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UPDATE (Philippines): Another priest wounded in latest attacks on human rights activist in Visayas

August 24, 2005

UPDATE ON URGENT APPEAL UPDATE ON URGENT APPEAL UPDATE ON URGENT APPEAL

ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION - URGENT APPEALS PROGRAM

Update on Urgent Appeal

25 August 2005

[RE: UA-34-2005: Killing of a labor rights activist for the Hacienda Luisita farm workers in Tarlac City; UA-30-2005: Attempt on the life of human rights advocate and his wife in Abuyog, Leyte, Philippines; UP-59-2005: Another human rights activist killed in Visayas; UP-61-2005: Wounded victim in activist shooting dies]
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UP-101-2005: PHILIPPINES: Another priest wounded in latest attacks on human rights activist in Visayas

PHILIPPINES: Human rights defender; Rule of law
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Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information from the Promotion of Church People's Response (PCPR) regarding another incident of an attempt on the life of a priest in Palawan, Visayas on 20 August 2005. The victim, Rev. Raul Domingo, suffered four gunshot wounds. Domingo is a pastor for the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) and leader of a human rights group in Karapatan.

The attempt on Rev. Domingo's life is yet another instance of attacks against human rights activists in the Philippines. The AHRC has previously reported incidents of attempts on the lives and extra-judicial killings of church leaders. This includes the attempt on the lives of Fr. Allan Caparro and his wife Aileen (UA-30-2005), and the killing of Rev. Edison Lapuz (UP-59-2005) and Fr. William Tadena (UA-34-2005).

Although the Philippine government has assured it will investigate and prosecute perpetrators of these incidents, the unabated attacks suggest that it has not done enough to prevent further violence against activists from occurring. The attack on Rev. Domingo was reportedly intended to silence him from exposing and opposing abuses by the military, and criticizing the presence of mining companies and projects affecting poor peasants and minorities in the area.

We request your intervention to ask the Philippine government, in particular the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to investigate the case of Rev. Domingo. It must also closely coordinate with concerned government agencies in identifying, arresting and prosecuting the perpetrators. Also, please ask for an immediate provision of medical assistance and protection for Rev. Domingo.

Further, please also ask the Philippine government to take appropriate actions in accordance with the Universal Declaration on Human Rights Defenders as adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations (UN). Any actions to address issues of security and protection of activist must be in accordance with the declaration.

Urgent Appeals Desk
Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)
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DETAILED INFORMATION:

Name of the victim: Rev. Raul Domingo (35), a pastor for the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) and leader of human rights group Karapatan
Date and place of incident: 20 August 2005, at around 12:30 pm. in Barangay San Jose, Puerto Prinsesa City, Palawan, Visayas
Alleged perpetrators: Two unidentified gunmen

Account of the incident:

On 20 August 2005 at around 12:30pm, Rev. Raul Domingo was alighting from a passenger jeep on his way home when shot by one of the two armed men riding on a motorcycle in Barangay San Jose, Puerto Prinsesa City, Palawan, Visayas. The suspect immediately fled from the scene of incident. Domingo suffered four gunshot wounds to his back and was rushed to a nearby Seventh Day Adventist Hospital. He is now in a stable condition.

Rev. Domingo, a father of five children, is presently the key minister of the Palawan Associate Conference of the UCCP. It was believed that the attempt on his life is meant to silence him from exposing and opposing abuses committed by the military, and criticizing the presence of mining companies and other projects in Palawan that are affecting the poor peasants and minorities in the province.

Rev. Domingo was the former Deputy Conference Minister of the Palawan Associate Conference (PAC-UCCP).  He is also part of the PAC-CWO (Church Workers Organization) at Christian Witness and Service (CWS) program of the UCCP in Palawan.

The attack on Rev. Domingo happened just after an International Solidarity Mission (ISM), a fact-finding mission and people's tribunal investigating the cases of human rights violation in the country concluded its mission. This is yet another instance of the unabated attacks carried out on church leaders and human rights activists. Among these are the attempt on the life of Fr. Allan Caparro and his wife Aileen, and the killing of Rev. Edison Lapuz and Fr. William Tadena.

