The National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) condemned what it called as “summary execution” of a National Democratic Front (NDF) consultant and his companion last Nov. 30 in Negros Occidental.
In a statement, NUPL said “the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) publicly claimed that the two (NDF consultant Ericson Acosta and his companion who was not identified) were killed during an armed encounter” with Philippine Army soldiers in Sitio Makilo, Barangay Camansi in Kabankalan town.
“However, sources dispute this claim and no such encounter occurred, and that the two were captured alive and were already in custody when summarily executed by their captors,” the NUPL claimed.
“The NUPL condemns in the strongest possible terms this reported summary execution of Ericson Acosta and demands for an independent and impartial investigation of his case, and to hold accountable those who are responsible therefor,” it said in its statement.
It said that Acosta had been “NUPL’s client when he was wrongfully arrested and detained based on trumped up charges sometime in February 2011 at San Jorge, Samar at Calbayog City Sub-Provincial Jail.”
“He stayed in detention for almost two years, and was eventually released upon the dismissal of the cases against him,” it said.
“After his release, we learned that Ericson continued to be involved in advocacies for the advancement of peasant rights,” it added.
NUPL said Acosta was “a poet, writer, and peasant and peace advocate.”
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