CCJP calls for immediate release of Ka
Randy
A Press
Statement by Concerned Citizens For Justice And Peace (CCJP) Metro
Tacloban
February
4, 2008
The Concerned Citizens
for Justice and Peace (CCJP) condemns the arrest of Randall "Ka Randy"
Echanis, deputy secretary general of Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas
and who is currently detained at Leyte Provincial Jail charged with
multiple murders.
The arrest and
detention of Echanis is analogous to the made-up crimes charged on
Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo who is accused as the mastermind of the
alleged mass graves discovered in Leyte and has been charged of
rebellion case, which has long been junked by the Supreme Court. The
multiple murder case indicted on Echanis does not however coincide
with the circumstances since during the time the alleged murders were
perpetrated, Echanis is spending time in prison on charges of
rebellion.
CCJP views this as
another desperate attempt of the Arroyo regime and her mercenary
executor, the Armed Forces of the
Philippines
to further curtail the legal national democratic movement in its
advancement of the people's rights and interests. The continuing
assaults on legal mass organizations effortlessly unmask the terror of
Arroyo's anti-insurgency campaign, Oplan Bantay Laya 2, that in the
surface of peace and socio-economic reforms apparently targets the
members of progressive organizations and resulted to incremental cases
of human rights violations.
CCJP supports the Free
Ka Randy Movement and demands his immediate release. We further call
for the Filipino people to continue the struggle in advancing our
civil liberties and defending our basic human rights.
CCJP Metro Tacloban is
a national democratic mass organization advocating class-based human
rights and the promotion of justice and peace. CCJP is a base
organization of Katungod-SB-Karapatan.
Reference: Flor Chantal C. Eco, Secretary General, CCJP (phone:
09294860589)
The need to intensify
campaign vs. trafficking in person in Eastern Visayas
By Philippine Information Agency (PIA 8)
January
21, 2008
The apprehension that
led to the putting in jail of two foreign nationals on allegations of
violations of the Anti-Trafficking Law, should serve as an eye opener
on the need to intensify the campaign against violators of the
Anti-Trafficking Law in Tacloban and in other parts of Eastern Visayas.
When apprehended, the
two foreigners allegedly refused to identify themselves and even
shouted invectives on the government workers who were interrogating
them.
They claimed that the
minor girls they were with were their fiancées and that they were in
the area to marry them. When interviewed however, the young girls
confessed that they didn’t know who the foreigners were and that they
went with them with the promise of payment.
Eastern Visayas and
the Philippines as a whole, because of its strategic location is a
source, transit and destination for human trafficking. The number of
Philippine and foreign child victims in the Philippines range from
20,000 to 100,000. Foreign tourists sexually exploit women and
children in the Philippines.
The Philippines has
internal trafficking of women and children from rural areas,
particularly the Visayas and Mindanao, to urban areas, such as Metro
Manila and Cebu, for sexual exploitation or forced labor as domestic
workers, factory workers, or in the drug trade.
The Philippine
government is currently engaged in 107 prosecutions for trafficking. A
court in Zamboanga City sentenced a member of a trafficking syndicate
to life imprisonment in March 2007 for having recruited six victims
and selling them to a brothel in Malaysia.
In 2006, five foreign
tourists were arrested by Filipino police for sexually exploiting
Filipino children. The Philippines continued to assist U.S. law
enforcement authorities in the transfer to
U.S.
custody of Americans who sexually exploited children.
While tourists are
welcome in the Region as it will be good to tourism statistics, no one
should allow these tourists to victimize young children and women of
the area.
Indeed, there should
be greater efforts to combat internal trafficking by increasing public
awareness on Trafficking in Persons. People should know how they
become victims of human trafficking.
There is also a
need to strengthen vigilance on violators and to vigorously prosecute
the same so that they will no longer be able to victimize other
innocent victims.
Killings leave deeply
entrenched fear and distrust
A Statement by the
Asian Human Rights Commission
January 9, 2008
At the height of the
escalating incidents of the murder of activists, there was strong
condemnation, both within and outside the country that forced the
government to do something to stop the killing. Now that the number of
killings has declined, condemnation has also decreased and discussion
into finding reasonable remedies and redress for the victims had
waned. It has even prompted the government to take the credit for the
decline in the number of killings as proof of the improved human
rights conditions in the country. Whether the government's action or
international pressure had contributed to the reduction in the number
of deaths and enforced disappearance, the reality remains that, for
the main part, none of those responsible have been identified or
convicted. Their continued anonymity and immunity remain a continuing
threat to lives of the activist. It leaves a deep psychological
effect, fear and trauma, not only in the activists but in every
Filipino of the extent of their insecurity.
