Manila Bulletin
Karapatan slams Memorandum Order number 32, attributes militarization to the directive
Karapatan slams Memorandum Order number 32, attributes militarization to the directive
Karapatan slams Memorandum Order number 32, attributes militarization to the directive
By AJ Siytangco
Published May 1, 2019 03:40 pm
By Chito Chavez
Human rights group Karapatan slammed the government’s Memorandum Order number 32 describing it as an “additional directive to kill and militarize targeted communities.
Released by the Duterte government on November 2018, Karapatan secretary-general Cristina Palabay said the order increases the deployment of soldiers in Samar, Negros, and Bicol on account of alleged lawless violence.
(Karapatan.org / MANILA BULLETIN)
In Negros, particularly with the questionable implementation of the Synchronized Enhanced Managing of Police Operations (SEMPO), Palabay said the orders resulted in the killing of six individuals in December 2018 and 14 farmers in March 2019.
“Similarly this year, there have also been a spike in human rights violations in Samar and Bicol, all in accordance with the implementation of MO 32 and Oplan Kapayapaan, alongside other repressive policies,” said Palabay.
Palabay cited these as instances where “it is as we feared; attacks against human rights defenders and peasants have worsened in areas targeted under Memorandum Order No. 32,’’.
To recall, Palabay has assailed the said memorandum and referred to it as “another weapon in the Duterte government’s arsenal of directives that will up the ante of State terrorism.”
On April 21, 2019, at around 10 p.m., Palabay recounted that human rights workers Ryan Hubilla, Elzie Aringgo, and Rachelle Duave of Karapatan-Sorsogon were on their way back to their boarding house from their office, when they were tailed by men onboard a gray pick-up and a motorcycle, both without plates.
“While leaving the office, the three Karapatan workers already noticed the two vehicles. They decided to refrain from going home and proceeded back to the office instead. Prior to the incident, the three human rights workers were accompanying Atty. Bart Rayco to visit a political prisoner in Cabid-an, Sorsogon,’’ Palabay said.
In another incident, Palabay said an Anakpawis partylist member was gunned down in Sorsogon, while two other individuals were wounded.
“On April 29, 2019, Dennis Espano, 27, was driving his tricycle, along with two passengers and companions, Lilia Monteo and Zoren Furio. At around 2 p.m., a man onboard a motorcycle shot at Espano and killed him, while his two companions were wounded and rushed to the hospital. The three were on their way to the wake of Furio’s grandmother,’’ she added.
Meanwhile, Karapatan said two barangay officials were killed in Samar in the past week.
On April 25, 2019, Pining Lebico, barangay captain of Brgy. San Miguel, Las Navas, was shot dead by two assailants.
Karapatan said the incident occurred just a few meters away from the 20th Infantry Battalion – Philippine Army (IBPA) military camp in Brgy. San Jorge, Las Navas.
“Lebico was on his way home when he was killed, onboard a motorcycle and positioned at the passenger side; the vehicle’s driver is in critical condition. Lebico has long campaigned for the pull-out of military troops in civilian communities in Samar. Prior to the incident, Lebico’s grandson, Armando Jay Raymunde, was killed on April 17, after a drunk soldier reportedly threw a grenade towards the child while he was buying goods from a store,’’ Karapatan noted.
On April 26, Wilmar Calutan, barangay captain of Brgy. Beri, Calbiga, Samar, was killed while in his residence, at around 9:30 in the evening.
According to witnesses, Calutan was shot when perpetrators entered his home.
Karapatan said the victim was shot in the comfort room and sustained seven gunshot wounds.
The assailants were wearing civilian clothing and immediately fled the scene, but many locals attest that they were soldiers under the 46th IBPA.
