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PHILIPPINES: Killing of prominent human rights defender Bishop Alberto Ramento

October 5, 2006

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ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION - URGENT APPEALS PROGRAM

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5 October 2006
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UA-331-2006: PHILIPPINES: Killing of prominent human rights defender Bishop Alberto Ramento

PHILIPPINES: Killing of human rights defender; impunity; government's inaction to stop killings; collapse of the rule of law
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PETITION - PETITION - PETITION - PETITION
STOP EXTRA-JUDICIAL KILLINGS IN THE PHILIPPINES   
http://www.pinoyhr.net/

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Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is deeply concerned by a killing of a prominent human rights defender Bishop Alberto Ramento of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI), or Philippine Independent Church, by unidentified men at his convent in Tarlac City, 105 kilometres north of Manila, on 3 October 2006. The true circumstances are still unknown, however prior to his death Bishop Ramento reportedly complained that he had been receiving death threats because of his active advocacy activities for human rights. 

According to the information we have received, Bishop Ramento (69) was found dead in his room in 2nd floor of the parish of San Sebastian, Espinoza Street, Tarlac City at around 4:00am on 3 October 2006. He was fatally stabbed seven times. Initial police investigation reports point to the incident as a mere case of robbery with homicide. However, Bishop's family and his fellow clergy believe that his murder was methodically planned and politically motivated. Bishop Ramento had reportedly received several death threats before his killing and told his family, "I know they are going to kill me next. But never will I abandon my duty to god and my ministry to the people." 

Bishop Ramento's body will be moved to Cavite province from his diocese in Tarlac City today on October 5. On Sunday October 8, his body will be moved to the National Cathedral in Manila; and he will be cremated on October 13 in Manila.

Regarding this case, please also refer to our statement on 4 October 2006: AS-234-2006

WHO WAS BISHOP ALBERTO RAMENTO?

Bishop Ramento was a champion of the poor and publicly criticised the Arroyo administration for their failure to stop the killings in the country and launch a genuinely independent investigation into them. In an open letter to President Arroyo on September 7, 2006, the IFI Executive Commission, of which Bishop Ramento was a member, called on the president to voluntarily step down because of the failure of her government to stop the increasing number of extrajudicial killings in the Philippines. Bishop Ramento also openly opposed the attempts by Arroyo to amend the country’s Constitution to change the political structure of the Philippines from a presidential system to a parliamentary model of government.

In addition to being the diocesan bishop of Tarlac Diocese, Bishop Ramento was the chairman of the IFI's Supreme Council of Bishops and a co-chairperson of the Ecumenical Bishops' Forum, a fellowship of bishops of the Roman Catholic Church. He also was the chairman of the National Council of Churches of the Philippines (NCCP); and from 1993 to 1999, he served as the Obsipo Maximo IX, the IFI's spiritual head, chief pastor and chief executive officer.

Furthermore, Bishop Ramento served as a convener of Pilgrims for Peace and was also a provincial leader of the human rights group Karapatan, one of the most active local organizations on reporting the on-going extra-judicial killings in the Philippines. As Tarlac City is the area where retired Gen. Jovito Palaparan, known as the 'butcher', was formerly assigned, there were a number of serious cases of alleged killings and disappearances by the military personnel. Some examples of those cases are; the killing of Fr. William Tadena of IFI, who supported the Hacienda Luisita farm workers in La Paz (See further: UP-26-2005), the killing of human rights lawyer Abelardo Ladera (See further: UA-34-2005), the killing of two farm labourers namely Allan Ibasan and his uncle Dante Salgado (UA-083-2006) and other killings of activists (UP-143-2005).

He was also the chairperson of the board of the Workers’ Assistance Centre, a labour group in Rosario, Cavite Province. Similarly, he was a strong supporter of the farm workers of Hacienda Luisita who staged a strike that was violently suppressed by the police and military in November 2004, resulting in the death of seven striking farm workers on the picket line.