People fear to go
outside in public places as gunmen riding on motorcycle might, and
have in the past killed them, there is fear for complainants to pursue
cases in court, for witnesses to testify in court because they might
be targeted, there is fear of getting involved with any investigating
body; in short, fear has become a way of life in the Philippines. Now,
a threatening call or message from a mobile phone from unknown person
is enough to frighten anyone, particularly those facing threats.
Not even the claims of
the police of having obtained two cases of convictions of perpetrators
of killings could convince any activists, the victims' relatives and
witnesses that the condition has improved. This was not sufficient
enough to ease the deeply entrenched fear and tension in the aftermath
of the targeted large scale extrajudicial killings. The loss of faith
and distrust remains deeply rooted towards the police and military
because of their continued inability to identify, ensure conviction
and hold to account those responsible and this is particularly so with
the security forces. Though some of the police and soldiers were
charged, they were later either exonerated or had their case dismissed
because of the poor investigations carried out by the police.
The perpetrators,
whether or not they are elements of the security forces, have
continued to enjoy immunity. At the height of the killings, the people
and groups concerned invested their time and energy in campaigning to
stop the killings. Rather than work to reduce the number of killings
and finding and prosecuting the perpetrators, the government has
instead invested its resources in denial and counter criticisms. It is
disappointing but not surprising. Any government would exhaust all
means to defend its record. However, over time, the government of the
Philippines has either rejected or dismissed the validity of the
number of deaths. Sadly they have clearly missed the point; be it 100
or over 800, no one has been held to account. The state has never
given a plausible explanation for this failure.
The government has, in
fact, found ways to conveniently excuse their actions and to defend
its record. They use the concept that they are not perceived to be so
bad when compared to other countries. They use the fact that they were
voted for election to the UN Human Rights Council as recognition for
supposedly protecting human rights. However all this has been a
superficial victory of downplaying the extent and gravity of the
problem. Unfortunately, what is really speaks of is the government’s
indifference to the problem is born out of the lack of knowledge of
the real suffering of the people.
The police invest most
of its time explaining that the number of death should be around 100
rather than what has so far been claimed by local groups. Their
debates over the number of deaths even went on as far as defining
these murders as "unexplained killings" to which they preferred rather
that "extrajudicial killings". By defining these murders as
unexplained it obviously reduces its responsibility and gives them a
convenient excuse for their continued inability and incompetence.
Regardless of the numbers, there is no denying that they could not
even ensure a conviction higher that than two. An unlikely attempt for
a State claiming to adhere the notion of human rights to suppress
international outcry by way of using statistics and superficial
methods of indicators. It has not even improved its misleading
definition of solved cases by ensuring conviction or giving adequate
remedies to victims than merely filing a case with the prosecutor's
office.
The practice has been
that when a prosecutor recommends the filing of a case, presented by
the police, in court, regardless of whether it ever goes to trial, as
far as the police are concerned the case is solve. It explains the
high number of cases filed in court but the possibility of these
perpetrators ever being convicted is petty.
Over the years, the
government's action has been tantamount to indirect refusal to take
responsibility for these murders. The long standing condition of the
lack of security and protection and the impossibility of prosecuting
perpetrators remains, regardless of the decline in the number of
killings. The discussion on finding any reasonable solution to this
has also not moved from debating over numbers and blaming who's
responsible.
The government's state
of denial mutated from the complicity of the security forces for these
murders towards their obvious inability to hold the perpetrators to
account and ensure protection and security to their citizens. The
practical problem within the justice institution, the police,
prosecution and the judiciary, have since been obviously denied. Why
do cases not progress in court? Why do victims and complainants refuse
to file complaints? Why are the victims not able to obtain any
protection, remedies and redress? Why do the perpetrators remain
unknown and assured of complete impunity?
The inability and
failure of these justice institutions to function and to carry out the
duties expected of them must be given more attention to add meaning to
the ongoing discussion. Unless these basic problems are given adequate
action there is hardly anything that can be done in finding reasonable
and long term solutions. Otherwise, recurrence of the phenomenon of
large scale murders and enforced disappearance remains inevitable.
