NEWS | After the Calabarzon crackdown, threats continue to hunt activists, victims’ kins
By Rowz Fajardo
Nine activists were reportedly killed, including a leader of the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN), following simultaneous crackdowns against activists in Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, and Rizal (Calabarzon) last March 7. The deadly raid came on the heels of President Rodrigo Duterte’s statement last March 5 where he instructed the military and police forces to kill suspected rebels, without regard for human rights.
Despite public condemnation of the bloody incident, state forces are not backing down and are continuously sending threats and attacking human rights groups, kins and supporters of the victims.
Fatalities and arrests
The police and military reportedly served a total of 24 search warrants within hours in the Calabarzon region that led to multiple fatalities and arrests. The search warrants were issued by Judge Jose Lorenzo Dela Rosa of the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 4. Dela Rosa is one of the judges behind the search warrants used against Tumandok last December 2020 that led to nine fatalities and 17 arrests.
The nine activists who died during the operations were Manny Asuncion of BAYAN-Cavite, a model activist and known labor and multi-sectoral leader. Chai Lemita-Evangelista and Ariel Evangelista, who were fisherfolks working as staffers under the Ugnayan ng Mamamayan Laban sa Pagwawasak ng Kalikasan at Kalupaan (UMALPAS KA).
The fourth and fifth victim was Puroy Dela Cruz and Randy Dela Cruz of the Dumagat indigenous group, a major and semi-nomadic indigenous group in Calabarzon. They were both activists with the group Dumagat Sierra Madre which advocated for the rihts of indigenous peoples
The last four identified victims were Michael Dasigao, Mark Lee Bacasno, Abner Esto, and Edward Esto of San Isidro Kasiglahan, Kapatiran at Damayan para sa Kabuhayan, Katarungan at Kapayapaan (SIKKAD K3). They advocated for housing rights in Kasiglahan Village, Rodriguez, Rizal
A total of six activists were also arrested. Three of them are from Laguna and the other three are from Rizal.
Probe into alarming operations
Multi-sectoral groups condemned the blatant attacks on the activists. The Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas (LAIKO) President Roquel Ponte denounced the killing of activists, urging the Filipinos to make strong statements of condemnation against the brutal and organized atrocities. Moreover, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights expressed alarm over the killings and arrests of activists on Sunday..
According to BAYAN secretary general Renato Reyes, BAYAN condemns the brutal and deadly killings and holds President Duterte and the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) spokesperson General Antonio Parlade accountable for the fatalities and illegal arrests.
BAYAN also demands the freedom of all those arrested, while calling for the Commission of Human Rights (CHR) to probe into the simultaneous raids.
“We likewise demand that the Supreme Court take immediate steps to prevent the further weaponization of search warrants and other judicial instruments to silence activists, political dissenters, and government critics,” Reyes added.
Progressive groups in the House of Representatives also denounced the simultaneous police operations, describing it as a murderous rampage of government forces. Kabataan party-list Rep. Sarah Elago stated the need to stop this murderous rampage as search warrants are weaponized to crackdown on activists, peasants, trade-union organizers, and human rights defenders.
Moreover, Vice President Leni Robredo lamented the continuing killings in the Philippines amid the COVID-19 pandemic, pointing out that Duterte assumed power in 2016 on a promise to eradicate the illegal drug trade through the use of force.
“Sa panahon kung kailan patuloy na nadadagdagan ang bilang ng mga namamatay, nagugutom at naghihirap dahil sa pandemya, ito ang masakit na katotohanan: Patuloy ang pagpatay sa Pilipino. Maglilimang taon nang pinapatay ang mga mahihirap sa ngalan ng isang drug war,” Robredo said.
Furthermore, she reminded the public to be careful, reach out, and check on their loved ones, and never give in to fear amid difficult and dangerous times in the Philippines.
“The Filipino people deserve better than this murderous regime,” Robredo stated.
Continued threats and attacks
The Karapatan National Office received a text message, on March 9, containing the alleged list of the next targets of the Kill Kill Kill program, which included names of Negros activists. It then received another possible death threat.
“O ano takot na takot na kayo no? Susunod namin Negros humanda na asawa ni Clarisa na si Jules! Matataymingan din yan,” said the message sent to the Karapatan National Office. Jules or Juluis Dagatan is currently the Media Liaison of BAYAN Negros.
According to Karapatan National Office, they believe that the threats came from the police and the military as they were the only ones who has the motive in doing so, as shown by their relentless attacks and intimidation through red-tagging, vilifications, and harassments against leaders and members of activist organizations.
Moreover, it took four days for the families of four victims to gain custody of their bodies even after presenting all the requirements for the release of their remains. Due to intense police and military presence in the Antipolo Memorial Services, the families of Dasigao, Bacasno, Randy, and Puroy Dela Cruz were faced with several harassments from state forces.
On March 10, the paralegal team and family of the victims were held captive by the police in a ‘funeral arrest,’ as they were kept inside the funeral parlor in Antipolo. Furthermore, after the release of the remains, Prince Turtogo of the Panaghiusa Philippine Network to Uphold Indigenous Peoples Rights claimed that armed officials still have not left the kins alone.
After the reported killings and arrests, several progressive groups continue the fight to stop red-tagging and violence against activists.
“For this regime, government critics, activists, and other truth-seekers can be and are being branded as enemies of the State, making them targets of Duterte’s ‘kill, kill, kill’ policy. Kailangang magtuloy-tuloy ang pagkondena at paniningil. We will not stop until these murderers are held accountable for their crimes,” Senator Leila De Lima stated.