ADDITIONAL COMMENT:

Due to huge criticism from inside and outside the country, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo formed the Philippines police task force (Usig) and ordered them to resolve at least ten cases of alleged extrajudicial killings within ten weeks in August 2006. There was far less response from the government regarding over the 700 alleged cases of extrajudicial killings. However, even this response from the government has not been fulfilled and no progress has been made in the investigation into the killings. The families of the victims also openly questioned the effectiveness and transparency of Usig's investigation into those killings.

The AHRC has constantly raised the unwillingness of the Philippine government to deal with this matter and the failure of the government agencies to effectively investigate the killings. The AHRC's recent statements and open letters on this matter are as follows:

AHRC-OL-053-2006: PHILIPPINES: Urgent need for Ombudsman to demonstrate efficiency in resolving cases
AS-192-2006: PHILIPPINES: Lack of political will to stop extrajudicial killings demonstrates drift from democracy
AS-184-2006: PHILIPPINES: Carrying out of President Macapagal Arroyo's instructions on investigations into extrajudicial killings will take over 14 years
AS-176-2006: PHILIPPINES: The president fails to take decisive steps to end extrajudicial killings
AHRC-OL-035-2006: PHILIPPINES: Alleged rights abuses by army demand full investigations, not whitewashing

Moreover, instead of taking serious action to stop the killings, the Philippine government has systemically attempted to protect the alleged perpetrators. One good example was President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's attempt to appoint Major General Jovito Palparan Jr., as deputy director for counter-insurgency in the National Security Council (NSC), which would provide de facto immunity from questioning with regard to investigations into widespread extra-judicial killings. The AHRC's recent statements and open letters on this matter are as follows:

AS-211-2006: PHILIPPINES: The administration of impunity - government seeking to shield alleged killings mastermind from justice
AS-195-2006: PHILIPPINES: A credible inquiry needs to be begin into extrajudicial killings and General Jovito Palparan in particular
AS-194-2006: PHILIPPINES: Can the government overcome General Palparan's resistance to abandon the practice of gross abuses of human rights

Therefore, the killing of Bishop Ramento is not surprising at all and in fact the Philippine government allowed this killing to occur by deliberately taking no action to stop the killings. The situation of the Philippines is getting worse and our question is that if a bishop can be killed in his own room in a convent, how can anyone be safe in the country? The people now live in fear, not the perpetrators of these violent acts.

While the Philippine government showed its unwillingness or inability to deal with this matter, strong intervention from the international community is required more than ever before to stop the ongoing killings in the Philippines. We call for your immediate, strong and constant intervention into this matter. 

We also suggest you to join our online petition to "STOP EXTRA-JUDICIAL KILLINGS IN THE PHILIPPINES": http://www.pinoyhr.net/

SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write to President Arroyo urging her to take immediate action into the killing of the bishop, ensure an independent inquiry into this case, and launch full and impartial investigations into all the alleged extra-judicial killings. Please also write to your government to immediately intervene into this matter and urge the Philippine government to take genuine action to deal with this serious matter. Two sample letters separately addressed to President Arroyo and to foreign diplomats in Manila are attached below.

SAMPLE LETTER 1:

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Ms. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
President of the Republic Philippines
Malacanang Palace,
JP Laurel St., San Miguel
Manila, Philippines
Fax: +63 2 742-1641 / 929-3968
E-mail: corres@op.gov.ph / opnet@ops.gov.ph 

Dear President Arroyo,

PHILIPPINES: Killing of prominent human rights defender Bishop Alberto Ramento

Name of the victim: Bishop Alberto Ramento of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI)
Date of incident: 3 October 2006
Place of incident: Bishop Ramento's parish of San Sebastian, Espinoza Street, Tarlac City

I am so shocked to learn about the killing of the prominent human rights defender Bishop Alberto Ramento of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI) by unidentified men on 3 October 2006. He was stabbed to death inside his parish of San Sebastian, Espinoza Street, Tarlac City.