Undeclared Martial Law
in Eastern Visayas
Statement of KATUNGOD-SB-KARAPATAN
for International Human Rights Day 2007
December 10, 2007
A glaring 139 cases of
human rights violations affecting 5,486 individuals, 916 families, and
12 communities, was recorded by the Regional Human Rights Alliance,
KATUNGOD-SB-KARAPATAN just for year 2007 alone. The full blow of
Oplan Bantay Laya II was felt both by the legal mass movement in the
urban areas and the broad masses in the countryside.
The number one
perpetrator of these recorded human rights violations is the Armed
Forces of the Philippines.
Seven farmers died on
the spot including the baby inside the womb of Alma Bartoline when
they were massacred by the elements of the 19th IB PA at Brgy. San
Agustin Palo, Leyte. Two years after the incident justice seems to be
far from them when their countercharges were dismissed for lack of
merit. If only the dead could speak how they were violated, how they
were mercilessly peppered with bullets by the military while some of
them were still asleep. The victims were the ones who were put in jail
while the murderers go scott-free under the loving arms of Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo. We had witnessed how cases against them were filed
in court overnight while their counter-charges were decided after a
year of filing only to be dismissed.
Justice delayed, is
justice denied! No single case of extra-judicial killings committed
in the region had been given justice as of this very moment.
Students of Prof. Jose
Ma. B. Cui could still clearly picture in their minds how a gunman
shot their professor on his back and on his head while he was inside
his classroom giving midterm examinations. Prof. Cui was a very vocal
critic of this rotten administration and a human rights defender. The
military have long belied his name, accusing him of being a member of
the NPA. He was constantly been harassed by the military up to the
point that he was charged with libel. Not discounting the horrific
ordeal by families of human rights defender Reverend Edison Lapuz and
human rights pro bono lawyer Attorney Fidelito Dacut and the rest of
militant activists whose only sin was to fight the right of the common
tao.
If only the fields in
the countryside could speak, they will tell you of how the houses of
the farmers were burned by the soldiers from the 62nd IB PA in Sitio
Ogbok, Barangay Villa Aurora, Basey, Samar and Barangay Sinalangtan,
Calbiga, Samar leaving the farmers without anything except the dress
they were wearing.
The whole 3rd District
of Leyte is howling with so much human rights violations courtesy of
the massacre battalion, the 19th IB. A farmer in Tabango, Leyte was
forced to admit that he had a gun only to escape from the cellophane
being covered on his face and from the dirty toilet bowl on which his
face is being dipped.
The 19th IB and the
802nd Infantry Brigade were arrogantly declaring that they have
cleared the insurgency in Leyte only to find out in reality that the
marks of their operations left the farmers with bruises on their body,
bullets on their head, and constant fear on their hearts and mind in
contrary to their claim for “winning the hearts and minds of the
people.”
The unborn child of
Juliet Fernandez is shouting in all its might for the people to hear
her call for freedom, freedom for her mother and father who are until
now in the custody of the 62nd IB PA.
Even the children as
young as one year old were not spared by the military. They were
arrested and detained with their parents inside the 62nd IB PA
Headquarters under Lt. Col. Jonathan Ponce. The children of Dominador
Doque and Divina Belanigue were the witnesses on how their parents
continue to suffer and continue to languish inside the military camp.
How arrogantly Col.
Francis Lanuza expressed over the media when he assumed as the Brigade
Commander of the 801st Infantry Brigade that he would not tolerate
cases of human rights violations perpetrated by his soldiers when
these violations are happening right under his nose, and maybe on his
command.
The irony of being a
soldier who had sworn in to protect the people and the sovereignty are
very much visible as these cases of glaring human rights violations
continue to happen and escalate.
As we commemorate
today the International Human Rights Day, we, in the Regional Human
Rights Alliance calls on all human rights defenders and advocates to
continue on the struggle for a class-based human rights. It is now the
right time for us to be one in our quest for justice. Let us unite,
let us fight, and let us join hands in toppling this fascist regime.
We call on all victims
of human rights violations to bravely speak of their horrible ordeal
in the hands of the military. Do not be afraid to speak out because
silence is not a guarantee that your human rights will not be further
violated. Stand for your rights and stand for those who are still
afraid to speak up. Even if our human rights are written on the
Constitution, they are not freely given to us; we have to fight for
it.
We call upon the
church to heed your call for the preferential option to the poor. Open
your churches and your hearts to the victims of human rights
violations who shall knock and who are knocking upon your door for
sanctuary and for help. Let us join hands in upholding the cause of
the Lord in helping the poor and the oppressed.
