(Repost from BicolToday.com/18-Nov.-2012)
By Joey Natividad
Special Correspondent
Special Correspondent
LEGASPI CITY (BicolToday.com/18-Nov.-2012) – The brutal slay of a
village councilman in Guinobatan, this province, was allegedly commited
by state security forces to assassinate the victim “under a deceptive
ploy of having been killed in a crossfire in an imagined encounter
between Army soldiers and New People’s Army (NPA) rebels.”
This was the statement by human rights group, KARAPATAN, after concluding its own fact-finding investigation.
Councilman Ely Oguis of Cabaloaon village, Guinobatan town, dead and
beheaded, was found by residents early morning of November 12, this
year.
That early morning, residents heard several automatic gunfires that was
fired by government soldiers for at least one minute near the area where
the beheaded body of Councilman Oguis was discovered later. The
gunfires were made to appear that “an encounter between Army soldiers
and rebels occurred near the area where the dead councilman was found.”
KARAPATAN spokesman Vince Casilihan. informed BicolToday.com that the
killing of Oguis was part of a systematic campaign allegedly done by
state forces to eliminate leaders of progressive organizations.
The human rights group said Oguis was a member of Albay People’s
Organization, a peasant human rights group that is actively campaigning
against militarization of mountain villages and launching protests
againsts forms of abuses committed by government soldiers.
“Oguis was already target of harassment before, and that on August 21,
last year, he sought the help of KARAPATAN after he was harassed by the
military several times, and that he was being coerced to admit that he
had links with the rebels.” said Casilihan.
The rights group identified the government’s 2nd Infantry Batallion
which has jurisdiction over the area where the councilman was found dead
as “responsible for the murder”.
KARAPATAN has been documenting and investigation cases of human rights
abuses, mostly committed by state forces, for legal action and
presentation before the international community of human rights
advocates and organizations.
The Philippines has already acquired a negative rating before the
international community for the increasing number of human rights
violations and abuses committed by state security forces in its campaign
to end the 40-year old internal conflict.[BicolToday.com]
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