I was informed that the police have decided that the incident was a mere case of robbery with homicide before they completed full investigation into the incident. I believe that the motive behind Bishop's killing is due to his active human rights advocacy activities. You must be fully aware that in addition to being a prominent religious reader Bishop Ramento was a provincial leader of the human rights group Karapatan in the area where a number of serious killings and disappearances took pace. He was also a strong supporter of the farm workers of Hacienda Luisita who staged a strike that was violently suppressed by the police and military in November 2004, resulting in the death of seven striking farm workers on the picket line. Due to his work, Bishop Ramento had reportedly received several death threats before his killing.

I am aware that you formed the police task force (Usig) to resolve at least ten cases of alleged extrajudicial killings within ten weeks in August 2006. Beside the fact that this was far less of a response from the government regarding over 700 alleged cases of extrajudicial killings than is necessary, even this promise has not been fulfilled and no progress has been made in the investigation into the killings. The families of the victims are also openly questioning the effectiveness and transparency of Usig's investigation into those killings.

The unwillingness or inability of your Philippine government to seriously respond to the hundreds of killings that have occurred in the Philippines since you came to power in 2001 has spawned a climate of impunity in the country. Therefore, the killing of Bishop Ramento is not surprising at all with the deliberate inaction of the government to stop the killings. This case indicates that either the perpetrators have no fear of being apprehended by the police or that agents of the state are, indeed, the perpetrators.

I therefore strongly urge you to immediately intervene into this case, and ensure independent and full inquiry into the bishop's killing. I also urge you to take genuine steps to stop the on-going extrajudicial killings and order an immediate inquiry into all the cases of alleged extrajudicial killings.

If your government wishes to reclaim any pretence of legitimacy, it must take immediate action to bring to justice those who have violently taken the life of Bishop Alberto Ramento as well as hundreds of other unresolved extrajudicial killings in the country.

I look for your urgent intervention into this matter.

Yours sincerely,


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SAMPLE LETTER 2 (To foreign diplomats):

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Your Excellency,

PHILIPPINES: Killing of prominent human rights defender Bishop Alberto Ramento

Name of the victim: Bishop Alberto Ramento of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI)
Date of incident: 3 October 2006
Place of incident: Bishop Ramento's parish of San Sebastian, Espinoza Street, Tarlac City

I am sure that you are fully aware the killing of the prominent human rights defender Bishop Alberto Ramento of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI) on 3 October 2006. He was stabbed dead inside his parish of San Sebastian, Espinoza Street, Tarlac City.

Even though the initial police reports point out the incident as a mere case of robbery with homicide, I believe that the motive behind Bishop's killing is due to his active human rights advocacy activities.

In addition to being a prominent religious reader Bishop Ramento was a provincial leader of the human rights group Karapatan in the area where a number of serious killings and disappearance took pace. He was also a strong supporter of the farm workers of Hacienda Luisita who staged a strike that was violently suppressed by the police and military in November 2004, resulting in the death of seven striking farm workers on the picket line. Due to his work, Bishop Ramento had reportedly received several death threats before his killing.

I am sad to tell you that this incident indicates the unwillingness or inability of the Philippine government to seriously respond to the hundreds of killings that have occurred in the Philippines since Arroyo came to power in 2001 and has spawned a climate of impunity in the country. Even though President Arroyo formed the police task force (Usig) in order to resolve extrajudicial killings no progress has been made so far. The families of the victims are also openly questioning the effectiveness and transparency of Usig's investigation into those killings.

Under the circumstances, I believe that strong intervention from the international community is required more than ever before to stop the ongoing killings in the Philippines. I therefore kindly request your immediate, strong and constant intervention into this matter. I ask you to pressure the Philippine government to hold an independent and full inquiry into Bishop Ramento's killing and closely observe the progress of the investigation. Please also urge the Philippine government to take genuine steps to stop the on-going extrajudicial killings, conduct an immediate inquiry into all the cases of alleged extrajudicial killings, and bring the perpetrators to justice without further delay.

I look for your urgent intervention into this matter.

