The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) expressed alarm over a series of attacks against human rights defenders.
“In less than two months’ time in 2020, an alarming series of attacks against human rights defenders in the Philippines has been linked to elements of the government. The Commission on Human Rights is gravely concerned about the patterns of harassment directed towards progressive individuals working with peoples organizations in the country,” CHR spokesman Jacqueline Ann de Guia said in a statement on Sunday.
The CHR said there had been cases of “enforced disappearances,” “extrajudicial killings” and “illegal arrest” of individuals who are known activists or human rights advocates.
It cited the death of peasant organizers Emerito Pinza and Romy Candor, who went missing in Barangay San Antonio, Kalayaan, Laguna on January 19. The CHR said it received reports that suspected members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Regional Mobile Force Battalion 4A were involved in the case.
The killing of Jay-ar Mercado, an indigenous people leader-organizer in Oriental Mindoro on February 3 was also linked to alleged members of the 4th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army.
The CHR also cited the “illegal arrest” of Jennifer Agohob, a member of the Union of People’s Lawyers in Mindanao and Karapatan, on February 5 on the basis of a warrant of arrest for murder issued on July 26, 2019 by Judge Victoriano Lacaya Jr. of the Regional Trial Court Branch in Dipolog City, Zamboanga del Norte.
Five more activists were “illegally arrested” on February 7, in simultaneous raids launched by the PNP in Tacloban City. These included a staff of political party Bayan and peasants’ organization Sagupa, a spokesman of People’s Surge Network, a staff member of Rural Missionaries of the Philippines, and the Executive Director of Eastern Vista.
“The judicial harassment, arbitrary arrest and criminalization of human rights defenders should be a key area of concern of the people and should never be tolerated. Some government officials have tried to connect human rights defenders with communist groups and terrorist organizations among others to pursue a politically motivated defamation campaign against them,” de Guia said.
“The Commission on Human Rights calls on the government to end immediately all forms of violations against human rights defenders, including extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances. We also demand the authorities to recognize the legitimacy and importance of their work and to cease stigmatization of these individuals which could incite perpetrators to act against them,” she added.
The CHR has initiated its own investigation on the reports of human rights abuses.