CHR-7 identifies ‘common patterns’ with deaths

By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The Unyon ng mga Manggagawa sa Agrikultura (UMA) has begun, what they are calling, a national fact-finding and solidarity mission into the killing of 14 individuals following police operations in Negros Oriental. UMA chairperson Antonio Flores said their investigation aims to document the killings by getting the statements from witnesses.

He said statements can be used as “basis for filing any and all appropriate charges against the perpetrators of the atrocities.”

“Various media outfits have already interviewed, mostly, family members of some of the victims who witnessed the crimes and narrated how their loved ones were killed by the police and military,” the agricultural workers’ group official stated. “Since the PNP (Philippine National Police) has already publicly stated that they are open to an investigation [into] the series of killings on March 30, [they] and the military should not hinder any movements of the [mission] team nor harass them or the witnesses.”

Earlier, Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo, Diocese of San Carlos Bishop Gerardo Alminaza, Amnesty International, and the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) called for an independent investigation into the incident.

CHR-Central Visayas has since identified common patterns pertaining to the deaths of the 14 individuals. According to CHR-Region VII Investigation Chief Leo Villarino, their initial investigation showed most of the slain individuals were moved out of sight of their relatives during the arrest.

He added, most of the victims were senior citizens and sustained gunshot wounds in the head.

“Most of the relatives are scared to speak and are hesitant to have their slain family members undergo autopsy,” the CHR official said.

The PNP affirms the operations were legitimate as these were all covered by search warrants./DGB, WDJ