Home | To bottom

Baguio police investigates threats to Cordi political activists

BAGUIO CITY (Apr. 4) — An investigation team from the Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) recently interviewed Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA) leaders about reported assasination plots against Cordillera political activists.

PO3 Anatolio Rillera, Jr., Alfredo Kawating, and SPO3 Antonio Estocapio interviewed CPA Secretary General Windel Bolinget on March 21 upon receipt of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Arturo Lomibao’s memorandum instructing the investigation of reported surveillance, harassment and monitoring of Cordillera activists. Bolinget was shown a copy of the memo during the interview.

The memorandum was the result of a letter of concern from the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), including the barrage of similar letters to concerned government agencies from international organizations.

Earlier, CPA issued its “Action Alert” to expose the intensified surveillance of Cordillera political activists. CPA Chairperson Joan Carling said that to date, over 300 international organizations signed the letter of concern CPA circulated. Over 150 organizations concerned of the threats to Cordillera activists directly wrote to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and other government officials.

Carling said this demonstration of solidarity and concern pressured the Philippine government to act, which led to the investigation, and possibly to the temporary lifting of surveillance of the CPA office.

Bolinget said, “The investigating team did not contradict any of our reports regarding surveillance and monitoring of our office and key leaders, which includes me, Joan Carling, and CPA Vice-Chair Fernando Mangili.” The accounts presented CPA staff’s observations documented from October 2005 to February 2006. Bolinget added that intensified surveillance of the CPA office was more visible starting October 2005.

Also, Bolinget mentioned to the investigating team the presence of a military hitlist to “liquidate key leaders of the Cordillera mass movement”, which includes leaders of CPA, Bayan Muna-Cordillera, Alyansa ti Pesante iti taeng Cordillera (Apit Tako), and MACQUITACDG.

Bolinget stressed that the pattern and phasing of surveillance, monitoring and casing before the actual killing in other regions as well as the murder of three activists last year in Northern Luzon are clearly the same procedure and conduct they have observed.

Copies of CPA’s “Our Action Alert, Sign-On Letter” and press release on the presence of the military hitlist were submitted to the investigation team. However, the police have not yet given the CPA a copy of its report on the investigation, as promised.

Meanwhile, Carling said the CPA will continue to seek international and national support and action against the political repression gripping the country; to take precautionary measures and to go about their work. Amidst this situation, CPA is gearing for the Cordillera Day celebration in Kalinga where over 3,000 people are expected to witness and testify in a people’s tribunal on the human rights violations of the Arroyo Regime in the Cordillera. # CPA-Public Information Commission for NORDIS

Post your comments, reactions to this article

Home | Back to top