Press Release
October 12, 2007

PIMENTEL ASKS PNP CHIEF TO SOLVE
CAMIGUIN EXTRA-JUDICIAL KILLINGS

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Q. Pimentel, Jr. (PDP-Laban) today urged newly-installed Philippine National Police Director General Avelino Razon, Jr. to take immediate action to address the rash of extra-judicial and unsolved killings in the province of Camiguin.

Pimentel said he received reports from Camiguin residents that death squads were roaming the streets of Camiguin and were responsible for the killing of one Luc-Luc Dayao, a suspected financier of a local illegal numbers name called Suertes.

"Razon has been directed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to stop the spate of extra-judicial killings in the country. I strongly suggested that he begin with Camiguin where people are reportedly being terrorized and shot down by death squads," Pimentel said.

"We owe it to the people of Camiguin that the police to stop the rash of killings in the province."

At the same time, the senator from Mindanao asked the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to look into the complaint of Romancito Paden, a Filipino-American who claimed that he was being hunted by death squads in the province.

Reports said Dayao's cold-blooded assassination in Mahinog, Camiguin Province last month came after two persons were killed allegedly by the same death squads. The victims were identified as Sammy Popera and Zaldy Quitat. Until today their cases were left unsolved.

Paden, who is engaged in private business in Camiguin Province, earlier sought the help of the American Embassy in Manila, saying his life was in danger.

In a letter to the United States Embassy in Manila on September 18, 2007, Paden said he is an American citizen and claimed that he and his family members were "hiding for our safety (because) a liquidation squad is hunting us."

Paden said he decided to seek the help of the US embassy after Dayao, his personal friend, became a victim of extra-judicial killing in Mahinog, Camiguin Province last month.

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