Isabela woman activist leader, husband slain

Two left-leaning activists were killed on the same day as the Philippine government won a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council.

The victims’ colleagues quickly blamed the murders on the military’s attempts to muzzle anti-government groups, though military officials denied any involvement.

Two months after surviving an attempt on her life, Elena Mendiola of the party-list group Bayan Muna in Isabela fell victim to two masked men on a motorcycle who fatally shot her and her husband Ricardo Balauag as they were about to leave a village in Echague town around 9:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Mendiola, 54, and Balauag, 51, were regional coordinators of Bayan Muna in Cagayan Valley and Echague, respectively.

Mendiola was shot six times in the body while Balauag had two bullet wounds, according to Police Senior Inspector Dionisio Saet.

The couple were reportedly having a meeting inside a hut owned by a companion when they were attacked in Barangay Garit Sur in Echague. Other reports said they were having dinner at their home.

The Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan), another left-wing group, said it was holding the Arroyo administration directly responsible for the latest killings.

Mendiola and Balauag became the 90th and 91st members of Bayan Muna to be killed since 2001 when President Arroyo took office.

Bayan Muna national secretary Roberto de Castro noted that the deaths of Mendiola and Balauag bring to 13 the number of the party’s members killed this year.

"It is a tragic irony that these killings happened on the same day the Philippines got a seat in the UN (human rights) council," Bayan secretary general Renato Reyes Jr. said.

Reyes urged Philippine permanent representative to the UN Lauro Baja Jr. to "give up the UN seat immediately because of the country’s failure to solve its own human rights issues."

"Our government is in no position to investigate human rights issues of other countries when it cannot solve its own outstanding cases of human rights violations," Reyes said.

The Philippines secured on Wednesday a majority number of votes required to secure a seat on the UN’s top human rights body despite calls to reject the country’s candidacy.

"How can a country aspire for a seat in the UN Human Rights Council when its own human rights record is utterly shameful and tarnished? It is a grim reminder and a slap in the face of the Philippine government," Reyes noted.

Allegation and denial

Mendiola, a well-known anti-government figure in the province, escaped an ambush attempt in March by running for cover from unidentified assailants who fired shots at her three times in front of her house, police and her colleagues said.

In January, at the height of Bayan Muna’s calls to oust the President for allegedly rigging the 2001 election, Mendiola reported being tailed by suspected military agents.

Bayan Muna was also denounced as a communist front in streamers set up around Isabela by a shadowy, anti-communist group that activists believe could be a propaganda arm of the military, De Castro said.

"It’s only the military that has any intention to do this," he said of the killings. "Local political leaders know (Elena) very well, and she has no enemies among them."

The military, however, has denied having a hand in the murders.

Col. Hilario Atendido, commander of the area’s Army brigade, called the allegations "unfair" and lamented that it had become convenient for left-wing groups to automatically blame the military for any killings.

"I challenge them if they have evidence (to) bring their case to court," Armed Forces spokesman Maj. Gen. Jose Angel Honrado said.

Honrado said the military is willing to present in court any soldier suspected of taking part in the murders, but left-wing groups have not filed any cases in court.

De Castro meanwhile cited a Sept. 3, 2004 military memorandum called "Bantay Laya" entitled "Target Research on Sectoral Organizations" that focused on intelligence monitoring on left-leaning organizations.

This memo, he said, was composed of a three-month surveillance and another three-month plan towards "liquidation."

The "No. 2" item in the memo contained the following passage, according to De Castro: "You are hereby directed to adopt a distinct system of target research focusing namely on all sectoral organizations in your respective AOR (areas of responsibility) that are known fronts of the communist-terrorist movement and other groups with similar inclinations.

"Extreme caution, however should be observed as the objects and subjects of this undertaking are mostly legal organizations duly recognized not only by the local community or public at large, but also by the national government."

De Castro said the memo was signed by Gen. Tirso Ganga, then deputy chief of staff for intelligence of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Witnesses’ account

Echague police chief Superintendent Amorsolo Dela Cruz said Mendiola and Balauag were with five others, including one Rudy Corpuz, the reported owner of the hut, when gunfire broke out inside.

Investigation officer Senior Police Officer 4 Marcos Binoya said the couple died on the spot. He said their companions were left unhurt.

Recovered from the crime scene were eight empty bullet shells from M14 and M16 rifles, Binoya said.

According to witnesses, two men wearing ski masks and holding long firearms barged into the hut.

Another five unidentified and armed men, according to police, were reportedly seen nearby while two of their companions entered the hut.

On orders of Chief Superintendent Jefferson Soriano, Cagayan Valley police director, Dela Cruz said a multi-law enforcement agency task force has been created to investigate the murders.

"They should be helping the PNP (in the investigations),"

Saying there was "no basis" to tag the military for the murders, Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesman Senior Superintendent Samuel Pagdilao Jr. asked militant groups to instead help them in solving the killings of their colleagues.

In the wake of the Isabela killings, the human rights group Karapatan Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights expressed outrage over the rise in political killings and disappearances.

Based on data gathered by the group during the first quarter of this year, 53 people have been victims of extra-judicial killings and 16 people had reportedly disappeared. — AP, AFP, Charlie Lagasaca, Lito Salatan, Artemio Dumlao, Katherine Adraneda, Cecille Suerte Felipe