The woeful state of human rights in the country has been highlighted yet again by the gruesome death of Rebelyn Pitao.
Of course, we are being told that President Arroyo herself has ordered authorities to get to the bottom of the incident.
The stark reality is there is widespread suspicion again that government security forces were behind Rebelyn’s death.
Her killers are still on the loose somewhere and cannot but heighten the climate of fear in Carmen, Davao Del Norte.
Just recently the US Statement described the severity of the situation involving Philippine state security elements thus:
Arbitrary or Unlawful Deprivation of Life
Security forces and antigovernment insurgents committed a number of arbitrary and unlawful killings. The Commission on Human Rights (CHR), an independent government agency, investigated 173 new complaints of killings that occurred during the year; 67 of these cases were classified as politically motivated. The CHR suspected personnel from the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in a number of the killings of leftist activists operating in rural areas. Allegations of summary executions by government security forces were referred to the nongovernmental organization (NGO) Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP). The TFDP was unable to investigate all of these allegations, but it alleged the summary execution of four individuals by government forces. Through year’s end, the PNP Task Force Usig recorded 146 cases of killings since 2001, six of which occurred during the year; 90 cases were filed in court, with one conviction during the year. At least one human rights organization, Karapatan, claimed that there have been more than 900 killings since 2001, with both state actors and non-state actors as suspects. It recorded 69 victims of killings during the year.
In April UN Special Rapporteur Philip Alston issued a report based on his February 2007 mission. Among other findings, the report noted that the government’s counterinsurgency strategy presumed some civil society groups had ties to the CPP or the NPA and led security forces to treat leftist leaders and community organizers as legitimate targets.
http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2008/eap/119054.htm
We are supposed to be living in a democracy with the Bill of Rights a cornerstone of the Republic.
But what has just happened to 20-year-old Rebelyn Pitao tells us otherwise.
Popularity: 2% [?]
I pray that what has happened will not be prelude to a “dirty war” akin to what has happned in some Latin American countries.
I remember seeing documentary wherein security forces killed with impunity non-combatants.
The said thing their adversaries also did the same. So a vicious cycle.
A daughter of rebel leader brutally raped and killed.
Who will be next, a son or mother of Army officer? If not in Davao, in Metro Manila.
This must be stopped. Its scary.
I join you in your prayer, palayain.
But sadly more than prayers we do need.
That suspected uniformed murderers and death squads roam our streets is a sad testimony that the rule of law has become much depreciated in Philippine society.
We must demand that the government of the day take decisive punitive actions against the purveyors of vigilante justice.
I’m sorry for her tragic fate, but remember the little girl last year who supposedly committed suicide because of poverty? For about two weeks the story grew and grew, with news and op/eds wailing about how poverty causes suicide. Then it turned out she was probably raped by someone she knew. all the commentary disappeared since that is less sexy than poverty-causes-death.
Just because this person was the daughter of an NPA commander does not mean the govt is responsible for what happened. What would their motive be for doing this to her at this particular moment? Has Kumander Pitao been active lately? Maybe laying remote controlled land mines? Kidnapping policemen? Extorting businesses and farmers? Assassination, drug and arms smuggling?
How sure are you that the govt is to blame?
I vehemently condemn the perpetrator/s of this criminal act, but pointing fingers until a clear proof is established is a bit premature.
This tragic incident is a game changer. The perpetuators are excepting a backlash to continue their cause. Sad indeed.
Remember Alsa Masa?
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE2D91631F937A35757C0A961948260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all
Hey, hey no one is blaming one here.
I, for, just condemened the act and warn of scary escalation.
Ding G, on the other hand, pointed only to the responsibility here of the government in maintaining order and punsihing the perpetrators .
As to the point that she might be killed by other than those who are the primary suspects,
OK your point is taken.
But from now on, everytime sombody was raped and killed, WILL YOU PLEASE USE THAT KINDA STRECTHED ARGUMENT.
That perhaps the main suspect is not really the one. Or others have also motives. Or that she was not really killed. She committed suicide. Or that she was not raped.
