ILOILO City – According to the human rights alliance Karapatan, most of the killings it documented in the first two quarters of 2019 were concentrated in Negros, Eastern Visayas, and Bicol – all placed under a state of emergency, alongside the implementation of counterinsurgency campaigns.
“This is not a coincidence. There is already a de facto martial law in Negros,” said Reylan Vergara, Karapatan vice chairperson.
Karapatan joined families of human rights victims in Negros Island in recently marking the National Day of Mourning and Solidarity (Aug. 20). They called for an end to the killings in the two Negros provinces, Occidental and Oriental.
According to the rights group, of the 87 reported killings in Negros since 2016, 55 were confirmed to have been perpetrated by State forces.
“These are people and residents targeted for their political beliefs or their affiliation to progressive organizations which are often already red-tagged by the government,” lamented Vergara.
In all the killings in Negros no due process was met, he noted.
“Laging may nanlaban. But the dead cannot dispute the lies, and even the families who have seen the horror are being harassed to no end,” said Vergara.
His group believes what is happening in Negros is “state terrorism.”
“State forces wear their mercenary uniforms, usually a black mask and civilian clothing, and ride their motorcycle to hound and eventually kill their victims – at night or in broad daylight. They seemingly follow legal processes, but someone always “fights back”, said Vergara.
The government says the victims are terrorists, communist sympathizers, and enemies of the State, but with no ounce of evidence to prove it, said Vergara.
“Wherever there is a spike in the deployment of police and military forces, the gross human rights violations likewise heighten. We are enraged as the killings continue, but our resolve remains firm. We call on all sectors to push back and resist against outright fascism in Negros,” Vergara concluded./PN