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Tuesday, September 06, 2005
Lawyers' group hits killing of colleague
A LAWYERS' group here denounced the killing of a colleague in Eastern Visayas and held the Philippine military responsible for that.
In a statement, the Iloilo Legal Assistance Center (Ilac) called on "progressive and patriotic lawyers to strengthen their resolve to continue serving the poor and the oppressed, and to uphold and protect human rights."
"Ilac condemns in the harshest possible terms the dastardly, cowardly and treacherous killing of Atty. Norman Bocar," read the group's statement issued over the weekend. "The (murder) of Atty. Bocar is a clear manifestation of the State's unleashing of its dogs of war against the individuals who are critical of the present exploitative and oppressive system."
A statement from the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) said that the murder of Bocar came at the time when human rights violations by the military were rising in Eastern Visayas, averaging 76 cases per month or more than twice daily. The cases included illegal detention, torture and killings.
Atty. Bocar, regional chair of the party list Bayan Muna and tourism officer of Eastern Samar, was gunned down dawn Thursday (September 1), while he was leaving an inter-agency meeting in Borongan, Samar, provincial PNP chief, Supt. Pio Manito, said.
Two motorcycle riding men shot him several times, similar to summary executions done by vigilantes. Through Bocar's efforts as provincial tourism officer, Eastern Samar actively participated in national tourism promotion activities like WOW Philippines and Travel Mart.
"The year 2005 is a sad year for Philippine lawyers," Ilac said. "Since January, four lawyers and a law student have been murdered."
In the same period, Ilac, quoting the report from the International Association of People's Lawyers (IAPL) and the Committee for the Defense of Lawyers (Codal), listed four violent incidents against lawyers, and the harassment incidents of members of lawyers' organizations that advocate human rights.
Bayan activists blamed outgoing military commander Gen. Jovito Palparan behind the murder of Bocar but the officer denied it.
Ilac identified this year's lawyer victims as atty. Felidito Dacut (March), Teresita Vidamo (February), and Ambrosio Matias and his son, Leonard Matias, a law student (May).In the same period, it recorded the shooting and serious wounding of Atty. Charles Juloya (March), the ambush on Atty. Armando Cabalida resulting to the death of his driver (February), the attack on Atty. Pergentino Deri-on and the burning of his vehicle (May), threats on UN Judge ad Litem Romeo Capulong and the attempted assassination against him.
"We are living in very troubled times where no one is safe anymore," ILAC said. "What is scary is professionals whom the poor and powerless look up to for protection have fallen victims themselves.
"Since January, six members of the press were murdered, not far off from the bloody record of the previous year, at 13.Seven members of the legal profession including three judges were killed in 2004, namely: Juvy Magsino, Arbet Yongco, Victoria Mangapit Sturch, and Edgar Calizo, RTC judges Paterno Tiamson, Milnar Lammawin, and Voltaire Rosales.
Still, the IAPL said that the Philippine military has been subjecting members of the Protestant Lawyers' League and the Free Legal Assistance Group (Flag), both of which it has listed as influenced by the "enemies of the state" in the Armed Forces document titled "Knowing the Enemy."
IAPL and Codal further noted that members of the Public Interest Law Center (PILC) and the Pro-People Law Network (PLN), active in land and labor disputes, likewise, reported to have been subjected to threats and harassments./
(September 6, 2005 issue)
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