Families of ‘Bloody Sunday’ massacre victims seek UN help

MANILA, Philippines — The families of three activists who were among those killed in what is called the “Bloody Sunday” raids in Calabarzon in 2021 have filed a complaint before the United Nations Human Rights Committee (UNHRC) on Friday.

Petitioners Emmanuel Asuncion, Ana Mariz Lemita-Evangelista and Ariel Evangelista want to hold accountable former president Rodrigo Duterte and several police officials for the death of their loved ones on March 7, 2021.

Josalee Denila, National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL) secretary general, said the three families went to the UNHRC after the Philippine government did not act on their grievances.

“Domestic remedies have been exhausted not because we have not tried, but because there has been no commitment from this government to address these murders,” Denila said in a statement.

The raids occurred during the tenure of former Philippine National Police chief Gen. Debold Sinas.

In their complaints, they pointed out how the police, under the guise of lawful operations, invoked the “nanlaban” narrative to violate human rights and kill suspected communist rebels.

“Police falsely labeled the victims as members of communist terrorist groups and claimed that they fought back or resisted arrest after the search of their homes and offices allegedly yielded firearms, ammunition and explosive,” the NUPL said in a statement.