October 29, 2006
THE ILOCOS TIMES - NEWS

Ilocos rights group condemn abduction of Ilocos Sur captain

Vigan City, Ilocos Sur—Human rights watchdog, Ilocos Human Rights Advocates (IHRA) denounce abduction of the barangay captain of Tablac, Candon City, Ilocos Sur on October 13.

In a statement released by IHRA, said incident can be rooted to the Oplan Bantay Laya, a five-year program of the Arroyo government to silence her critics and sow a climate of fear to the people. In effect, the new anti-terrorist-insurgent campaign makes no distinction between armed guerillas and unarmed activists, making the latter fair targets of political assassinations and abductions by suspected state-organized death squads.

The victim was identified as Laureano “Berto” Galicia, 59, Barangay Captain of Barangay Tablac. Galicia was last seen at around 2 pm on October 13 along with an unidentified person riding his motorcycle bound north of Candon City. He was bound to visit his friend in a nearby resort, but after finding out that (his friend) was not around, he went his way home. Since then, he was not able to return home.

Prior to the said abduction, Berto received an anonymous letter with a black ribbon inside last October 2. It was the third time he received such threat in his life. Same letter with same handwriting was also received by human rights lawyer and Candon City Councilor Atty. Robert Tudayan, Rogelio Biteng, municipal councilor of Salcedo, and Franklin Dungalen, ABC president of Galimuyod, on October 2, 4 and 13, at their offices. These officials are supporters of BAYAN MUNA and ANAKPAWIS Party-list groups, respectively. Before Berto’s abduction, military elements, believed to be under the 50th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army (PA) visited him thrice to ask if he accommodates visitors and provide them food. The latter denied such.

According to Rod Tajon, secretary-general of IHRA, the Arroyo government and the military are accountable for abductions and harassments to progressive leaders and ordinary citizens.

Tajon furthered that the case of Galicia is among the mushrooming number of HRV’s in the region brought by the intensified militarization in which civilians are the primary victims of these ruthless attacks as part of the all-out war campaign launched by the Arroyo government against the revolutionary CPP-NPA-NDF.

IHRA calls for justice to Galicia as well as to all victims of human rights violations in the province.

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