After the termination of peace talks, three peace consultants from the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) were killed, while seven others are currently detained, a human rights group reported.
Karapatan chair Elisa Tita Lubi said the three NDFP consultants who have been killed under the Duterte administration are Randy Malayao, Julius Giron, and Randy Enchanis, the latest fatality.
Malayao was shot dead inside a bus in his way home to Isabela in January last year, while Giron was killed in an encounter with authorities on March 13 in Baguio City.
Echanis was found dead with multiple stab wounds and two gunshot wounds on his head inside his rented home in Novaliches, Quezon City last Monday, August 10.
“Contradicting President Duterte’s posturing of sincerely working for peace, there have been relentless and worsening attacks on the peace consultants of NDFP and other activists and human rights defenders,” Lubi said in a statement.
Karapatan identified the detained NDFP consultants as follow: Rey Claro Casambre, Adelberto Silva, Vicente Ladlad, Ferdinand Castillo, former priest Frank Fernandez, Renante Gamara and Esterlita Suaybaguio.
“If the militarists of the Duterte government think that the brutality of what was done to Randy Echanis will shock and sow fear among the NDFP peace panel and consultants, peace advocates, activists, human rights defenders, and various critics, they got another thing coming,” Lubi said.
She added that the attacks have ”aroused instead indignation, anger, and the will to resist, along with a growing section of society,” against the ills and abuses under the Duterte regime.
Progressive and human rights groups held yesterday a Black Friday protest at the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) compound in Quezon City to call for justice for the slain peace consultant. They want an independent investigation into Echanis slay case.