Statement of
condemnation of the inhuman killing of the eight police officers and
barangay councilman
By Northern Samar
Peace and Development Forum (NSPDF)
A multi-sectoral partnership of the
Church, Government, Academe, Civil Society and Youth
21 August 2010
We, the members of the
Northern Samar Peace and Development Forum (NSPDF), a multi-sectoral
partnership of the Church, Government, Academe, Civil Society and
Youth in Northern Samar, Philippines, in grief and solidarity, issue
this statement of condemnation on the brutal killing of eight (8)
members of our Northern Samar Philippine National Police (PNP) and a barangay councilman on
august 21, 2010,
Saturday at Barangay Imelda, Catarman. We mourn the death of our
brothers and continue to be in union with their families and all the
others who are directly pained by their murder. When we kill, we
collaborate with evil, we destroy our humanity that makes us worthy of
a life that God alone can give or take.
Mr. Rolando de Guia, a
councilman of Brgy. Imelda, Catarman was shot to death for unknown
reasons around 5:30 in the morning by armed men whose identities are
unknown up to this writing. Philippine National Police (PNP) Officers
were immediately deployed to investigate the incident. However, close
to a hundred (100 m) from the victim’s house, a landmine exploded
beneath their vehicle followed by a burst of fire from the assailants
around 7:45 a.m. And to make things worse, the assailants shot the
police officers on the head and burned the police vehicle to ensure
their deaths.
PSI Nicasio Lavapie San Antonio,
SPO3 Junito Tingzon
Julio, SPO1 Juancho Malimban Esteron, PO2 Marcial Espelimbergo Velarde,
PO2 Marlon Genio Estremera, PO2 Rodel Martires Balag, PO1 Arnil Olango
Saludario and PO1 Edgar Cabales Catunhay died brutally that Saturday
morning. The PNP Officers were not performing combat operations when
they were waylaid by an armed group, they were just performing police
duties to investigate the killing. A total of nine (9) individuals
died that fateful day. (cf. 803rd Infantry Brigade, 8ID, PA, Press
Statement, 23 August 2010)
We are all Nortehanons,
whatever our belief or ideology, or whatever government agency or
institution we are working with, no one among us have the right to
kill any fellow human being. We all want freedom, development,
justice and peace. But, we need to work together, and reach for these
values through legal means.
We call on everyone to
help stop the brutal killings that destroy our humanity by taking the
law into our hands. The evil spirit wants us to be divided and kill
one another, the Spirit of God wants us untied and save one another.
These brutal killings violate our human rights and endanger our
democratic institutions. There is nothing in this world that can
justify the killing of any human being or anything that harms
physical, psychological and spiritual welfare of anyone. We are
rational human beings, not beasts who can just harm and eliminate
permanently those whom we hate or wish to take revenge on. Most of
all, we are men and women created by God to love and care for one
another. We have the law of the land that ensures a system to make a
better world. We all need freedom, but we have to make sure that the
way we exercise our freedom does not take the freedom and the right to
life of anyone.
We urge all of us to
pray hard and never cease to discern in faith, truth and justice to
know the difference between good and evil. We ask everyone to
continue to pray for the eternal repose of the souls of our brothers
and all others who perished as a result of inhuman needs.
We are confident that
the law enforcement authorities will soon restore the peace and order
that will reinforce justice in the land.
Again, we condemn the
act of lawlessness that killed
PSI Nicasio Lavapie San Antonio, SP03 Junito Tingzon Julio, SP01
Juancho Malimban Esteron, P02 Marcial Espelimbergo Velarde, P02 Marlon
Genio Estremera, P02 Rodel Martires Balag, P01 Arnil Olango Saludario,
and P01 Edgar Cabales Catunhay and to the barangay councilman of Brgy.
Imelda, Catarman, Mr. Rolando de Guia. We offer our prayers for them,
and we extend our sincere condolences to their families, friends and
companions at work.
God bless us and have
mercy on us all.
NORTHERN SAMAR PEACE
AND DEVELOPMENT FORUM (NSPDF)
Task Force on Good Governance
Task Force on Peace and Order
Task Force on environment
Northern Samar Peace
and Development Forum
Diocesan Catholic
Center (DCC)
Cathedral compound
Catarman,
Northern Samar
6400
Philippines
Nspdf.secretariat@gmail.com
