Press Release January 27, 2020 Report: Investigate vigilante groups in Negros killings Members of anti-communist vigilante groups should be unmasked and be made accountable in the spate of killings in Negros Island, a report stated. Committee Report No. 33, prepared by the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, chaired by Sen. Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa, and the Committee on Justice and Human Rights of Sen. Richard Gordon, submitted the report last week urging colleagues to adopt its recommendations and their immediate implementation. The two committees made the recommendations after conducting a hearing on August 27, 2019, based on Senate Resolution Numbers 47 and 65 filed by Sens. Risa Hontiveros and Leila de Lima, respectively. The report was signed by 11 senators. CRN 33 recommended that members of anti-communist vigilante groups, such as "Kagubak," involved in the series of killings of alleged New People's Army should be unmasked and charged in court. The report also recommended that the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines should conduct internal investigation and gather evidence for possible filing of administrative and criminal liabilities against police and military personnel involved in the implementation of "Oplan Sauron" for possible human rights abuses and/or violations of law, if any. "To say that the period between October 2018 and July 2019 was bloody is a gross underestatement. In that eight-month period, a series of killings and attempted killings took place in both provinces. No one was spared - men, women and children suffered at the hands of lawless armed men," the report stated. It cited the killing of nine farmers in October, 20, 2018 by some 40 armed men in Barangay Bulanon, Sagay City; and the killing of human rights lawyer last November 6, 2018. In response, the Simultaneous Enhanced Managing of Police Operations (SEMPO), which involved the PNP and several battalions of the AFP, was launched on December 27, 2018. Its second version - Oplan Sauron - was also launched on March 30, 2019. The launching of these two police-military operations saw the further escalation of killings in the two provinces, the report stated. "During these simultaneous police operations, six persons were killed while 31 were arrested. Among those killed were habal-habal driver Reneboy Fat, Demetrio Fat, Jaime Revilla, Dondon Isugan, Jun Cubul of Guihuingan City, and Constancio Languita of Sta. Catalina town. The ones who were killed and many of those who were arrested were members of the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) and Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operators Nationwide (PISTON)," the report stated. The committees also recommended the following:
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Wednesday, March 27
Tuesday, March 26
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