Sunday, September 14, 2008 Human rights worker gets death threats By Rimaliza Opiña
THE Cordillera Human Rights Alliance (CHRA) is pointing its fingers at soldiers of the 503rd Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army as the group responsible for the death threats received by one of its members based in Abra.
A participant in various fact-finding missions concerning human rights violations, Irene Tembreza, a member of the Abra Human Rights Alliance, and her family reportedly received text messages warning her about her impending death.
In a statement, the Baguio-based CHRA said that Tembreza's family members have reason to believe the military is behind the messages.
Since July, Tembreza has reportedly been under surveillance, especially when she participated in the retrieval of bodies of suspected members of the New People's Army (NPA).
People's organizations like the CHRA are suspected by the military as front organizations of the NPA.
CHRA secretary general Jude Baggo said the harassment done on Tembreza is not isolated, adding that this is still part of the government's Oplan Bantay Laya, where people's organizations are branded as threats to the state's security.
Baggo said Oplan Bantay Laya has led to the surveillance, harassment, intimidation, and killing of people's advocates and human rights workers all over the country.
"The CHRA expresses its concern over these threats against Tembreza, since similar threats have preceded the extrajudicial killing of many activists in the country," Baggo said.
He called on the 503rd Brigade to stop its surveillance and harassment of people's advocates and human rights workers in Abra.
