Media Advisory

Pesante-_USA

Contact: Melvin Barcenas

Phone; (213) 241-0906

June 16, 2009

Human Rights Violations Continues Unabated in the Philippine Countryside

Los Angeles- Philippine Peasant Support Network (Pesante)-USA , a US based human rights organization condemns and militantly protests the continuing acts of impunity of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) against the democratic forces in the Philippines

A KMP leader, Fermin Lorico of KAUGMAON Negros Orietal allied with the KMP was killed right after a protest against GMA charter change in Dumaguete City last June 10.

In another development, last June 9. In Mindanao, a well-known peasant leader Rene Penas of the group allied with AKBAYAN was also killed in Sumilao, Bukidnon.

Last June 11, two dozen men in fatigue uniforms broke into the office of a militant farmers’ cooperative in Sanchez Mira in northwestern Cagayan. The armed men mauled farmers staying in it to participate in a seminar, manhandled a women activist and ran away with undisclosed amounts of cash and goods .

According to KMP reports, 20 armed men forcibly entered the Mass Cooperative office in Bgy. Massisit in Sanchez Mira here and mauled the seminar participants, some members of the party list group Anak Pawis, aside their taking money and valuables.

Isabelo Adviento, Chairman of Anak Pawis-Cagayan confirmed that some of the participants believed the suspects were military or police personnel out to scare them by pulling a robbery. Adviento himself has been a victim of several unsuccessful slay tries.

Cases of Killings, arrest and detention and harassments mounts

Pesante-USA noted that similar cases of political harassment of militants in Cagayan province had occurred in the past, the most prominent being the burning two years ago of a community radio station in Baggao town which was put up with the help of the party-list group Bayan Muna.

After an encounter in Brgy Bunugan, Baggao, Cagayan, the military launched a sustained military operation and orcered the peasants to evacuate to the barrio center. Many peasant leaders were threatened with arrests. Some of them were forced into hiding.

More than 1,200 people have been killed by the military and police in the Philippines since 2001. Most of the victims were peasant, activist or community leaders.

At least 220 were detained or are in jail including NDF peace consultants in what the United Nations “culture of impunity” perpetrated by the US-Arroyo regime.

*******

Human Rights Violations Continues Unabated in the Philippine Countrysides.

More than 1,200 people have been killed by the military and police in the Philippines since 2001. Most of the victims were peasant, activist or community leaders.

At least 220 were detained or are in jail including NDF peace consultants in what the United Nations “culture of impunity” perpetrated by the US-Arroyo regime.