Peasant leader and anti-mining activist killed in Compostela

Dear
Friends,

Jimmy Saypan, Secretary General of the Compostela Farmers Association
(CFA), was shot by unnamed men, allegedly form the 66^th Infantry
Battalion-Philippine Army (IBPA) on October 10, 2016. He died the next day,
October 11, at the Davao Regional Hospital in Tagum City. Saypan is the 17^th
victim of reported political killing under the Duterte administration, all of
whom are peasants.

Please join us in condemning the continuing attacks against farmers and national
minorities challenging and confronting landgrabbing and imperialist plunder of
our environment. Let us stand together to demand for the discontinuation of mining operations and exploration
activities of Agusan Petroleum and Minerals Corporation (AGPET) in communities in Compostela Valley, and condemn their collaboration with
the military, particularly the 66^th IBPA, to perpetrate human rights
violations against activists and residents opposing large-scale mining to
threaten and displace people across communities.

We remain resolute in our call to pull-out military troops in
communities and demand their accountability for the numerous violations against
peasants and indigenous peoples. Ultimately, we continue to demand for a nationalist
and progressive economic policy that puts the primacy of the people over
profits.

ACCOUNT OF THE INCIDENT

On October 8, 2016, Jimmy Saypan, 48 years old, a Mandaya, and the Secretary
General of Compostela Farmers Association (CFA) left his residence in Brgy.
Ngan, Compostela to go to Montevista for the salubungan and send-off of participants to the Lakbayan ng
Pambansang Minorya, a campaign caravan of national minorities to Metro Manila.
Saypan and the rest of the members of the CFA gathered for the program.

On the early morning of October 10, 2016, around 5 to 6 in the morning,
Saypan was on his way home to Brgy. Ngan on board his motorcycle. While he was
still in Brgy. New Visayas, Montevista town however, he was chased and shot at by
a motorcycle-riding man. Saypan was shot three times but still attempted to go
after his assailant. After this proved futile, he drove back home. He was
already near his house when he collapsed, but not before he was able to call
his family and a neighbour for help.

Saypan was initially brought to the Montevista District Hospital but was
later transferred to the Davao Regional Hospital in Tagum City. After he was x-rayed, Saypan was immediately
booked for an operation. By evening, he was already out of the operating room.
According to his wife, it seemed as if her husband was going to recover well,
except that his pulse started to gradually weaken on the afternoon of October
11. Despite efforts to revive him, Saypan was declared dead at 2:20pm.

Members of the CFA, a member-organization of the Kilusang Magbubukid ng
Pilipinas (KMP), and community members of Brgy. Ngan, believe that the killing
of Saypan was orchestrated by both the 66^th Infantry Battalion –
Philippine Army (IBPA) and the Agusan Petroleum and Minerals Corporation (AGPET).
The presence of the 66^th IBPA in communities in Compostela,
Compostela province is largely to secure the mining area of AGPET; this has
resulted in a series of human rights violations including the killing of CFA
leader Danny Qualvar in 2008 and the strafing of a cluster of houses in Brgy.
Ngan, including the house of CFA chairperson Sabello Tindasan in 2015

Weeks before the
incident, Saypan led a series of lobby meetings and actions to call for the
immediate pull-out of the 66^th IBPA in communities in Compostela. Saypan
even attended a dialogue with the 66^th IBPA a week before the
incident. The farmers expressed that military presence has merely resulted in a
string of human rights violations and have caused fear in the community. The
CFA also demanded that the military comply with its own unilateral ceasefire
declaration and immediately leave the community. The 66^th IBPA
rejected the demands of the farmers.

Saypan was a known, vocal
anti-mining advocate who exposed and rallied support for the discontinuation of
mining explorations by AGPET since 2012. AGPET is a subsidiary of Eduardo
Danding Cojuangco Jr.’s San Miguel Corporation. In 2012, the mining firm was
granted exploration permits in villages in Compostela covering an area of 9,999
hectares, and another area in the boundary of Compostela and New Bataan towns
spanning a total of 2,400 hectares. AGPET’s permit has expired in 2013 yet the
firm continues its mining explorations within the said communities, supported
by the military.

Recommended actions:

Send letters, emails or fax messages
calling for:

1.
The immediate
investigation of the incident to be conducted by an independent body;

2.
The immediate
pullout of the 66^th IBPA and all military troops from Brgy. Ngan and
all communities in Compostela Valley;

3.
The
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to effectively and
immediately stop the mining exploration activities done by the Agusan Petroleum
and Minerals Corporation (AGPET);

4.
The
Philippine Government to withdraw its counterinsurgency program Oplan
Bayanihan, which victimizes innocent and unarmed civilians, and which secures
interests of private and mining corporations vis-à-vis people’s rights; and

5. The Philippine Government to adhere and respect the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights and all major Human Rights instruments
that is a party and signatory

You may send your communications to:

You may send your communications to:

H.E. Rodrigo Duterte

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: op@president.gov.ph or send message through http://president.gov.ph/contact-us/

Hon. Jesus Dureza

Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process