Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TWELFTH CONGRESS Second Regular Session
HOUSE RESOLUTION No. _______ __________________________________________________________________________________ Introduced by Reps. SATUR C. OCAMPO, CRISPIN B. BELTRAN, LIZA L. MAZA, __________________________________________________________________________________ RESOLUTION DIRECTING THE COMMITTEE ON CIVIL, POLITICAL AND HUMAN RIGHTS TO CONDUCT AN INVESTIGATION, IN AID OF LEGISLATION, ON THE REPORTED SERIES OF KILLINGS AND ATTEMPTED KILLINGS OF PEASANTS, MOSTLY MEMBERS OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS GROUP KARAPATAN, IN SORSOGON AND CAMARINES NORTE FROM NOVEMBER 2002 TO JANUARY 2003 W HICH W ERE ALLEGEDLY PERPETRATED BY ELEMENTS OF THE 2 ND INFANTRY BATTALION, 31 ST INFANTRY BATTALION AND CITIZEN ARMED FORCES GEOGRAPHICAL UNITS (CAFGU) AND TO MAKE THE NECESSARY RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE INTEREST OF UPHOLDING JUSTICE AND HUMAN RIGHTS W HEREAS a series of summary executions and frustrated killings of human rights activists, peasants and a tricycle driver were reported in Sorsogon and Camarines Norte from November 2002 to January 2003 which have been directly attributed to military and paramilitary elements, some of whom reportedly threatened the victims prior to their killing, and which are characterized by their sheer brazenness as evidenced in the fatal shooting of some of the victims right in their own homes; W HEREAS on November 30, 2002, Edgardo Mago, 27, a peasant, was shot dead in Barangay Aguilar, Vinzons, Camarines Norte by suspected elements of the Citizen Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU). Mago sustained two gunshot wounds in the head and two more in his body, according to initial reports by the human rights organization KARAPATAN in Bicol; W HEREAS on December 4, 2002, another peasant, Tirso Ebuenga, 42, also a member of the Sorsogon People's Organization, an affiliate of the human rights group KARAPATAN, was taking a nap when he was fatally shot at close range right inside his house in Barangay Cabiguhan, Gubat, Sorsogon. Prior to Ebuenga's killing, his wife revealed that several men identified as members of the military and the CAFGU were seen frequenting the vicinity of their house; W HEREAS on the night of December 27, 2002, still another peasant, Mario Estocado, also an active member of KARAPATAN in Sorsogon and in-house security guard of Duana Resort in Brgy. Rizal, Gubat, Sorsogon, sustained 35 gunshot wounds from M-16 rifles. Exactly one week before his killing, elements of the military reportedly told Estocado that he was the next target after Ebuenga; W HEREAS on December 29, 2002, Rodolfo Lamo, 42, a peasant, was asleep in his house in Brgy. Pili, Magallanes, Gubat, Sorsogon when his house was strafed with M-16 rifles by unidentified men aboard two motorcycles. Lamo died from multiple gunshot wounds. According to the victim’s neighbors, three elements of the Philippine Army were inquiring about Lamo’s identity two days prior to the incident;
W HEREAS on January 4, 2003, Romulo Santiago, 37, a farm worker in Brgy. Monbon, Irosin, Sorsogon, was gunned down in his house in front of his wife. He died from two gunshot wounds in the body and one in the head. A month before Santiago’s killing, a composite team of CAFGU members and soldiers from the 2nd Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army surrounded their house and accused the victim of cooperating with the NPA. He was reportedly told, “Mag-iingat ka!” (Watch out!); W HEREAS on January 13, 2003, tricycle driver Carlos Enaje, 48, was driving his tricycle in front of St. Anthony Academy in Brgy. Cogon, Rizal, Gubat, Sorsogon when three unidentified men accosted him. One of them poked his .45 caliber pistol at Enaje and shot him at close range in the head; W HEREAS in another incident, Oscar Vines Galicia, 39, a peasant and member of the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP), was seriously wounded when a CAFGU member barged into his house and shot him in the nape. According to his neighbors, the gunman was accompanied by at least eight armed men believed to be members of the 31st Infantry Battalion; W HEREAS human rights advocates and various organizations have strongly denounced the alarming wave of killings and have sought for the full and impartial investigation of the cases, the prosecution of those found guilty for such gross human rights violations, the just indemnification of the victims and their families and the pull-out of the involved military and paramilitary units in the affected localities; NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Committee on Civil, Political and Human Rights conduct an investigation, in aid of legislation, on the reported series of killings and attempted killings of peasants, mostly members of the human rights group KARAPATAN, in Sorsogon and Camarines Norte from November 2002 to January 2003 which were allegedly perpetrated by elements of the 2nd Infantry Battalion, 31st Infantry Battalion, Citizen Armed Forces Geographical Units (CAFGU) and Philippine National Police and to make the necessary recommendations in the interest of upholding justice and human rights. Adopted,
SATUR C. OCAMPO MAZA
CRISPIN B. BELTRAN
Bayan Muna–Party-List Party-List
Bayan Muna–Party-List
LIZA L. Bayan Muna–
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