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URGENT APPEAL - THE OBSERVATORY

PHL 003 / 0710 / OBS 086

Assault / Threats
Philippines
July 16, 2010

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the
World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and the International Federation for Human
Rights (FIDH), requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in the Philippines.

Description of the situation:

The Observatory has been informed by the Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP)
of the assault against Father José Francisco Talaban, parish priest of Nuestra Señora de la
Salvación, and the threats against community leaders Edwin García, Pedro Calivara,
Alfonso Jan, Arnold Gamaro, Arnel Turzar, Marlon Angara, Jerry Fabro and Rachel
Pastores in Barangay1 Bianoan, municipality of Casiguran, Aurora Province.

According to the information received, on June 26, 2010 at around 2:20 am, a group of
unidentified armed individuals fired gun shots and threw grenades at the parish house while
Father José Francisco Talaban was sleeping. Fr. Francisco, shocked by the explosion,
immediately walked inside the bathroom to protect himself where he stayed for almost three
hours. At around 5:00 am, trusting that the group would have left, he went outside to see the
damages caused by the perpetrators. He reports countless bullet marks and shrapnel about
two meters from his own bed. Fr. Francisco also discovered three empty shells from an M16
rifle and three empty shells from an M14 rifle outside the parish gate. Within the church
compound, Fr. Francisco found three laminated pamphlets, supposedly issued by the
“Aniban ng Ayaw sa Komunista” - Anti-Communist Group - stating that he was evil,
communicating him that he was no longer welcome in the community, asking him to leave
and warning that his days were numbered. The pamphlet listed down the names of the
community leaders the signatory group were also targeting: Messrs. Edwin Garcia, Pedro
Calivara, Alfonso Jan, Arnold Gamaro, Arnel Turzar, Marlon Angara, Jerry Fabro, and Ms.
Rachel Pastores. According to a witness, a vehicle without a license plate was near the
church monitoring the incident. The local police went to the church hours later to conduct an
investigation and Fr. Francisco requested the assistance of the Commission on Human
Rights in the region for an investigation but they are yet to act on the matter. Fr. Francisco
and the community leaders listed in the pamphlets are actively advocating and assisting
sectors opposing the establishment of an economic zone in the Province2, particularly the
conversion and/or expansion of the Aurora Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) into
the Aurora Pacific Economic Zone (APECO)3. Fr. Francisco, with the support of the Catholic
Church had raised the local communities’ decision to oppose this conversion and/or
expansion to advocacy groups in Manila. According to them, the project will displaced
indigenous people, farmers, fishermen and their families, particularly those within the
municipality of Casiguran. They have also stressed that the local population have not been
consulted.

1
Barangay is the smallest administrative unit in the Philippines.
2
The economic zone will cover broad a range of zone types such as: Free Trade Zones, Export Processing Zones,
Industrial Estates, Free Ports, and Urban Enterprise Zones. It will entice foreign investors to set up shops in the
country by giving them perks such as exemption from certain taxes. Land could be expropriated to contractors of
the project thereby displacing farmers, fishermen and indigenous people in the region.
3
Former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo signed into a law Republic Act (RA) 9490 making Aurora province a
special economic zone. It was later amended into RA No. 10083 effective April 22, 2010 providing the expansion of
the actual size of the economic zone, including the municipality of Casiguran in Aurora, to 13,852 hectares from
the previous 480 hectares.
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The Observatory strongly condemns the attack against Mr. José Francisco Talaban and the
threats against Messrs. Edwin Garcia, Pedro Calivara, Alfonso Jan, Arnold Gamaro, Arnel
Turzar, Marlon Angara, Jerry Fabro and Ms. Rachel Pastores, which seem to be merely
aimed at silencing their work as human rights defenders.

Actions requested:

Please write to the Philippines authorities urging them to:

i. Guarantee in all circumstances the physical and psychological integrity of Mr.

José Francisco Talaban, Messrs. Edwin Garcia, Pedro Calivara, Alfonso Jan,
Arnold Gamaro, Arnel Turzar, Marlon Angara, Jerry Fabro, Ms. Rachel Pastores
and in general of all human right defenders in the Philippines;

ii. Order a thorough, impartial and transparent investigation into the above
mentioned facts in order to identify all those responsible, bring them before a civil
competent and impartial tribunal and apply to them the penal sanctions provided
by the law;

iii. Put an end to all acts of harassment against all human rights defenders in the
Philippines, and ensure in all circumstances that they be able to carry out their
work without unjustified hindrances;

iv. Conform in any circumstances with the provisions of the Declaration on Human
Rights Defenders, adopted on December 9, 1998 by the United Nations General
Assembly, in particular its article 1, which states that “everyone has the right,
individually or in association with others, to promote the protection and realization
of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international
levels”, and its article 12.2 which provides that “the State shall take all necessary
measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of everyone,
individually and in association with others, against any violence, threats,
retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other
arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights
referred to in the present Declaration”;

v. Guarantee the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance

with the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and other international human
rights instruments ratified by Philippines.

Addresses:

• His Excellency Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III, President, Malacanang Palace, JP

Laurel St., San Miguel, Manila, Philippines, Fax: +632 736 1010, Email:
corres@op.gov.ph /opnet@ops.gov.ph
• Hon. Leila De Lima, Secretary, Department of Justice (DOJ) Padre Faura, 1004
Manila, PHILIPPINES, Fax: +632 521 1614, Email: atty_delima@yahoo.com.ph
• Office of the Chairperson, Commission on Human Rights (CHR), SSAC Bldg.,
Commonwealth Avenue UP Complex, Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines, Fax: +632
929 0102
• Lieutenant General Ricardo A. David Jr., Chief of Staff, Armed Forces of the
Philippines (AFP), AFP-GHQ Offices, Camp Gen Emilio Aguinaldo , Quezon City,
Metro Manila, Philippines, Fax: +632 911 6436
• Director General Jesus A. Verzosa, Chief, Philippine National Police (PNP) Camp
General Rafael Crame, Quezon City, Philippines, Fax: +632 724 8763, Email:
bluetree73@gmail.com
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• Permanent Mission of the Philippines to the United Nations in Geneva, 47 Avenue

Blanc, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland, Fax: +41 22 716 19 32, Email:
mission.philippines@ties.itu.int
• Embassy of the Philippines in Brussels, 297 Avenue Moliere, 1050 Brussels,
Belgium, Tel: +32 2 340 33 77 / 2 340 33 78, Fax: +32 2 345 64 25.

Please also write to the diplomatic representations of Philippines in your respective

countries.

***
Geneva-Paris, July 16, 2010

Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.

The Observatory, a FIDH and OMCT venture, is dedicated to the protection of Human Rights
Defenders and aims to offer them concrete support in their time of need.

The Observatory was the winner of the 1998 Human Rights Prize of the French Republic.

To contact the Observatory, call the emergency line:

• Email: Appeals@fidh-omct.org
• Tel and fax OMCT: + 41 22 809 49 39 / 41 22 809 49 29
• Tel and fax FIDH: +33 (0) 1 43 55 25 18 / 01 43 55 18 80