I JOIN the call of Bishop Gerry Alminaza
of San Carlos Diocese in Negros Island for a swift and impartial investigation
on the killings of 14 people in Canlaon City and the towns of Manjuyod and Sta
Catalina on March 30, 2019. In a span of one day, starting from the wee hours
of 1 am, 14 people were killed by police and military operatives. The police
claim that they were legitimate operations because they were armed with search
warrants. Do they have to kill just because they have search warrants? The
usual reason given is that they fought back, which in tokhang language is “nanlaban.”
That is an old excuse which nobody now buys. According to CHR Region 7
Investigation Chief Leo Villarino there seems to be a pattern in these cases:
the members of the families were hastily sent out of the house while the
victims were shot in the house with several bullets, and some directly on the
head. Excessive force has been used.
It is very suspicious that all cases of nanlaban
are killed. Do police officers have to kill because a person resisted arrested,
if indeed they did? Can they not just be disabled? It is so convenient just to
kill so that the victims can no longer contest their version of the happening.
Dead men tell no tales! Besides, are they legitimate operations for the police
and the military to cover their faces and remove their name tags? If they
indeed were just there to search armed with their search warrant, the premise
should be searched with the occupants of the house present, if these were
legitimate search operations!
The reason given by the police is that
those killed were rebels and criminals. Are people who belong to organized
farmer groups automatically rebels? There has been no investigation if the
claims of the authorities were correct. These are again cases of Extra Judicial
Killings. The authorities become at the same time accusers, judges and
executioners!
Negros has been plagued with massacres
of poor farmers. On September 20, 1985, during a rally, 20 farmers were gunned
down in Escalante City. On October 20, 2018, while taking their dinner in their
make shift tent in the middle of a field, 9 sugar cane workers were killed by
“unknown” assailants. On December 27, 2018, in Guihulngan City, 5 were killed
and one in Sta Catalina town in police operations called Synchronized
Enhancement Managing Police Operations (SEMPO) and Oplan Sauron (the Memorandum
Circular No 32 issued by President Duterte.) Now on March 30, 2019, while they were asleep
in their homes, 14 people from 3 municipalities were suddenly roused from their
sleep and killed without any interrogation at all. (8 were killed in Canlaon
City, 4 in Manjuyod and 2 in Sta Catalina. 12 others were arrested in
Manjuyod.) Already 198 farmers have been killed during the present regime. Duterte
himself is reported to have given this order: “My orders to the police and the
soldiers, shoot them. If they resist violently, shoot them. If they die, I do
not care.”
Violence will not solve the peace and
order problems of Negros if there is no justice. Guns are not the solution. The
more violence is use, especially by police and military forces, the more the
anger of the people will blaze up. The people ask for more equitable
distribution of lands and the resources of the island. Why can’t people see
this? There will be no peace if there is no justice!
No comments:
Post a Comment