Dear friends,
Dear friends,
Please join us in calling on the BS Aquino government to stop harassment and intimidation of two professionals who heeded the call to support the #StopLumadKillings campaign. The two, Archie Oclos, a concept artist of a gaming company and “Aleli”, an employee at a Business Process Outsourcing company joined public activities that were part of the #StopLumadKillings campaign such as street art painting. Both are now subject of the military’s harassment and intimidation. Archie Oclos was an illustrator of the Philippine Collegian-University of the Philippines in Diliman.
UA Date: December 17, 2015
UA Case: Threat, harassment and intimidation; Surveillance
Victim/s:
Archie Oclos
Male, 26 years old
Concept artist of a gaming company
Former illustrator of Philippine Collegian, UP Diliman
“Aleili” (not her real name)
Female, 29 years old
Employee of a business process outsourcing company
Other victims:
Assistant Prof. Michael Francis Corcuera Andrada aka Mykel Andrada, 37, faculty member at the University of the Philippines Diliman; researcher and correspondent of the Pinoy Media Center and Pinoy Weekly, an alternative media site; former editor at the Philippine Collegian
Max Santiago, 40, journalist and graphics editor of online publication Manila Today
Vencer Crisostomo, 29, National Chairperson of Anakbayan
Seventeen (17) relatives of Archie Oclos
Place of Incident: The Fort, Taguig City
Date of Incident: First week of December to December 11, 2015
Alleged Perpetrator/s:
“MJ Suarez” – male, approximately 5”6” tall, around 30 years old with brown complexion; clean cut hair, big and muscled body; slightly chubby fingers and shoulders, wearing orange t-shirt and jeans, carrying a brown envelope.
“Robert Madrigal” – male, tall and with light complexion, as described by Alvin Layaguin
Alvin Layaguin – male, approximately 5’4” tall, with dark complexion, slim body, and a sharp/pointed nose. A confirmed member of the Philippine Army. “MJ Suarez” is the name given by the man who approached and harassed Oclos. “Robert Madrigal” is the name given by Layaguin whom he referred to as the man who was asking him about Ariola.
ACCOUNT OF THE INCIDENT:
Around the first week of December 2015, Alvin Layaguin called up “Aleili” (not her real name), an employee at a business process outsourcing company, on her cellphone. “Aleili” knows Alvin as a soldier of the Philippine Army, having been friends since 2012, as crew members of a group of skaters and punks in Taguig. But she is not aware of his unit and assignments. Alvin, as described by “Aleili,” is approximately 5’4” tall, with dark complexion, slim body and a sharp/pointed nose.
Alvin asked “Aleili” if she is a member of the organization Karatula. “Aleili” said she doesn’t know what Karatula is and she is not a member of said organization. Alvin then asked her if she knew any member of Karatula, but “Aleili” said she knows nothing about the organization and doesn’t know anyone from Karatula. Alvin asked her why she is supporting the Lumad. “Aleili” refused to answer because she was startled by Alvin’s questions.
After a few days, Alvin called up “Aleili” again, using another cellphone number. He asked her the same questions as before, adding “Sabihin mo yung totoo, kasi may pinag-aaralan ako” (Tell me the truth, because I am looking into something). “Aleili”, feeling worried and irritated, told Alvin that she has no answers to his questions and told him to ask members of Karatula directly. Alvin asked again “Yung boyfriend mo, di ba taga UP yun? Baka may kilala siya?” (How about your boyfriend? Isn’t he from UP? Maybe he knows people from Karatula?) “Aleili” said her boyfriend Archie doesn’t know anything about the organization.
At around 8 a.m. on December 11, 2015, Archie Oclos, employed as a concept artist in a gaming company and former illustrator of the UP Philippine Collegian, was walking towards his office at The Fort, Taguig City. In a parking area near his office, Archie was approached by a man who was about 5”6” tall, around 30 years old, with brown complexion, clean cut hair, big and muscled body, and slightly chubby fingers and shoulders. The man wore orange t-shirt and jeans, carrying a brown envelope.
The man told Archie “Huwag kang matakot, ako na ang bahala sa seguridad mo. Ako si MJ Suarez, taga-gobyerno ako” (Don’t be afraid, I will take care of your security. I am MJ Suarez, I work for the government). Archie was surprised so he asked “Sir, ano pong meron? (What’s the matter, Sir?)” The man said he has a few questions for Archie and that there’s no reason to be afraid. Archie said “Sir, sa totoo lang natatakot ako sa iyo. Hindi ako kampante. Bigla kang lumapit tapos ganito ang bungad mo. Baka gusto mo doon tayo sa may tapat ng office? (Frankly, Sir, you scare me. I feel uncomfortable. I was surprised when you approached me and you are now telling me all these things. Why don’t we go near our office?). But the man blocked Archie as he walked towards the office.
