Killing the ideals
of dissent and free speech - two more killed, one wounded in attacks
A Statement from the Asian
Human Rights Commission
December 12, 2013
'License' to torture, kill and to silence the oppressed
On December 9, the Asian
Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has expressed its deep concern over the
renewed targeted attacks of journalists and activists. In the space of
one week, five journalists and activists, known critics against
corruption, wrong doings of local politicians, extrajudicial killings,
and so on, have been killed. These killings were done in broad
daylight and in crowded places displaying a blatant disregard for the
rule of law and most definitely to send a message to the public - such
dissent will not be tolerated!
The AHRC has now learnt of two more persons being killed and another
wounded. Those killed were: a broadcast journalist critical of local
politics and a poor and ordinary villager trying to protect his son
and their home from being demolished by armed policemen. The one
wounded was another broadcast journalist. The names and reasons for
why they were attacked are as follows:
On December 4, Nexon Togao, a poor and ordinary villager, was killed
when policemen shot at him as he was trying to save his son who
fainted from inhaling tear gas. He was struck in a kidney and the
groin.
Nexon and other villagers were trying to prevent the demolition of
their homes. A court sheriff and a demolition team, including
policemen who were carrying loaded weapons arrived unannounced in
Lugait, Misamis Oriental, to demolish the homes of the informal
settlers. The police also allegedly hog-tied several women protestors
at the height of the scuffle.
In separate incidents, a broadcast journalist was killed and another
was also wounded in shootings. On December 10, Jonavin "Jhey-R"
Villalba, (43), a reporter of radio station dyOK Aksyon Radyo in
Iloilo, survived an attempt on his life. But on December 11, Rogelio "Tata"
Butalid of Radyo Natin, was killed in front his radio station in Tagum
City. Rogelio received threats to his life before he was murdered.
These renewed attacks, once again, clearly demonstrates the absence of
adequate and effective protection from state agents, and persons or
groups working for them. The government expresses its condolences to
the victim's families and 'demonstrates' its 'political will' to
ensure justice, but beyond that nothing happens. The perpetrators
still kill, in broad daylight without fear of punishment; and their
victims, still fear for their lives without any sort of protection.
Clearly, there is a pattern of the systematic, widespread and routine
inability of the government to protect persons whose lives are
threatened; as in the case of Rogelio and Jonavin. The government
appears to be doing nothing to prevent the loss of lives and use of
excessive force on poor villagers defending their dwellings, like in
the case of Nexon and others. The government's, present and its past
administration, are fully aware of this trend. However, why it has
done nothing to halt these targeted attacks remains the question. If
the government is and was in control of this situation, they must be
asked: what is wrong and what went wrong?
While we express our concern on the lack of, if not the absence of
punishment, or any sort of remedy for the victims and their families,
we are more deeply concerned that the space to express dissent and to
assert one's fundamental rights and one's freedom to express his
opinion on matters of public interest, is becoming narrower with the
passing of each day.
The AHRC is of the opinion that, in addition to killings people, to
kill persons and to systematically target those embodying the ideals
of dissent are causing far deeper damage to Filipino society. With
these killings the attackers are not only killing the physical bodies
of their victims but also the ideals they hold dear more than their
own lives. These continued attacks and the government's inability to
protect them perpetuates this.
Furthermore, we strongly urged the government of the Philippines and
its justice institutions, the public and those who still value the
ideals of those who were killed and those who continue to assert and
fight at the risk of their lives for this ideal, to speak out in
condemning these targeted attacks. In a society where killing people
in broad daylight has become commonplace it must be realised that
'bodies' may inevitably die, but the ideals they embody must and will
continue to live.