitrarily arrested at a “peryahan” in Brgy. Manggahan General Trias Cavite. Nayve, provincial coordinator of transport group PISTON, heard a gunshot when he was approached by men from the barangay. Immediately after, police arrested him and forced him into a police mobile while he was being kicked at the back.
Dear friends,
Please join us in our call to immediately release Jose Nayve, Armando Matres, Rommel Nuñez, and George Bruce who were arbitrarily arrested by the police on November 23, 2015 who were allegedly in a “hot pursuit” operation after a telecommunications manhole exploded in General Trias Cavite.
Nayve, Matres, Nuñez, and Bruce were simultaneously and arbitrarily arrested at a “peryahan” in Brgy. Manggahan General Trias Cavite. Nayve, provincial coordinator of transport group PISTON, heard a gunshot when he was approached by men from the barangay. Immediately after, police arrested him and forced him into a police mobile while he was being kicked at the back.
Bruce, a driver of a passenger van also heard the gunshot when he was about to alight from his van to urinate. Thereafter, a police approached him and asked if he was the driver of the van. Despite Bruce’s plea not to hurt him, the police ordered him to lie on the ground, tied his hands, and beat him.
Nuñez, an occasional construction and farmworker who was lingering in the area and the unemployed Matres who is heading to his cousin’s house were also arbitrarily arrested by the police after the latter fired a warning shot. Both Nuñez and Matres were beaten and dragged into the police mobile.
All four were brought to the Manggahan police station and were subjected to torture and interrogation by several police in uniform and unnamed men in civilian clothes. The four were forced to admit participation in the alleged bombing incident. Nayve and Bruce were beaten and electrocuted. Nayve was also hit with the butt of an aramlite and his head was covered with plastic and cloth that suffocated him. Bruce underwent the same torture.
After the interrogation and torture, all four were brought to different jails and were finally detained in a cramped and unventilated jail in BJMP Malabon, General Trias Cavite on November 27. The police charged them with malicious mischief and violation of RA 9516 or illegal possession of firearms and explosives. They are now waiting for the resolution of the preliminary investigation.
Recommended actions:
Send letters, emails or fax messages calling for:
1. The immediate release of Jose Nayve, Armando Matres, Rommel Nuñez, and George Bruce.
2. The government to stop using torture which violates the Anti-torture act of 2009.
3. The government to abide and respect the rights of the accused under RA 7438 or the rights of persons arrested, detained or under custodial investigation.
4. The Philippine Government to withdraw its counterinsurgency program Oplan Bayanihan, which victimizes innocent and unarmed civilians.
5. The Philippine Government to be reminded that it is a signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and that it is also a party to all the major Human Rights instruments, thus it is bound to observe all of these instruments’ provisions.
You may send your communications to:
H.E. Benigno C. Aquino III
President of the Republic
Malacañang Palace,
JP Laurel St., San Miguel
Manila Philippines
Voice: (+632) 564 1451 to 80
Fax: (+632) 742-1641 / 929-3968
E-mail: corres@op.gov.ph / opnet@ops.gov.ph
Sec. Teresita Quintos-Deles
Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process
Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP)
7th Floor Agustin Building I
Emerald Avenue
Pasig City 1605
Voice:+63 (2) 636 0701 to 066
Fax:+63 (2) 638 2216
osec@opapp.gov.ph
Ret. Lt. Gen. Voltaire T. Gazmin
Secretary, Department of National Defense
Room 301 DND Building, Camp Emilio Aguinaldo,
E. de los Santos Avenue, Quezon City
Voice:+63(2) 911-9281 / 911-0488
Fax:+63(2) 911 6213
Email: osnd@philonline.com
Atty. Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa
Secretary, Department of Justice
Padre Faura St., Manila
Direct Line 521-8344; 5213721
Trunkline 523-84-81 loc.214
Fax: (+632) 521-1614
Email: soj@doj.gov.ph
Jose Luis Martin Gascon
Chairperson, Commission on Human Rights
SAAC Bldg., UP Complex, Commonwealth Avenue
Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines
Voice: (+632) 928-5655, 926-6188
Fax: (+632) 929 0102
Please send us a copy of your email/mail/fax to the above-named government officials, to our address below.
URGENT ACTION Prepared by:
KARAPATAN Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights
National Office
2/F Erythrina Bldg., #1 Maaralin cor Matatag Sts.,
Brgy. Central, Diliman, Quezon City 1100 PHILIPPINES
Voice/Fax: (+632) 435 4146
Email: urgentaction@karapatan.org
Website: www.karapatan.org