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Rationale

Since January 2001, 18 clergy, church leaders and members who actively advocate for the rights of the people have been brutally executed.  What did the victims have in common? Most were human rights activists, members of progressive political parties and vocal critics of logging, mining, militarization and other destructive projects in the various provinces. They were civilians in the urban places and rural communities who became casualties of the government’s campaign to crush militant organizations at the forefront of exposing and opposing its high crimes of fraud and plunder, human rights abuses and unjust socio-economic policies that have further impoverished Filipinos.    

The political killings for the past four years have been at its worst, comparable even during the dark years of martial law. From January 2001 until May 2006 there had been 590 political killings.  Of the 590, Karapatan data shows 221 were confirmed to be affiliated with cause-oriented groups.  Ninety-three of the victims were Bayan Muna members.  These killings are part of more than 4,200 cases of human rights violations involving close to 250,000 individuals that include frustrated murder, enforced disappearances, illegal arrest and unlawful detention, indiscriminate firings and forcible evacuations, among others characterize these human rights violations.  These violations were committed with impunity and grave disregard to the democratic rights against human rights advocates, peasants, workers, church people, women, youth and children.

 

Church people who exercise their prophetic role to promote justice and human dignity were not spared in the spate of killings.  In 2005 alone, 3 clergy had been killed in cold blood because they have earned the ire of the people who want to crush their voices of legitimate dissent.  Fr. William Tadena of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente, an advocate of the struggle for land and just wages of farm workers of Hacienda Luisita was killed in March.  Rev. Edison Lapus, conference minister of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines, was shot dead in May.  Lapus is a staunch defender of human rights in Eastern Visayas.  Another Minister of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines, Rev. Raul Domingo, who exposed human rights abuses committed by the military and opposed mining in Palawan, was also shot dead in August.  This year alone, six have been killed.   Mateo Morales, lay worker for the Religious of the Good Shepherd’s Tribal Filipino Ministry of Agusan del Sur, Nestor Arinque of Brgy. San Roque, Mabini, Bohol, and Rev. Jemias Tinambacan of UCCP Calaran, Misamis Occidental, Jose Doton of Pangasinan, Pastor Andy Pawikan from UCCP Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija, and Noel “Noli” Capulong from Calamba, Laguna were all shot dead by motorcycle-riding men.

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20 Church People Killed

 

 

1.       PASTOR MARCELINO DELA CRUZ

28 May 2001 – Killing of Marcelino dela Cruz, a United Methodist Church Pastor in San Jose, Tarlac.

 

2.       PASTOR JOSE BUENDIA

19 November 2003 – Killing of Jose Buendia, 39 years old who was former Born-Again Pastor.  Around 5:30AM a group of 30 soldiers under the leadership of Major Damaso Calaian, Capt. de Vera and Lt. Careza of the 71st Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army raided the house of Jose Buendia in Barangay Matawi, Dingalan, Aurora, Philippines. Without any warning and under the cover of the night they surrpinded the house and started shooting at it. Jose came out to plead for their lives but was hit and instantly died. His face was shattered due to the strength of the firepower. Josie and their children managed to stay inside the house unharmed but very much shaken.

 

3.       ISAIAS MANANO

28 April 2004 – Killing of Isaias Manano, resident of Brgy. Nacoco, Clapan City, Mindoro, Oriental, Member of the UCCP–Christian Youth Fellowship (CYF) and Anakpawis Party-list Mindoro. 

 

4.       JOEL BACLAO

10 November 2004 – Killing of Joel Baclao, member of UCCP/ coordinator of Andurog Mayon, the Relief and Rehabilitation work of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) for victims of the Mayon Volcano eruption, National Council Member of the Promotion of Church People’s Response (PCPR) in Bicol. 

 

5.       JUANCHO SANCHEZ

16 November 2004 – Massacre of 7 workers and supporters of Hacienda Luisita strike, including Juancho Sanchez, member of UCCP-CYF Tarlac. 

 

6.       VICENTE OLEA

23 November 2004 – Killing of Vicente Olea, 71-year old UCCP member in San Vicente, Palawan. 

 

7.       ABE SUNGIT

5 February 2005 – Killing of Abe Sungit, leader of indigenous people in Palawan, member of United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) – IDPIP (Indigenous People’s Program), Karapatan-Palawan and PAGSAMBATAN.  
 

8.       FR. WILLIAM TADENA

13 March 2005 – Killing of Fr. William Tadena, resident of Brgy. Matindeg, Pura, Tarlac, member of IFI and PCPR in Tarlac; frustrated killing of 3 companions - Carlos Barsolazo, Charlie Gabriel and Ervina Domingo (church workers). Fr. Tadena was an active supporter of the Hacienda Luisita workers.  

 

9.       PASTOR HABLITO SOLINA

11 April 2005 – Killing of Hablito Solina, a church worker of People’s Missionary Church.

 

10.   ALFREDO DAVIS

15 April 2005 – Killing of Alfredo Davis, member of UCCP Mahaplag, Leyte at the vicinity of Mahaplag, Leyte. His father was a former chairperson of a regional alliance of peasant organizations.  

