9 killed, 6 nabbed in joint police, military ops in Calabarzon
Nine alleged activist group members were killed while six others were arrested in joint police and military operations in Southern Luzon on Sunday.
Report from the Calabarzon police said one was killed in Cavite, two in Batangas, and six in Rizal while three were arrested in Laguna and three others in Rizal.
Police said nine from Batangas and Rizal remained at large.
Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) said among the fatalities was their Cavite coordinator Manny Asuncion, who was allegedly gunned down in the raid at the Workers Assistance Center in Dasmariñas, Cavite, an institution founded and headed by the late Fr. Joe Dizon.
Also reported killed were Chai Lemita-Evangelista and Ariel Evangelista, staff of Ugnayan ng Mamamayan Laban sa Pagwawasak ng Kalikasan at Kalupaan (UMALPAS KA) from Batangas; and Michael Dasigao and Makmak of Sikkad Montalban-Rizal.
BAYAN said the police operations stemmed from serving 18 search warrants in different parts of Calabarzon.
Among those arrested was Bayan Laguna spokesperson Mags Camoral in a raid at the Defend Yulo Farmers campaign headquarters in Cabuyao, Laguna.
Also raided was the house of Bayan Batangas coordinator Lino Baez.
BAYAN condemned the attacks on their leaders and members as well as other activists and human rights defenders.
“These attacks come at the heels of Pres. Rodrigo Duterte’s order to the PNP and AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) to disregard human rights and kill suspected rebels,” it said in a statement.
“It is no coincidence that the AFP Southern Luzon Command is headed by the notorious red tagger Gen. Antonio Parlade, Jr., who can only be too eager to follow his Commander in Chief’s order,” it added.
During his speech in the joint meeting of national and regional task forces to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC) in Cagayan de Oro City on Friday, Duterte told the government forces to kill all rebels who are holding guns during encounters.
BAYAN group said Duterte and Parlade are directly accountable for the killing and demand for the release of activists who are illegally arrested.
“We demand that all those arrested be freed and that an independent, credible investigation into the simultaneous raids be done by Congress and the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to hold those responsible to account,” it said.
“We likewise demand that the Supreme Court take immediate steps to prevent the further weaponization of search warrants and other judicial instruments to silence activists, political dissenters and government critics,” it added. Ella Dionisio/DMS