We call upon the civil
society to be vigilant. We have to seek for the truth if we wanted to
know the truth. We have to see things in the eyes of a farmer, a
worker, a victim of human rights violation. Let us not be contented by
the luxuries we have in our homes. We have to fight, to struggle, for
our human rights and for the rights of those who cannot speak for
themselves.
In order to give
meaning to this memorable day, we have to be with the masses in their
struggle for human rights.
Onwards with the
struggle!
Struggle for a
class-based human rights!
Reference:
Atty. Kathrina R. Castillo
Secretary-General
KATUNGOD-SB-KARAPATAN
The Irony of the AFP’s
call for observance of “Due Process”
A Press Statement of
KATUNGOD-SB-KARAPATAN
November 26, 2007
Last November 24, 2007
the Armed Forces of the Philippines had published their official
statement thru Maj. Othello Yañez on the “abduction and killing of one
Elizabeth Guttierez”. The AFP called on all human rights organization
to conduct an investigation on the matter.
[see
news article]
We, in the Regional
Human Rights Alliance KATUNGOD-SB-KARAPATAN, investigates cases of
human rights violations filed before our office from individuals and
from cases recognized by our Provincial Chapters all over the Region.
We investigate cases of human rights violations specifically those
perpetrated by agents of the State who are supposedly the one
protecting innocent civilians. It is on the premise that agents of the
State are the ones who are considered as the duly constituted
authority. Being as such, they are at all times accountable to the
people and to the Constitution. Investigating cases perpetrated by
non-agents of the State or of private individuals are not within our
bounds such as petty crimes. There are other agencies who can properly
address these cases. It is a well settled doctrine that the concept of
human rights came into being in order to protect individuals from the
powerful hands of the State. Human rights organizations such as our Alliance
are bound by these principles.
We don’t have the
legal standing to question the CPP or the NPA or the NDF since they
are not operating within the bounds of the Philippine law. Since they
have already admitted the killing, it is now the duty of our law
enforcement agents to do their job.
At this point, allow
me to discuss some points pressed by Maj. Yañez in his official
statement.
1. going back to the
statement made by the AFP, they did not specifically deny the
allegations of the Spokesperson of the National Democratic Front, Fr.
Santiago Salas, that Elizabeth Guttierez was a spy. Considering her as
such, as provided for by the International Laws, a spy is not
considered as a civilian and is considered as playing an active role
in armed conflict and is subject for punishment upon being unveiled.
2. on the allegations
that her execution was not made with “due process”, we must first
situate ourselves on who’s “due process”? The Communist Party with the
New People’s Army have been waging war for decades already. They have
what they call their territory, own government, and people. It is
rather safe for us to assume that they also have their own laws and
with it the observance of “due process”.
Since the AFP have
“opened” the argument on “due process”, it is ironic that they are
able use the term easily. How dare them talk about “due process” when
even they themselves do not observe the “due process” as provided for
by our laws: the Constitution and the Rules of Court. How many poor
peasants have they arrested without warrants, only on mere suspicions
that they were NPA’s and without giving those that they have arrested
the chance to know why they were being arrested, detained, and
tortured.
How dare them talk
about due process when they illegally arrested a couple in Basey,
Samar with their five year old child. They (the military) tortured the
couple on mere suspicion that they were members of the NPA and
detained them for almost a week at the 52nd IB Battalion Headquarters.
The couple were even briefed by Col. Jonathan Ponce to admit before
the public that they were members of the NPA and that they have guns.
How dare them talk
about due process when they tortured, illegally arrested, and detained Dominador Doque from Sitio Ogbok, Brgy. Villa Aurora, Basey, Samar and
afterwards also arrested his family with his three years old and one
year old children and then detained them at the Battalion Headquarters
of the 62nd Infantry Battalion at Brgy. Polangi, Calbiga, Samar.
Thus, we are
challenging the Armed Forces of the
Philippines
to observe and to religiously follow the due process that we all
adhere to, the due process provided for in our Constitution. Before
passing the question and before making allegations that their enemies
have violated the same, they must at least make it appear that they
are indeed following due process.
3. though killing is
against our laws, it is commendable for the New People’s Army to admit
that they had executed a person and for explaining why they committed
such deed. Looking at the other side, there were many cases of
extrajudicial killings obviously pointing to the elements of the
military but none of those were ever admitted by them. There were
about 863 cases of extrajudicial killings and none have been closed
because of the continued denial of the elements of the State. As what
Prof. Phillip Alston, UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial Killings
have pointed out in his reports that “the military is in the state of
total denial”.