 

11.   REV. EDISON LAPUS

12 May 2005 – Killing of UCCP Conference Minister Edison Lapus, of Sitio Motor, Brgy. Crossing, San Isidro, Leyte, member of PCPR, Karapatan and Bayan Muna.  

 

12.   REV. RAUL DOMINGO

20 August 2005 –Rev. Raul Domingo, of Brgy. San Jose, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, member of UCCP and Kapatirang Simbahan para sa Bayan (Kasimbayan) and Secretary General of Karapatan in Palawan was shot and seriously wounded. On September 4, Rev. Domingo died at the hospital.   

 

13.   JOSE MANEGDEG III

29 November 2005 – Killing of Jose ‘Pepe’ Manegdeg III, of Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte, member of Rural Missionaries of the Philippines (RMP), former staff of the Regional Ecumenical Council in the Cordillera (RECCORD) and former volunteer of the NCCP Ecology Program. He was killed along the National Highway at Barangay Apatot, San Esteban, Ilocos Sur 

 

14.   JUNICO HALEM

6 December 2005 – Killing of Junico Halem, member of UCCP and Bayan Muna municipal coordinator in Aluran, Misamis Occidental.   

 

15.   MATEO MORALES

24 January 2006 – Killing of Mateo Morales, lay worker for the Religious of the Good Shepherd’s Tribal Filipino Ministry, which assists Banwaon and Manobo tribal communities in Agusan del Sur. He was shot at his home in Brgy. Dona Flavia, San Luis, Agusan Del Sur province.  

 

16.   NESTOR ARINQUE

7 March 2006 – Nestor Arinque of Brgy. San Roque, Mabini, Bohol, was shot to death by three unidentified men in a motorcycle. Nestor Arinque was the chairman of Hugpong sa Mag-uuma sa Mabini or Organization of Peasants in Mabini (HUMABI), a municipal chapter of Hugpong sa Mag-uumang Bol-anon (HUMABOL), a province-wide federation of farmers in Bohol province. HUMABOL is an affiliate of Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas or Peasant Movement of the Philippines (KMP), a nationwide farmer’s organization in the Philippines. Arinque was also an active member, and previously the local church council chairman of the UCCP in Mabini, Bohol. The incident happened at Brgy. Abaca, Mabini at around 12:30 in the afternoon, in front of the house of a certain Gregorio Fostanes. 

 

17.   REV. JEMIAS TINAMBACAN

May 9, 2006 – around 5:30 pm, while traveling in Oroquieta City, Rev. Jemias Tinambacan of UCCP Calaran, Misamis Occidental, was shot to death by four armed men riding in motorcycle. His wife Rev. Marilou Tinambacan was also injured.  

 

18.   PASTOR ANDY PAWICAN

May 21, 2006 – Pastor Andy Pawikan, 30 years old, Licenciate Pastor of UCCP Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija, forcibly taken, tortured and believed killed around 4pm when a gunshot was heard, on May 21, 2006.  His body was recovered at 8am the following morning.  Pastor Andy was on his way home from Sunday Worship with his wife, children and other women.  He was forcibly taken away by the 48th Infantry Battalion-AFP.  It is alleged that the motivation of the 48th Infantry was to extract information on a recent
encounter of the AFP and the NPA; insurgents were alleged to have hidden somewhere near the area.   Two other persons are also still missing (both were companions of Pastor Andy Pawikan in resolving the Kaingin issue against possible landowners).  PNP-San Jose City reported a legitimate encounter as the cause of Pastor Pawikan's death; the absurdity of this claim is not only backed by eye-witness but the reality that Pastor Pawikan was wearing a Barong Tagalog when killed. Furthermore, the municipality of Pantabangan refused the UCCP-Fact Finding Team entrance to the area.

 

19.   NOEL NOLI CAPULONG

May 27, 2006 – Mr. Noel Noli Capulong, 51 years old, Member of UCCP Calamba, Laguna and Chairperson of the Christian Witness and Service of UCCP Northeast Southern Tagalog Conference, gunned down around 6pm, May 27, 2006.  Noli Capulong left a meeting with a Barangay Captain at Barangay Paraian, Calamba, to attend a prayer meeting for his ill siblings.  He was driving a private jeep.  He was gunned down by two men on a motorcycle wearing bonnets.  He sustained four gunshot wounds and was declared dead on arrival when taken to a hospital only 50 meters away.  Mr. Noli Capulong was Deputy Secretary General of Bayan Muna TK, regional staff of Bagong Alianza Makabayan, and spokesperson for the Southern Tagalog Environmental Advocacy Movement (STEAM).

 

20.   TITO MARATA

17 June 2006 – Tito Marata was the provincial officer of the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines and a member of the Farmers for Agrarian Reform Movement. 

 

 

As of 29 June 2006, 20 church people have been brutally executed.


Stop Persecution and Extra-Judicial Killings Now in the Philippines