Karapatan Bikol statement, December 12, 2006

At 9:45 am today December ,12, 2006 Atty. Gil Gojol and his driver Danilo France were ambushed by motorcycle riding armed men aboard his service van from Gubat, Sorsogon after attending a court hearing. Both died on the spot and suffered several gunshot wounds.

ATTY. GOJOL (FAR RIGHT) WITH OTHER LEADERS (FROM RIGHT TO LEFT) SOTERO LLAMAS, LOUIE JALANDONI, CONI LEDESMA, AND WILLIE MARBELLA

Atty. Gojol was a former Board Member in the 1^st District of Sorsogon, and a former President of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) Sorsogon Chapter. He was also a legal counsel of ADLO-KMU and a human rights lawyer defending the rights of the poor. 

A day before,  Crisanto Frivaldo, a 35 year old law student of Aquinas University was shot dead inside their house at San Julian, Irosin, Sorsogon by gunmen wearing bonnets.Crisanto suffered 5 gunshot wounds - 1 in the head and 4 in the chest. He is the younger brother of former Irosin municipal councilor and Bayan Muna municipal coordinator Maximo Frivaldo who was shot dead last January 30, 2006 while tending to his 2 months old baby in their house.

The attacks on the progressives and militants in the Philippines never cease despite President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s declaration that extra-judicial killings must be stopped. Last Novovember 16, 2006, Toribio Mesa, 41 years old a baranggay coordinator for Bayan Muna in Jamorawon, Bulan, Sorsogon was killed;  November 19, 2006, Domingo Marbella, 22 year old farmer, was found on decomposition stage at Sitio Piot, Lungib, Pilar, Sorsogon after he was abducted by the military in his residence.

Indeed, it is now beyond question that there is a trend in the killing of civilians, KARAPATAN-BIKOL have documented 127 killed from January 21, 2001-December 12, 2006 in the bicol region. 40 of these were killed this year alone. The victims either pursue or support political causes.

We hold elements of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU) and other security forces of the government responsible for these dastardly deeds. They are responsible for organizing these death squads who perpetrate most of these acts.

Political repression continues under the Arroyo administration. We are calling to all life loving citizens to urge and call for an independent body to investigate these killings, hold the perpetrators accountable in order to give justice to the victims and their families. #

Stop the killings!
Uphold Human Rights!
Justice for Atty. Gil Gojol, Danilo France and Crisanto Frivaldo!