4. lastly, the
military never commented in their statement the alleged human rights
violations attributed to them by the Spokesperson of the National
Democratic Front: the abduction of Ina Gerellana and her family and
the abduction of Juliet Fernandez and Manuel Pajarito.
Considering the turn
of events in the past years, the records of human rights violations
all over the Philippines is worsening and escalating, it is but our
moral duty as a Human Rights Alliance to call for the resumption of
the peace talks between the Government of the Philippines and the
National Democratic Front so as to address this matter.
Reference:
Atty. Kathrina R. Castillo
Secretary-General
KATUNGOD-SB-KARAPATAN
Rights group welcomes
US Senate's precondition to RP aid
A Press Statement by
KARAPATAN
November 6, 2007
We welcome the US
Senate's decision to impose human rights-related conditions for the
additional military aid to the Arroyo government. We have been urging
the US Senate to rethink giving aid to the Philippine government given
its failure to address extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances
and other forms of human rights violations.
The Arroyo regime and
its state security forces continue to violate the rights of its
people. To this day, cases of abduction and harassment of human rights
defenders persist. Recently, two of our colleagues at the national
office experienced harassment through a texted death threat to one and
to another, being photographed by men riding on a motorcycle without a
license plate, while on board a public jeepney. This incident not only
shows blatant disregard to the rights of the people but is a more
telling evidence of the blatant lie that the Philippine government has
been saying to the US Senate that this administration doesn't tolerate
rights violations.
The Philippine
government must be made to also put a stop to the implementation of
Oplan Bantay Laya II, a counter-insurgency program that is behind the
continuing attacks against activists and critics of the Arroyo
government.
We would like to
caution the US Senate that it must thoroughly look into the alleged
measures the government has been putting in place to stop the killings
and other rights violations. It is not enough that rhetorics to this
effect must be the yardstick to determine that the human rights
situation has changed, but as Prof. Alston correctly pointed out in
his statement to the 3rd committee of the UN General Assembly, "The
bottom line is that only the elimination of such killings and the
ending of the impunity enjoyed to date, by the Armed Forces of the
Philippines in particular, will signal that the situation has turned
the corner."
The Arteches in
History
By CHARO NABONG-CABARDO
August
29, 2007
The new city of
Catbalogan celebrated its fiesta this year on August 24. Dubbed as
Pagduaw, it pays homage to its patron saint, the martyred apostle
St. Bartholomew. Pagduaw is a visit by Catbaloganons to its
familial roots and deep religious devotion to patron saints.
This year’s hermano
mayor was Perfecto Arteche who comes from the illustrious Arteche
family in Catbalogan. His celebration of this year’s fiesta is also a
pagduaw to his roots as an Arteche. The history of Catbalogan
is incomplete without mentioning the galiant efforts of the Arteches
in defending Catbalogan and
Samar against the American invaders in the 1900s and against the
Japanese invaders in the Second World War.
The brothers Don Leon
Arteche and Don Pedro Arteche were members of the town’s
principalia in the late 1900s. As members of this select few,
they had the privilege to vote and be voted as goberdarcillo or
to other positions of the government. Don Pedro Arteche is the great
great grandfather of this year’s hermano mayor.
The brothers figured
prominently in the fight for freedom in
Samar island and its defense against the American invasion in
1900. In 1898, following the discovery of a plot to oust the
Spaniards in Catbalogan, several prominent Catbaloganons suspected of
having ties with the Katipunan were arrested by the Spanish
government. Those arrested included Don Leon Arteche. When the war
with the Spaniards finally ended with the proclamation of the
Philippine Republic by President Emilio Aguinaldo, Catbaloganons took
over the reins of government from the Spaniards. Don Leon’s son,
Guillermo was appointed Teniente del Infanterias.
In January 26, 1900,
American gunboats were sighted in Calbayog. General Lukban called for
a meeting with prominent men of Catbalogan on what to do should the
Americans arrive in Catbalogan. They decided to burn the town and to
evacuate the people in order not to give quarters to the invaders.
They also decided to disperse the Filipino forces to different
outposts surrounding Catbalogan. 2nd Lt. Guillermo Arteche, now in
command of the Second Artillery, was posted to the mountains in the
northeast of the town. His brother, Leopoldo also served with the
revolutionary army of Lukban.
