PRESS RELEASE
Information Bureau
Communist Party of the Philippines

CPP vows justice for two more human rights activists killed
February 15, 2004

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) today strongly condemned the killing of human rights lawyer and Naujan vice-mayor Juvy Magsino and Karapatan-Oriental Mindoro Secretary General Leima Fortu and vowed to mete out justice against the perpetrators of the murder. It also called on the people to heighten their struggle to end the grave problem of militarization and human rights violations in Mindoro Island and elsewhere, and urged the immediate formation of a rights monitoring body to investigate the murder and other human rights abuses.

Magsino and Fortu were gunned down last February 13 in Barangay Pinasabangan-2, some 20 kilometers south of Calapan, Oriental Mindoro.

Gregorio "Ka Roger" Rosal, CPP spokesman, said today that the brutal murder of Magsino and Fortu is only the latest underscoring the already long series of murders and human rights violations in the hands of military and fascist forces in Mindoro."

Rosal said that the brutal murder of human rights workers in Mindoro show that the AFP has become more ruthless and reckless in carrying out their military operations in their hopeless effort to stem the growth of the armed revolutionary movement. Rosal pointed out that Magsino and Fortu have long been incurring the ire of the military and fascist forces in the island, especially the 204th Brigade, because of the staunch fight the two have been conducting against military abuses and human rights violations in the island.

Rosal added that Magsino was also particularly targetted for elimination as she was becoming an almost sure winner in the Naujan mayoral race under the Bayan Muna party. Rosal said that Magsino was most popular and well loved by the townspeople for her genuine pro-people and progressive stance. Rosal also said that Magsino was an active and effective district organization and campaign coordinator of Bayan Muna.

Rosal expressed that fascist forces in Mindoro are working aggressively to prevent Magsino as well as the progressive party-list organization from winning in the island.

"Emboldened by President Arroyo herself, they have mindlessly rampaged upon the people's human rights," Rosal said, recalling Arroyo's promotion of Col. Jovito Palparan to general last year.

"Mindoro is a calamity area with respect to human rights," Rosal said as he urged the acceleration of the formation of the Joint Monitoring Committee (JMC) to oversee the implementation of the NDF-GRP human rights agreement. He said that the JMC should immediately look into the murder of Magsino and Fortu as one of its first and urgent cases.

"Immediately checking and putting a stop to military violence in Mindoro should be among the priorities of the JMC," Rosal added.

Rosal declared that the New People's Army in Mindoro will continue to intensify its tactical offensives against the Army's 204th brigade in order to punish it for its innumerable crimes against the people of Mindoro.

Rosal also cited the 204th brigade's accountability for the murder last year of human rights worker Eden Marcellana and peasant leader Eddie Gumanoy, the spate of cases of salvagings, torture, illegal arrests, forced evacuations, harassments, abuse of children's rights and acts of sexual indignities against women since 2001.

Reference:
Anne Buenaventura
Media Officer
Cellphone Number: +63910-240-3553



Back to top