Karapatan dissuades
presumptive Pres Duterte from appointing Gen. Visaya
By KARAPATAN
May 17, 2016
QUEZON CITY –
Karapatan calls on presumptive President Rodrigo Duterte to reconsider
the planned appointment of Lt. Gen. Ricardo Visaya as Armed Forces
Chief of Staff. Visaya is a protégé of Ret. Gen. Jovito Palparan,
known as ‘The Butcher’ because of his bloodied human rights record.
Visaya was the ground
commander during the 2004 Hacienda Luisita massacre where seven
farmworkers were killed. He was also commander of troops in Central
Luzon and Metro Manila involved in rights violations during Arroyo's
reign of terror during the implementation of the counterinsurgency
program Oplan Bantay Laya.
Among the known victims in
Central Luzon were Raymond and Reynaldo Manalo, two farmers who were
abducted and tortured. In Metro Manila, Visaya’s stint was marked by
military encampment in urban poor communities in 2006-2007, in time
for the 2007 elections.
Visaya was among the
generals promoted by the Aquino regime, despite their stained human
rights record. He was promoted as 4th Infantry Division commanding
general, the unit responsible for killing and forcible evacuation of
farmers and Lumad in Caraga and Northern Mindanao regions. Instead of
being promoted, Visaya should be prosecuted for the crimes he
committed against the Filipino people.