When Gen. Lukban
refused to surrender to the Americans, the town of Catbalogan was
bombarded and the people retreated to the mountains. The more
powerful guns of the Americans soon subdued three batteries under the
commands of Lt. Guillermo Arteche and Leoncio Quiason; Lt. Eladio
Cinco and Hilarion Curiano; and under Lt. Honorio Rosales and Lt.
Florentino Peñaranda.
General Kobbe soon
landed in Catbalogan and established his headquarters. Catbalogan was
garrisoned, parents and relatives of soldiers with the Revolutionary
Forces were held hostage; and people suspected of giving aid to
insurrectos were arrested, tortured or killed. Catbaloganons were
urged to return to the heavily garrisoned town. It did not take
long for General Lukban to regroup his dispersed forces. He
reorganized his political-military government. He designated Don Leon
Arteche as Presidente of Catbalogan. Guillermo and his brother
Leopoldo Arteche remained with Lukban’s forces.
The Americans soon got
wind of Leon Arteche’s appointment as Presidente by Lukban and
Don Leon was captured by the Americans and taken to Manila where he
was imprisoned at Fort Santiago. He was later released and allowed to
return to Catbalogan only to find his son Guillermo Arteche together
with Cayetano Sosing and Francisco Conge taken by the Americans to
Tinaogan, a barrio of Zumarraga where they were tortured to get
information on Lukban’s forces. Later, the three together with other
Catbaloganons who were earlier arrested by the Americans on suspicion
of giving aid to the revolutionaries (Antonio Villanueva, Alejo Maga,
Catalino Alcantara, Florencio Briz, Geronimo Bello) were taken to
Iloilo
for imprisonment. Guillermo was lucky enough to be released but
Cayetano Sosing and Francisco Conge were executed by the Americans.
Finally, following the
capture of Gen. Lukban, the remaining forces of the revolutionary army
under General Claro Guevarra surrendered on April 27, 2002. Among the
officers who were the last to surrender to the Americans was Capt.
Leopoldo Arteche, brother of Guillermo.
During the Second
World War, members of the Arteche family bravely defended the province
of Samar against Japanese aggression. When the war broke out with the
Japanese, Pedro Arteche, the former Provincial Governor of Samar and
former Delegate to the Constitutional Assembly and the District
Representative to the National Assembly organized the Philippine
Guerrilla Forces (PGF). The western and southwestern area of
Samar became the base of their operations against the Japanese.
The PGF established its headquarters in San Andres in Villareal.
Many Catbaloganons secretly supported General Arteche by supplying him
with information.
The Japanese Military
Chief sent letters to General Arteche for his surrender offering him
peace, full amnesty and a high position in the Japanese Imperial Army
of the Japanese civilian government. On January 17, 1944, during an
extensive mopping up operations of the Japanese, General Arteche and
his brother Melecio Arteche were captured and taken to Tacloban and
later taken to Catbalogan where the Japanese General Kawasoy organized
a meeting of all Catbaloganons at the church. General Arteche was
asked to speak before the people to urge them to cooperate with the
Japanese. He asked them instead, in an impassioned speech, never to
surrender to the Japanese. Catbaloganons broke into applause.
Shortly after, General Arteche mysteriously disappeared and was
believed to have been secretly executed. Catbaloganons generally
regard him as a martyred patriot. His body was never found. His
cousin Luding was also executed by the Japanese. As a tribute to the
courageous sacrifice of Governor Pedro Arteche, a boulevard in
Catbalogan is named after him. During his incumbency as Governor of
the island province of Samar, Governor Arteche build the Samar Justice
Building, the Provincial Hospital and the Provincial Nursery. He also
built hundreds of kilometers of roads connecting the poblacion of
Catbalogan to other municipalities.
Shortly after the
ratification of the 1987 Constitution, the 8th Congress was convened
and for the first time in our country’s history, sectoral
representatives were appointed to Congress. A member of the Arteche
clan, Bartolome Arteche, a peasant leader from
Samar was appointed by Pres. Cory Aquino in April 1988 to
represent the peasant sector. Thus, Bartolome Arteche became a member
of the House of Representatives.
Today, the Arteches
is a large clan having intermarried with the Cincos, the Tuazons,
Gutierrezes, Conges, Motaks, Pacolis, Salazars, Jasminezes, Guillems,
Brizs, Mendiolas, Piczons, de los Reyeses, Astillas, Llemoses,
Fortiches, Ocampos, Cuevas, Tizons, Almeros and the Bughos (of
Northern Samar), only to name a few of the families now related to the
Arteches.
