AN ORGANIZATION officer lambasted a human rights special investigator for the alleged inaction to numerous complaints lodged before his office, including the deaths of Franciso Julnanero, Julito Quirante, and Ronel Raguing.

“Amid widespread human rights violations linked to the Rogue AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines), punctuated by the extrajudicial killing of the militant farmers, the Commission on Human Rights’ (CHR) faulty Negros Oriental officer (Jesus Cañete) continues to play dumb before the grim human rights tableau orchestrated by Oplan Bantay Laya II,” said Jose Luis Blanco, media liaison officer of Karapatan in Negros Oriental.

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Fermin Lorico, chairman of the Kapunongan Alang sa Ugma Alang sa Gagmay’ng Mag-uuma sa Oriental Negros-Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (Kaugmaon-KMP), was killed in less than hour after the anti-charter change rally on June 10.

“(What happened to) the recent victim (Lorico) only underline his ineffectivity in maintaining the agency,” he said, adding, “showing his outright paralysis tinged with overwhelming bias when the military are involved.”

Blanco further said that Cañete scoffed at labeling Lorico’s murder extrajudicial.

“It might be credited to his ignorance of existing jargon or plain indifference to the cold-blooded murder executed with impunity in Negros Oriental,” he stressed.

In this connection, Karapatan challenged Cañete for immediate investigation on the alleged military atrocities “or resign!”

“He should exercise CHR’s investigative mandate just like his Superior Leila de Lima’s steely resolve in pursuing powerful murders in Davao, or else his suppose badge is in vain, not to mention useless,” he stressed.

For his part, Cañete said the CHR has never been remised in investigating incidents related to Karapatan’s complaints without even waiting for a formal complaint from them.

Cañete enumerated several cases to include Linantuyan, Guihulngan case, Rachelle May Palang case, Panubigan, Canlaon City case, and even Raaging-Quirante murder cases, the CHR did everything to extract evidences in order to file charges against the violators. He stressed, however, that all turned out to be lies, malicious and poor attempts to glorify themselves.

Meanwhile, militant farmers group Kaugmaon-KMP snubbed the AFP’s condemnation of their leader’s death, saying they were saddened by Fermin Lorico’s brutal murder.

He was killed after the anti Con-Ass rally that culminated at the Quezon Park, Dumaguete City.

“Kaugmaon-KMP cannot help but compare this AFP’s denunciation to crocodile tears which drops every time they have eaten their prey,” said Juliet Ragay of Kaugmaon-KMP.

She accused the AFP, particularly the 79th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army that allegedly targeted the militant chaired by Fermin Lorico, for allegedly exposing human rights violation in the hinterland areas.

Ragay elaborated that the AFP is obviously furious with their group’s exposé and cited Lorico’s death as only one of those brutal attack against Kaugmaon.

For his part, Colonel Cesar Yano, commander of the 302nd Infantry Brigade, strongly denied all allegations against them.

The 302nd IB is the command responsible of the 79th IB.

Yano stressed that they have no motive to kill any farmers’ group, but instead they are very thankful to them because the farmers are helping their task to discourage their members to join and support the communist rebels.

He, however, said that it was already expected because Karapatan is supporting the rebel group New People’s Army (NPA).