MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Leni Robredo has condemned what she described was a “massacre” of activists in Southern Tagalog region over the weekend that was apparently triggered by the present “murderous regime.”
“There is no other way to describe this: it was a massacre. It came just two days after the President himself ordered state forces to ‘ignore human rights, kill communist rebels and finish them off’ in his rant before the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict,” Robredo said on Monday night.
Filipinos deserve better than this murderous regime, she said.
“At a time when the number of people dying, starving and suffering due to the pandemic continues to increase, this is the painful truth: the killing of Filipinos continues. It has been five years since the poor were killed in the name of the drug war,” the Vice President said.
Robredo, a former human rights lawyer, urged Filipinos to “reach out” and “check on your friends,” noting that the country is in “difficult and dangerous times.”
She also called for an independent probe on the killings of the activists.
Nine people were killed in separate police operations in Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas and Quezon) on Sunday.
At least seven of the fatalities were identified by human rights group Karapatan as members of progressive and indigenous groups.
“We strongly condemn the killings in Calabarzon, just as we condemn the killing of so many innocent people under this administration,” Robredo said. “We call for justice. We call for an independent investigation to ensure that those who should be held accountable will be punished and that justice will be served.”
Palace hits back at Leni
Malacañang challenged Robredo to back up her claim that the killing of nine suspected communist rebels in Calabarzon were indicative of a murderous regime.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said Robredo should look at the evidence, if not provide evidence, before making unwarranted accusations against the President.
“If she personally saw what happened, then she should give evidence. If she fails to provide evidence, then she might be charged,” Roque said yesterday. “If she did not witness what happened, she should just wait for the results of the investigation like what President Duterte and the public are doing.”
If there were lapses committed, Roque said the details would be part of the police report.
Justice Undersecretary Adrian Sugay said the Department of Justice would look into the killings.
PNP probe
The Philippine National Police Internal Affairs Service (PNP-IAS) ) has started the investigation on the killing of nine activists.
IAS inspector general Alfegar Triambulo said investigators would determine if the policemen involved committed violations and lapses.
Police claimed that the activists resisted arrest and put up a fight during the implementation of search warrants.
PNP chief Gen. Debold Sinas defended the simultaneous operations, which he said were covered by court-issued search warrants.
“Those were legitimate operations,” he said.
The PNP denied allegations the nine activists were killed by police in cold blood.
PNP spokesman Brig. Gen. Ildebrandi Usana maintained that the policemen only defended themselves after the activists fought back.
“The allegations of ‘hindi nanlaban’ and planted evidence are baseless and unfounded,” he said.
The raids were based on information and supported by evidence that the targets were in possession of firearms and explosives, according to Usana.
The Commission on Human Rights office in Region 4-A has initiated a probe on the killing of the activists, CHR spokesperson Jacqueline de Guia said.
“The CHR finds the number of deaths alarming amid the pattern of prevalent red-tagging and escalating attacks against activists,” she said.