Catanduanes Movement for Justice and Peace, August 4, 2007

Virac, Catanduanes -- After conducting a Fact Finding Mission in baranggay Danicop in the capital town, the team composed of members of the CMJP and KARAPATAN-Bikol released a statement denouncing what they said “were the conscious efforts on the part of state security forces to malign and put the blame on the two civilians on their own deaths”

The rights group further added that based on interviews with relatives, neighbors, council leaders and other individuals; they have gathered enough data to conclude that victims Solomon and Gilbert Tabuzo were ordinary civilian contrary to what military and police officials have been insinuating that the father and son victims were combatants. Even going as far as to allege that Solomon was killed holding an unidentified firearm. They also denounced as “Palparan/Draconian Principle on rules on engagement” the claim that the killing of the two were collateral damage.

During a courtesy visit to the village head, he confirmed that the victims were bonafide residents of his baranggay. He also refuted claims that Solomon was found with a gun. He said that the victims were known to be peace loving and the educational attainment of Solomon would prove difficult for him to operate and fire a hand gun. What the military found inside the victims’ hut is a malfunctioning air gun for birds the council head added. While the 16 year old Gilbert could not be able to be a guerrilla because the child has a mental illness.

Aracelli, wife of Solomon and mother of Gilbert relayed to the team the family’s sentiment over the killings of their kin. She doesn’t believe either that his husband and children were NPA’s, she told them how the incident crippled their family’s livelihood and how it made them struggle to make a living on a day to day basis.

In what was to be one of the fact finding mission’s highlight, aracelli added that upon seeing her husband’s body after it was brought down from the hill, she noticed that its hands were held up” like the position when someone orders you taas ang kamay”. Its very hard not to think that the victims especially Solomon was summarily executed, given its hands’ anatomical position and the severity of the impact of bullets, tearing a portion of its head which can only be due to a close range shot the statement added.

The 3rd victim, an unidentified male suffered from close range gunshot wound in the forehead and other parts of his body as per eyewitness accounts, sources told the team that they noticed contusions and black marks in the said victims’ chest. The team concluded that the said marks may have come from of a hard object whacked against the victims’ body.

Furthermore, sources told the team that before the incident, 3 men were forcibly taken by military elements to serve as guide in haunting down the rebels. The team concluded that aside from making them as unwitting guides, the three served as human shields also.

The fact finding team will file a formal request to the Commission on Human Rights to step into the matter and investigate. They will also file a complaint against the military in the Joint Monitoring Committee on CARHIHL run by the Joint Secretariat of the GRP and the NDFP. It also aims to pressure the military establishment to indemnify the Tabuzo family.

The said fact finding team was joined by a representative from the committee on human rights from the Sangunian Bayan of Virac. It was fully endorsed by the municipal and provincial leadership of this province.

Reference:
Catanduanes Movement for Justice and Peace
2nd floor Bayan Muna Building
Rawis Baranggay Hall Compound

email: cmjp_isla@yahoo.com