C’mon guys.The most decent thing to do is to find ways to stop this uncivilized act of “war”.
Pls dont muddle the issue.
(Even wars are governned by the Geneva Convention. There were atrocities, yes, but the point is that they are not sanctioned.)
With a dirty war a-brewing, I would like to know what Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and her subalterns think about the historical legal precedent last week that a sitting head of state can be indicted on war crimes charges and an arrest warrant can be served.
What do you think?
i have to be with you on this one, djb. it seems ding is on his usual speculative mood again, hoping to hoodwink other gullible minds against his favorite “bogeyman” – the government.
no amount of quoting “u.s. statement” on human rights makes this haka-haka anymore credible.
The need is for sobriety to prevail in times such as these. It may be that the seeming usual suspect in the eyes of the progressives, the left-wingers, is government.
Can you blame them given the track record of the other side.
Are we sure?
Certainly not.
But we must, and deserve, to be disabused of suck dark, unfair suspicions, suspicions which can exactly be played upon by extremists on either side of the political spectrum.
Remember the 1986 murder of labor leader Rolando Olalia?
http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,962934,00.html
Atty. Ben,
In your book, I am your usual suspect and favored punching bag.
You feel justified?
Be my guest.
But remove your blinders and read my post clearly.
If anyone cares to:
http://www.kilusangmayouno.org/workers-remember-ka-lando-olalia-and-ka-leonor-alay-ay-victims-state-sponsored-murder
let’s get to the bottom of the case. whether they be miliitary personnel and other lawless persons were behind this gruesome rape/slay, these perpetrators must be brought to justice. i can fully sympathize with Ding G’s desperation that there are lots of gruesome crimes that go unpunished and let alone solve in our country.
I’ll yell you guys what saddens more than angers me.
That there are those in their comfort zones who can so blithely dismiss, even deride posts such as this above.
I could as easily not take the issue up.
But I cannot turn a blind eye.
Never have, never will.
We can pompously debate, nay, intellectualize about such issues like Smith and the Filipina he raped.
But pleeeze.
We are saddened by the horrible murder and rape
of the victim. If her father is an NPA operative.
You can be sure this happened to smoke him out
of his hiding.
This will always happen in such political
condition…
Mr. Kulog,
Would you rape then brutally kill your enemy’s young daughter just to smoke him out? Ang tigas naman ng puso mo.
ding @ 12:30am, sorry, i didn’t mean to make you feel i’m treating you like a “punching bag”. i have high respect for your opinions and value your very informative reporting. it’s just that any unwarranted conclusion (without factual basis) one way or the other, doesn’t sit well with me. i realize you have no love, nor respect, for gma’s presidency but i believe it would benefit you more, professionally, if you keep your prejudice to a minimum, and not let emotion cloud your thinking too much.
One needs to understand: Elements in the military have gone down the path of no-return. This is not the doings of men of training and discipline. Even the mafia won’t do this.
We must understand the situation: how can we trust a military who would stoop to so cowardly an act.
Indeed, we may have to disabuse our minds as to even think straightjacket that if an immediate family member of a known NPA leader is killed, that necessarily it is government troops who did it.
Truly, a lot of other possible perpetuators may have done it and the first step is to in fact spare or exclude the government from the suspicion until clearer proof or evidence is at hand.
Maybe, this particular incident does not have to subsume itself to the US
, may I continue..
report that carries the statistics largely sourced from the CHR itself by the chair’s own admission.
Well then, it is also not theoretically sweeping for anyone to speak of a possible collateral damage in the context of an anti-insurgency war that may be overzealously being launched by the military who wants to perhaps receive promotion or reward.
We must trust our AFP as with more reason we must try the PNP. Through out more than chronic exposure in mainstream media on how they handle situations – be them the PNP, the CIDG, the NBI or other (un)intelligent authorities – we have no reason to even connect the dots.
Fair. So that is the case and it is time to trust the government. It is time.
