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Victim:
Joel Baclao
Male
40 years old
Married with two children
Student Christian Movement of the
Philippines delegate
during the 1993 National Assembly
Former member of the Christian Youth Fellowship
Former youth leader of the Bicol Ecumenical Youth
Fellowship
National Council Member of the Promotion of Church
People’s Response (PCPR)
Lay-preacher of the United Church of Christ in the
Philippines (UCCP).
Place of Incident: His residence in Barangay Lacag, Daraga
Date of Incident:
November 10, 2004
Account of the Incident:
Mr. Joel Baclao, a senior friend of the SCM Philippines and a National
Council member of the Promotion of Church People’s Response (PCPR), was
gunned down on 10 November 2004 by two unidentified gunmen believed to be
members of the military. According to Wilma Baclao, Joel’s wife, at around
8:00 pm Joel went out of his house in Lacag, Daraga Albay to check on what
their dogs are barking at. After a few seconds, his wife saw a burst of fire
and a loud shot and saw Joel lying down.
Joel sustained four gunshot wounds. Two of which hit him on the chin and in
between the lower lip and his nose that shattered his face. While the other
two shots hit him on the stomach and in the upper part of the right rib. The
assailants used an M-16 armalite that killed Joel on the spot. Two of his
children, six and eight years old, were traumatised after witnessing the
shocking incident.
According to his family, Joel had received several death threats before he
was killed. His family has all the rights to suspect that the military is
behind Joel’s death as he has been warned that his life was in danger and
his name was on a list. His family believes that the list to be an Order of
Battle (OB) released by the military which contains names of rebels who are
wanted by the government. It is also reported that the soldiers attempted to
search the Joel’s house illegally on 26 September. Secondly, there were also
reports of alleged military men asking the Joel’s neighbours for his
whereabouts a couple of nights before the shooting. And most importantly, he
was a staunch and outspoken opposition of the militarisation campaign in the
Albay province and mining in the region.
Joel now belongs to the growing list of people who were murdered under the
Arroyo regime for their principled stance against anti-people government
policies. The case of our brother Joel indicates a harsh reality that
church-workers are not exempted from human rights violations under the
Arroyo regime.
RECOMMENDED
ACTION:
Send letters, emails or
fax messages calling for:
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The immediate
formation of an independent fact-finding and investigation team composed
of representatives from human rights groups, the Church, local government,
and the Commission on Human Rights that will look into the summary
execution of Joel Baclao;
-
The prosecution of the
perpetrators of the crime of summary execution;
-
The immediate and
proper indemnification of the family/relatives of the Joel;
-
The Philippine
Government to be reminded that it is a signatory of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights and that it is also a party to all the major
Human Rights instruments, thus it is bound to observe all of its
provisions;
-
Put an end to the
systematic attacks and political repression against leaders, members and
progressive mass organisations in the Philippines.
You may send your
communications to:
H.E. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
President of the Republic
Malacanang
Palace,
JP Laurel St., San Miguel
Manila
Philippines
Voice: (+632) 564 1451
to 80
Fax: (+632) 742-1641 / 929-3968
E-mail: corres@op.gov.ph / opnet@ops.gov.ph
Hon. Teresita Deles
Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process
7F Agustin
Building I
Emerald Avenue
Pasig City,
Philippines
Voice: (+632) 636
0701 to 0766
Fax: (+632) 638 2216
Hon. Eduardo R. Ermita
Secretary, Department of National Defense
Camp Emilio
Aguinaldo
E. de los
Santos Avenue,
Quezon City, Philippines
Voice: (+632) 912-9281
Fax: (+632) 911 6213
Hon. Purificacion Valera
Quisumbing
Chairperson, Commission on Human Rights
SAAC Bldg., UP Complex
Commonwealth
Avenue
Diliman,
Quezon City
Philippines
Fax: (+632) 929 0102
Email: drpvq@chr.gov.ph
Please send us a copy of
your email/mail/fax to the said government official to our address below:
World Student Christian Federation –
Asia Pacific
c/o Student
Christian Movement of the
Philippines
879 EDSA,
Quezon City,
Philippines 1100
Telefax # (632)
781-5284
justpeace_ap@yahoo.com
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