The leaders of the UCCP – Southern Luzon Jurisdiction Area (SLJA) headed by Bishop Eliezer Pascua has condemned the attack on Rev. Domingo. Pascue saying that what happened to Rev. Domingo has similar patterns to the brutal killing of Rev. Edison Lapuz and other church leaders who were also killed.

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Suggested letter:


Dear ________,

Re: PHILIPPINES: Another priest wounded in latest attacks on human rights activist

Name of the victim: Rev. Raul Domingo (35), a pastor for the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) and leader of human rights group Karapatan
Date and place of incident: 20 August 2005, at around 12:30 pm. in Barangay San Jose, Puerto Prinsesa City, Palawan, Visayas
Alleged perpetrators: Two unidentified gunmen 

I am writing to express my deep concern about the attempt on the life of Rev. Raul Domingo of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) on 20 August 2005 in Barangay San Jose, Puerto Prinsesa City, Visayas. One of the two suspects shot him in his back four times. I am aware that this is the latest in a string of attacks against church leaders and human rights activist in the Philippines.

I have learnt that Rev. Domingo has been critical of abuses by the military in the area and the presence of mining companies and the projects affecting peasants and minorities. It is believed that the attempt on his life could have been intended to silence him of his criticism.

Early this year in Visayas, Fr. Allan Caparo and his wife Aileen, survived a slay attempt in Leyte. Like Rev. Domingo, Fr. Caparro is also critical of the alleged military abuses and the presence of multi-national companies whose operations are reportedly endangering poor villagers. The attackers of Fr. Caparro and his wife Aileen have not been identified as far as I am aware.

Although there is no direct evidence so far to point to the involvement of government forces on the latest attacks against Rev. Domingo, I nevertheless urge your office to take appropriate action on this case. Action must be taken to identify, arrest and prosecute the perpetrators. I further ask your office to provide medical assistance, support and protection to the victim.

Further, I urge the Philippine government to adhere to the provision of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights Defenders as adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations (UN) and the provision for the protection of citizens as stipulated in the Bill of Rights of the 1987 Philippine Constitution.

I trust that you will take action into this case.


Yours sincerely,

________________

SEND COPIES TO:

1. Hon. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
President, Republic of the Philippines
Malacanang Palace
J.P. Laurel St., San Miguel, Manila
NCR 1005
PHILIPPINES
Fax: +632 2929 3968
Email: pgma@compass.com.ph or opnet@ops.gov.ph

2. Commissioner Purificacion Quisumbing
Commission on Human Rights
SAAC Bldg., Commonwealth Avenue
U.P. Complex, Diliman, Quezon City
PHILIPPINES
Tel. No. +63 2 928-5655/926-6188
Fax: +63 2 929-0102
Email: drpvq@chr.gov.ph

3. Secretary Avelino J. Cruz Jr.
Department of National Defense
Room 301 DND Bldg.,
Camp Emilio Aguinaldo
E. de los Santos Avenue, Quezon City
PHILIPPINES
Fax: +63 2911 6213
Email: osnd@philonline.com

4. P/DIR Gen. Arturo Lumibao
Chief, Philippine National Police (PNP)
Camp Crame, Quezon City
PHILIPPINES
Tel: +63 2726 4361/4366/8763
Fax: +63 2724 8763

5. Mr. Paquito Nacino
Regional Director
Commission on Human Rights (CHR VIII)
3rd Floor, R. Yu Salazar Annex Bldg.
Salazar Street, Tacloban City
PHILIPPINES
Telefax: +63 053 321 3396

PLEASE SEND COPIES TO:

1. Ms. Hina Jilani
Special Representative of the Secretary General for human rights defenders
Att: Ben Majekodunmi
Room 1-040, c/o OHCHR-UNOG
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Tel: +41 22 917 93 88
Fax: +41 22 917 9006
E-mail: bmajekodunmi@ohchr.org 

2. Mr. Philip Alston
Special Rapporteur on Extra-judicial, Summary, or Arbitrary Executions
Atten: Lydie Ventre
Room 3-016, c/o OHCHR-UNOG
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Tel: +41 22 917 9155
Fax: +41 22 917 9006 (general)
E-mail: urgent-action@ohchr.org

Thank you.

Urgent Appeals Desk
AHRC Urgent Appeals Programme

Document Type :
Urgent Appeal Update
Document ID :
UP-101-2005
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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.