“i believe it would benefit you more, professionally, if you keep your prejudice to a minimum, and not let emotion cloud your thinking too much.”
This is not about me but about the circumstances surrounding the incident.
That’s over there in Davao del Norte.
Here in Metro Manila where I live we breath a little easier though almost every single God-given day summary executions take place.
My position is no less intense and I castigate myself for failing to write a wrap-up on the incidents.
But unless circumstances warrant, I won’t finger the uniformed services, but hey, have you grown so unfeeling about what befalls your compatriots??? (*assuming we still are)
I hope they do capture Rebelyn’s killers and if they turn out to be say drug-crazed thrill seekers or kanto boys you will hear from me too.
And you conveniently ignore how how nuanced my opening report. out of spite and YOUR own prejudice as you jump at yet another chance to defend the Mafia in the guise of your pointing out legalities.
kp sir,
I pay my taxes as I am sure you do. There is nothing more, nothing easier to do than to trust government, but let me make a distinct between the public trust’ institution and the ‘government of the day’ which has failed abyssmally to depoliticize and engender professionalism i key offices.
Why do you think the Ombudsman is in the dock?
And may be you can also review the trust ratings of various public offfices.
Ding,
I’m not better than an Orwell but please don’t miss my point.
For one who knows how Marines operate in the war front, that case is part and parcel of “psywar’ or ‘collateral damage”.
Let us not mind the people in here who push us to the zone of legal goobledygook as though they are spiders when flies fly over their webs.
And what did the cigarette vendor say of the incident or words to that effect – “we are not idiots if this was not done by the military against the NPA leader’s daughter”.
I fully embrace that view.
Be assured, Manong, we are on the whole, on the same page on this issue. :)
Your end line is a keeper, btw.
Ding and KP,
I beg to disagree that the military was responsible.
Let us not discount the possibility that the rape and murder of Rebelyn was perpetuated by rightist vigelante group(s) ala Alsa Masa.
I would like to believe that we still have professional officers and soldiers.
kp, apparently, you and the cigarette vendor are two of a kind. neither of you validates each other.
Phil Manila,
Go back to the start of the thread, if you please:
http://filipinovoices.com/the-rape-and-murder-of-rebelyn-pitao-20
The gruesome murder of this innocent young lady is an atrocity. I think that there can be no disagreement on that.
As to the party or parties responsible, there can be disagreement until we all see the results of an investigation or investigations, whether by the government or any other responsible party.
However, the government has the primary duty to conduct a thorough investigation into this terrible incident, while civil society is fully empowered both by law and public support to ensure that it does. If enough of the citizens of Davao are as outraged by this atrocity as seems to be the case, perhaps this time there will be results.
The professional military and police have nothing to gain from kidnapping, torturing, raping and openly dumping the body of a New People’s Army Commander. Maybe rightist vigilante groups did this, or a rival NPA commander, or a drug crazed sex gang, or maybe it was the cigarette vendor. Whoever did it should be brought to justice, even if it is the military.
But there is again a violation of Journalistic ethics in the way the story is being reported. Definite bias shows and is but another example of why legislators are wanting to tighten up on a COMMERCIAL industry that is apparently unable to police itself as it sanctimoniously advertises.
But now it is the Press that is violating Press Freedom. That is possible you know. Just because it is called Press Freedom does not mean the Press is Free to do whatever the hell it wants to. No sir!
What is this? Another case of hearsay/speculative tabloid reporting?
And what’s up with these images? Have a bit of respect for the privacy of the deceased and her relatives, Ding.
Just because splashing pictures of dead bodies over primetime television and G-rated newspapers is a “normal” standard of conduct in Pinoy news “reporting” does not mean it is right.
“The professional military and police have nothing to gain from kidnapping, torturing, raping and openly dumping the body of a New People’s Army Commander.”
The operative word in your observation is “professional.”
To remind everyone in the still unsolvced Olalia murder, the lingering belief is that RAM elements were behind the stunt to drive a wedge between Cory and the leftists.