“Said repressive policies are piling on top of each other, amounting to the piecemeal implementation of fascist measures that are nonetheless brutal in its compounded impact to communities. Militarization in communities has plagued Bicol, Samar, and Negros, and civilian communities are noticeably bearing the brunt of such policies. When left unmonitored, state forces perpetrate human rights violations incessantly. We thus call on the repeal of Memorandum Order No. 32, an end to the militarization of communities, and an immediate investigation into the cases of violations reported by human rights defenders, who are likewise working under perilous conditions,” Palabay concluded.
(Karapatan.org / MANILA BULLETIN)
In Negros, particularly with the questionable implementation of the Synchronized Enhanced Managing of Police Operations (SEMPO), Palabay said the orders resulted in the killing of six individuals in December 2018 and 14 farmers in March 2019.
“Similarly this year, there have also been a spike in human rights violations in Samar and Bicol, all in accordance with the implementation of MO 32 and Oplan Kapayapaan, alongside other repressive policies,” said Palabay.
Palabay cited these as instances where “it is as we feared; attacks against human rights defenders and peasants have worsened in areas targeted under Memorandum Order No. 32,’’.
To recall, Palabay has assailed the said memorandum and referred to it as “another weapon in the Duterte government’s arsenal of directives that will up the ante of State terrorism.”
On April 21, 2019, at around 10 p.m., Palabay recounted that human rights workers Ryan Hubilla, Elzie Aringgo, and Rachelle Duave of Karapatan-Sorsogon were on their way back to their boarding house from their office, when they were tailed by men onboard a gray pick-up and a motorcycle, both without plates.
“While leaving the office, the three Karapatan workers already noticed the two vehicles. They decided to refrain from going home and proceeded back to the office instead. Prior to the incident, the three human rights workers were accompanying Atty. Bart Rayco to visit a political prisoner in Cabid-an, Sorsogon,’’ Palabay said.
In another incident, Palabay said an Anakpawis partylist member was gunned down in Sorsogon, while two other individuals were wounded.
“On April 29, 2019, Dennis Espano, 27, was driving his tricycle, along with two passengers and companions, Lilia Monteo and Zoren Furio. At around 2 p.m., a man onboard a motorcycle shot at Espano and killed him, while his two companions were wounded and rushed to the hospital. The three were on their way to the wake of Furio’s grandmother,’’ she added.
Meanwhile, Karapatan said two barangay officials were killed in Samar in the past week.
On April 25, 2019, Pining Lebico, barangay captain of Brgy. San Miguel, Las Navas, was shot dead by two assailants.
Karapatan said the incident occurred just a few meters away from the 20th Infantry Battalion – Philippine Army (IBPA) military camp in Brgy. San Jorge, Las Navas.
“Lebico was on his way home when he was killed, onboard a motorcycle and positioned at the passenger side; the vehicle’s driver is in critical condition. Lebico has long campaigned for the pull-out of military troops in civilian communities in Samar. Prior to the incident, Lebico’s grandson, Armando Jay Raymunde, was killed on April 17, after a drunk soldier reportedly threw a grenade towards the child while he was buying goods from a store,’’ Karapatan noted.
On April 26, Wilmar Calutan, barangay captain of Brgy. Beri, Calbiga, Samar, was killed while in his residence, at around 9:30 in the evening.
According to witnesses, Calutan was shot when perpetrators entered his home.
Karapatan said the victim was shot in the comfort room and sustained seven gunshot wounds.
The assailants were wearing civilian clothing and immediately fled the scene, but many locals attest that they were soldiers under the 46th IBPA.
“Said repressive policies are piling on top of each other, amounting to the piecemeal implementation of fascist measures that are nonetheless brutal in its compounded impact to communities. Militarization in communities has plagued Bicol, Samar, and Negros, and civilian communities are noticeably bearing the brunt of such policies. When left unmonitored, state forces perpetrate human rights violations incessantly. We thus call on the repeal of Memorandum Order No. 32, an end to the militarization of communities, and an immediate investigation into the cases of violations reported by human rights defenders, who are likewise working under perilous conditions,” Palabay concluded.