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Saturday, May 13, 2006
Group laments rise in 'political killings'
A GROUP composed of church and civic leaders expressed alarm over what they called growing "culture of impunity" in the country as they assailed the series of political killings and harassments against those involved in people's movement in recent weeks.
Reverend Jemias Tinambacan of United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) in Calaran, Misamis Occidental was the latest victim.
He was a human rights advocate and director of Mipsa, an organization that serves farmers in Lopez Jaena, in the same province.
Tinambacan was shot dead on May 9 in Mobod, Oroquieta City by four men aboard two motorcycles.
His wife, Reverend Marilou Tinambacan--former Northern Mindanao District Conference Minister of UCCP and constant participant in Initiatives for Peace in Mindanao (InPeace) advocacy activities, was also hurt in the incident.
InPeace Mindanao convener Bishop Felixberto Calang in a statement said, "It is becoming clear that this unabated phenomenon of political killings indicates that a national policy that allows death squads and backhanded maneuvers of alleged state agents indeed exists."
He said the murder of farmer leader Enrico Cabanit in Panabo City; the throwing of grenade at the Anakpawis office in Kidapawan City; the abduction of 16-year-old Bryan Corpuz Macalisang, a leader of the Anakbayan youth organization in Pagadian; the killing of assistant city fiscal Godofredo Paciño Jr. of Butuan City; and the shooting of Mateo Morales, a hospital administrator ran by the Religious Good Shepherd-Tribal Filipino Ministry in San Luis, Agusan del Sur, all bare the same pattern where death squads or military assets and soldiers have been pinpointed as alleged perpetrators.
"These also illustrate that the killings and harassment are not simply isolated cases but are a deliberate and systemic campaign of repression similar to what happened in Mindoro, Eastern Visayas and Central Luzon," Calang said.
He added that, "This impunity is now taking shape into a nationwide campaign as the military, and its atrocious human rights violations record, unleashes its iron fist in Mindanao."
"This campaign is out to silence the voices of the Moro, Lumad, and Christians who defend their land from the plunder of large-scale mining, agribusiness expansion, militarization and other social ills," Calang said.
The group urged all Mindanaoans working for justice and peace to stop this growing culture of violence and barbarism, as InPeace Mindanao opposed political repression and demanded justice for all its victims.
"We continue to cry for peace in Mindanao and call on all institutions to safeguard and uphold the people's rights," Calang said. (BOT)
For Bisaya stories from Davao. Click here. (May 13, 2006 issue)
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