News Release
14 August 2014
Long before supertyphoon
Yolanda wreaked havoc in Eastern Visayas that claimed thousands of lives and
damage to millions of property, Jovito Palparan’s military-instigated tragedy
first struck the region.
Two days after his arrest,
victims and survivors of Palparan in the provinces of Samar and Leyte joined
the call for a speedy convition of the “butcher.”
“I felt a sense of fulfillment,
even a little, that Palparan has been arrested. We will look into filing more
charges against him. He should account to his crimes in our region and to
members of our church as well. We urge all other victims of Palparan to come
forward and do the same,” said Emma Lapuz, widow of United Church of Christ in
the Philippines (UCCP) pastor Rev. Edison Lapuz.
Rev. Lapuz and Alberto Malinao,
a leader of local peasant organization, were both shot dead outside the
former’s house on May 12, 2005. The pastor was then conference minister of the
UCCP and chairperson of Karapatan (Katungod-Sinirangang Bisayas) in the region.
Palparan has earned the rank of
major general in 2004 when he was appointed commander of the 8th Infantry Batallion of the Philippine Army,
covering the area of Region VIII, the provinces of Samar and Leyte.
In a span of six months, from
February to August of 2005, Palparan and his men unleashed a bloody campaign of
terror and mayhem upon the people of Leyte and Samar and claimed 19 victims of
extrajudicial killings, 12 victims of enforced disappearances and 25 victims of
torture in Eastern Visayas.
“The killings in 2005 were
intensive and wihout let-up. Only days and weeks separated the series of
murders. Victims were leaders and members of different people’s organizations
branded by Palparan as fronts of the Communist Party of the Philippines and New
People’s Army,” said Cristina Guevarra, secretary general of Hustisya.
On March 14, 2005, Atty.
Felidito C. Dacut, regional coordinator of Bayan Muna Eastern Visayas was shot
dead by two unidentified men on board a motorcycle. Riding on a multi-cab,
Dacut just came from a meeting at the the Bayan Muna regional headquarters in
Tacloban.
Also, there were nine victims
and survivors of frustrated killings. One of them was Dario Tomada, a peasant
leader in Leyte, who narrowly escaped an assassination attempt against him
inside his house in Kananga, Leyte on May 7, 2005. He and his brother survived
the attack.
While in a sanctuary in Manila,
however, he was arrested in July 2010 and is facing trumped-up charges of
multiple murder as one of the John Does in the case along with Jose Maria Sison
and Satur Ocampo. Tomada is in detention at the Manila City Jail.
“Like what he did in Mindoro,
Palparan hamletted communities of farmers and ordinary folks. They were hauled
and forced to undergo intensive interrogations, coerced to sign documents
incriminating themselves being rebels and made to appear as rebel surrenderees
pervaded in the farflung communities,” said Guevarra.
Emma will be joining other
victims of Palparan from Southern Luzon and Central Luzon to demand the speedy
trial and conviction of Palparan on Friday.
“Communities in Eastern Visayas
were subjected to food blockades, enforced curfews and regular census by the
military. Suspected rebel sympathizers and activists when not being murdered in
broad daylight were snatched out and never been heard,” said Guevarra.
A protest action will also be
held on the next hearing of the kidnapping case against Palparan on August 18
at the Malolos Regional Trial Court. He is set to be arraigned on February 28.
###
Reference: Cristina Guevarra,
Hustisya secretary general, 0949-1772928
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Hustisya National Office
2/F #1 Maaralin
cor. Matatag Sts.
Central District,
Diliman
Quezon City 1100
Philippines
Telephone: (02) 434-7486 | (02) 435-4146
Mobile:
0949-1772928
E-mail: hustisya...@gmail.com
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