Archie continued to walk while “MJ” walked beside him and asked questions. “MJ” said he was only following orders. “Ikaw taga-Karatula ka. Anong impormasyon ang mga nalalaman mo?” (You are from Karatula. What information do you know?),” he told Archie. “Ano ba ang Karatula?” (What is Karatula?), Archie asked back.
Archie was about to cross the road with “MJ” when he saw another man whom he suspected to be a companion of “MJ”. The man was taking a picture or video of him using a cellphone. “MJ” went on to say he knows Archie and that he has been following Archie for two days already.
When they were near Archie’s office, “MJ” asked for Archie’s cellphone number. At first, Archie hesitated, but later on, he eventually gave his number. “MJ” even texted Archie, and looked at his text message on Archie’s cellphone to be sure he got the right number. “MJ” used the number 09062861338.
“MJ” then gave the brown envelope to Archie and told him “Ganito ha, gusto kasi kitang maging kaibigan. Babalik pa kami. Gusto pa kitang makausap. Kontak-kontakan na lang tayo” (I want you to be my friend. We will see you again because I still want to talk to you. Let’s keep in touch.)
At 8:10 a.m., Archie went inside his office and opened the brown envelope. He saw pictures of his family, of his girlfriend “Aleili” and their picture beside an image of a street art they made for the Lumad with the text “Stop Lumad Killings”. There were also pictures of Asst. Prof. Michael Francis Andrada, Vencer Crisostomo, and Max Santiago. Andrada is a faculty member at the University of the Philippines-Diliman and a researcher and correspondent at the PinoyMedia Center and Pinoy Weekly, an alternative online publication.He was a former editor of the UP Philippine Collegian. Santiago is a journalist and graphic editor of online publication Manila Today. Crisostomo is the National Chairperson of Anakbayan. The pictures looked like they were from various Facebook accounts and were printed on bond paper.
Archie felt uneasy and afraid. He immediately called up “Aleili” to inform her of what happened. “Aleili”, in turn, called up Alvin and asked him ”Ano itong kalokohang ‘to? Ba’t may mga pictures?” (What are you trying to say? Why are those pictures for?). Alvin told her that he was first approached by one “Robert Madrigal,” a tall man with light complexion in civilian clothes, when he was walking inside the General Headquarters of the Philippine Army at Fort Bonifacio. Alvin saw “Aleili’s” pictures among those “Robert” showed him. Since then, “Robert” has been asking Alvin about “Aleili”. Alvin even allegedly told “Robert,” “Ano ka ba taga-gobyerno din ako, ba’t mo ko ginaganito?” (I am also with the government, why are you doing this to me?). “Easy ka lang, mawawala din yan, hindi naman kayo ang target kundi yang tatlong lalaki sa pictures” (Take it easy, you are not the targets. The targets are the three men on the pictures) [pertaining to Andrada, Crisostomo, and Santiago]
On the evening of December 11, 2015, Archie posted some details of the incident on his Facebook account. He deliberately posted it so he can inform his friends of what happened, in case similar incidents happen again.
At 9:45 a.m. on December 13, 2015, “Aleili” called Alvin and asked him to tell “Robert” to stop harassing her and Archie.
On December 14, 2015, Archie and “Aleili” went to The Fort BGC Police Station to report the incident. They were able to talk to Police Inspector Deceo, a female. Deceo said they shouldn’t feel threatened, but did not log their case. Deceo failed to even list down their names.
In the afternoon, Archie and “Aleili” went to the KARAPATAN National Office to report what happened. Archie said he thinks they are being harassed for expressing their support for the Lumad through their street art. He also said there was intent to recruit him as a military intelligence asset when he was approached by the two men. According to Archie, “MJ” texted him twice already.
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Recommended Action:
Please send letters, emails or fax messages calling on Pres. Benigno Aquino to:
- Stop military harassment and intimidation of Archie Oclos and ‘Aleli’ and others who support the cause of the Lumad and other victims of human rights violations.
- Withdraw its counterinsurgency program Oplan Bayanihan, which victimizes innocent and unarmed civilians.
- Respect and observe the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and all other human rights instruments that it is signatory to.
You may send your communication 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: op@president.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
stqd.papp@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) 911-6193 / 911-0488 / 982-5600 Fax:+63(2) 982-5600
Email: osnd@philonline.com, dnd.opla@gmail.com
Alfredo Benjamin S. Caguioa
Secretary, Department of Justice
Padre Faura St., Manila
Direct Line 521-1908
Trunkline 523-84-81 loc.211/214
Fax: (+632) 523-9548
Hon. Jose Luis Martin Gascon
Chairperson, Commission on Human Rights
SAAC Bldg., UP Complex
Commonwealth Avenue
Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines
Voice: (+632) 928-5655, (+632) 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