Yours sincerely,


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CONTACT INFO. OF SOME OF THE FOREIGN EMBASSIES IN MANILA:

1. Australian Embassy
Level 23 Tower 2, RCBC Plaza
6819 Ayala Avenue, Makati City 1200
Philippines
Tel: +63 2 757-8100
Fax: +63 2 757-8268 

2. Canadian Embassy
Levels 6-8, Tower 2
RCBC Plaza
6819 Ayala Avenue
Makati City 1200
PO Box 2098
Philippines
Tel: +63 02 857-9000
Fax: +63 02 843-1082
E-mail: manil-gr@dfait-maeci.gc.ca

3. H.E. Ambassador Li Jinjun 
Chinese Embassy-Manila
4896Pasay Road, Dasmarinas Village 
Makati City, Metro Manila
Philippines
Tel: +63-2-8443148, 8437715
Fax: +63-2-8452465, 8439974

4. Delegation of the European Commission to the Philippines
30/F Tower II, RCBC Plaza
6819 Ayala Avenue, Makati City, 1200
Philippines
Tel:  +63 2 859-5100
Fax: +63 2 859-5109
Email: DELEGATION-PHILIPPINES@cec.eu.int

5. Indonesian Embassy
Phase IV, Ecoland Drive , Matina
8000 Davao City, Philippines
Tel: +63-82-2992930  
Fax: +63-82-2973462
E-mail: infokjri@mozcom.com

6. Netherlands Embassy
9th Floor, King's Court Building,
2129 Chino Roces Avenue,
Makati City, Metro
Manila,
Philippines
Tel: +63 2 812-5981
Fax: +63 2 815-4579
E-mail: man@minbuza.nl 

7. Cónsul General, D. Javier Ignacio Martínez del Barrio
Spain Embassy
Dirección: 5th floor, A.C.T. Tower. 135,
Sen. Gil J. Puyat Av. 1200.
Makati, Metro Manila.
Philippines
Tel: +63 2 818 35 61, 818 35 81
Fax: +63 2 810 28 85
E-mail: conspmanila@mail.mae.es

8. Embassy of Sweden
P.O. Box 2322
1263 Makati City
Philippines
Tel: +63-2-811-79-00
Fax: +63-2-815-3002
E-mail: ambassaden.manila@foreign.ministry.se
 
 

9. Embassy of Switzerland
PO Box 2068, MCPO
Makati City1260
Tel: +63 2 757 9000
Fax: +63 2 757 3718
Emai: vertretung@man.rep.admin.ch

10. British Embassy
15th - 17th Floors
L V Locsin Building
6752 Ayala Avenue
Makati City 1226
Philippines
Tel: +63 2 816 7116
Fax; +63 2 819 7206
E-mail: uk@info.com.ph

11. US Embassy
Public Affairs Section
U.S. Embassy
1201 Roxas Boulevard
Manila, Philippines 1000

12. Embassy of France
16/F Pacific Star Building
Gill Puyat Avenue, corner Makati Ave
Makati City
Philippines
Tel: +63 2 810 1981 to 88
Fax: +63 2 817 5047

13. Embassy of Germany
25/F, Tower II
RCBC Plaza
6819 Ayala Ave.
Makati City
Philippines
Tel: +63 2 892 4906
Fax; +63 2 810 4703

14. Embassy of Finland
21/F, FEBTC Centre
Gil Puyat Avenue
Makati City
Philippines
Tel: +63 2 891 5011
Fax: +63 2 891 4107 or 891 4106

15. Embassy of Belgium
9/F, Multinational Bancorportation Centre
6825 Ayala Avenue
Makati City
Philippines
Tel: +63 2 845 1869
Fax: +63 2 845 2076

16. Embassy of Italy
6/F, ZETA Building
191 Salcedo Street, Legaspi Village
Makati City
Tel: +63 2 892 4531 to 34
Fax: +63 2 817 1436

17. Consulate of Greece
11/F Sage House
110 Herrera St., Legaspi Villae
Makati City
Philippines
Tel: +63 2 816 2309
Fax:  +63 2 815 4572


Thank you.

Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ahrchk@ahrchk.org)

CLICK TO SEND YOUR LETTER TO SOME OF THE FOREIGN EMBASSIES IN MANILA:

Document Type :
Urgent Appeal Case
Document ID :
UA-331-2006
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Extended Introduction: Urgent Appeals, theory and practice

A need for dialogue

Many people across Asia are frustrated by the widespread lack of respect for human rights in their countries.  Some may be unhappy about the limitations on the freedom of expression or restrictions on privacy, while some are affected by police brutality and military killings.  Many others are frustrated with the absence of rights on labour issues, the environment, gender and the like. 

Yet the expression of this frustration tends to stay firmly in the private sphere.  People complain among friends and family and within their social circles, but often on a low profile basis. This kind of public discourse is not usually an effective measure of the situation in a country because it is so hard to monitor. 

Though the media may cover the issues in a broad manner they rarely broadcast the private fears and anxieties of the average person.  And along with censorship – a common blight in Asia – there is also often a conscious attempt in the media to reflect a positive or at least sober mood at home, where expressions of domestic malcontent are discouraged as unfashionably unpatriotic. Talking about issues like torture is rarely encouraged in the public realm.

There may also be unwritten, possibly unconscious social taboos that stop the public reflection of private grievances.  Where authoritarian control is tight, sophisticated strategies are put into play by equally sophisticated media practices to keep complaints out of the public space, sometimes very subtly.  In other places an inner consensus is influenced by the privileged section of a society, which can control social expression of those less fortunate.  Moral and ethical qualms can also be an obstacle.

In this way, causes for complaint go unaddressed, un-discussed and unresolved and oppression in its many forms, self perpetuates.  For any action to arise out of private frustration, people need ways to get these issues into the public sphere.

Changing society

In the past bridging this gap was a formidable task; it relied on channels of public expression that required money and were therefore controlled by investors.  Printing presses were expensive, which blocked the gate to expression to anyone without money.  Except in times of revolution the media in Asia has tended to serve the well-off and sideline or misrepresent the poor.

Still, thanks to the IT revolution it is now possible to communicate with large audiences at little cost.  In this situation there is a real avenue for taking issues from private to public, regardless of the class or caste of the individual.

Practical action

The AHRC Urgent Appeals system was created to give a voice to those affected by human rights violations, and by doing so, to create a network of support and open avenues for action.  If X’s freedom of expression is denied, if Y is tortured by someone in power or if Z finds his or her labour rights abused, the incident can be swiftly and effectively broadcast and dealt with. The resulting solidarity can lead to action, resolution and change. And as more people understand their rights and follow suit, as the human rights consciousness grows, change happens faster. The Internet has become one of the human rights community’s most powerful tools.   

At the core of the Urgent Appeals Program is the recording of human rights violations at a grass roots level with objectivity, sympathy and competence. Our information is firstly gathered on the ground, close to the victim of the violation, and is then broadcast by a team of advocates, who can apply decades of experience in the field and a working knowledge of the international human rights arena. The flow of information – due to domestic restrictions – often goes from the source and out to the international community via our program, which then builds a pressure for action that steadily makes its way back to the source through his or her own government.   However these cases in bulk create a narrative – and this is most important aspect of our program. As noted by Sri Lankan human rights lawyer and director of the Asian Human Rights Commission, Basil Fernando:

"The urgent appeal introduces narrative as the driving force for social change. This idea was well expressed in the film Amistad, regarding the issue of slavery. The old man in the film, former president and lawyer, states that to resolve this historical problem it is very essential to know the narrative of the people. It was on this basis that a court case is conducted later. The AHRC establishes the narrative of human rights violations through the urgent appeals. If the narrative is right, the organisation will be doing all right."

Patterns start to emerge as violations are documented across the continent, allowing us to take a more authoritative, systemic response, and to pinpoint the systems within each country that are breaking down. This way we are able to discover and explain why and how violations take place, and how they can most effectively be addressed. On this path, larger audiences have opened up to us and become involved: international NGOs and think tanks, national human rights commissions and United Nations bodies.  The program and its coordinators have become a well-used tool for the international media and for human rights education programs. All this helps pave the way for radical reforms to improve, protect and to promote human rights in the region.