I realize how enamored you are with journalistic ethics, do believe you are not alone and your virtuous advocacy.
“Tabloid reporting”?
C’mon Benigs, you are more ‘brilliant’ than that.
Address the issue, the injustice committed.
And as I’ve said before, magsumbong ka.
Do you know how the MSM have been handling the story?
Come home from your cubby hole.
Ding: Kausapin mo naman si Press Secretary Serge Remonde para mag-isip-isip naman siya.
upn,
Knowing Cerge, though it’s been a long, long while since we spoke (the last time being at a lunch of the Plaridel group when he was still at PMS)I’m a bit certain they want a proper resolution of this and other concerns in the public mind.
As far as I can tell this is pure propaganda put out by the CPP NPA cell inside PDI. That front page picture of “Commander Parago Pitao” with a bandolero of grenades and smoking a cigarette is captioned “Hurting Pa.”
How many sons and daughters of other parents has this paragon of fatherhood killed himself one wonders.
That is the kind of comment I can only expect from a bencard.
If that makes you happy, go for it.
I know you’re not going to miss that which you said – it was leading.
Your take on there being a “CPP NPA cell inside PDI.” is quiet a mouthful, DJB.
Care to elaborate?
djb,
Can you reconstruct the story in such a way that it does not violate journalistic ethics and it would appear as instantly validated report?
Just say if you can’t do that.
Also, why do you come like you have an axe to grind against PDI, ABS-CBN, et cetera?
Are you not okay?
unsolved miseries in the Philippines are also common among countries managed by incompetent officials. Just like a home, when the head of the family cannot provide security and assurance to his home, the home can fall part and the children are the victims.
Human rights abuse is an issue of security. who is then responsible on managing peace and security to protect human rights? Basic Management Safety strategies are the responsibility of the head of the PNP with one common goal and vision: to protect, secure and promote peace.
The result of such governance and tactics are : terror and horror. In addition, the justice system of this country is as bad as the PNP. Even if we assume that PNP turns over a suspect, the justice court may not be able to prosecute. Even worst, once a suspect is convicted, this country has no means of rehabilitating. The cycle will continue because officialdom cannot coordinate and work as a team. Majority are not used to this kind of strategy in PRACTICE and yet they are proud to say : Isang banasa isang diwa. huh?
leytenean, enough of this “management” thingy. no government can prevent crime. there are people out there who would rob, rape, murder, and annihilate the innocents no matter what the government does or doesn’t do. it can only re-act. if a criminal shoots someone randomly with a cop nearby, what could the cop do? probably just arrest the suspect, or kill him if he resist. what management? if some crazed terrorist blew himself up in a crowded street, you think your “basic management safety” (sic) would have prevented it?
My thoughts to go to the Pitao Family.
Why is there rape?
Guys.. whats between a girls legs?
Is it PUSSY or politics?
Appologies to all for the vulgarity. Its so sickening.. the rape and the politics of a murder rape case not just this one, but others that were foot notes on a tabloid years ago. That’s it.. am out of here.
collateral damage? one dreams of honorable combatants where children and women are spared.
but at this stage all claims that this was related to her father being an NPA chieftain is a mere guesswork…
or was this a tit for tat?… but whether NPA or military, the purposeful targetting of non-combatants to make a statement, political or canard, is one cowardly and dastardly act.
but speaks more of the moral morass we are in. one wonders whether we can consider ourselves civilized.
Murdering and abusing innocent 20 year old women is sick and inhumane.
I pass on my condolences to Leoncio Pitao and his family for their great loss.
I hope that he knows that there are many decent people Worldwide who are saddened by his loss.
The people responsible are sick and evil; they must be cought, tried and (if guilty) executed.
bencard,
your comment confirm your inexperience in management. When citizens view the Philippine National Police and the Justice Courts as corrupt, people will not want to use their services, regardless of their objective. These entities have created fear and lower the people’s confidence.
Similarly, private entities and corporations in our country will pay less taxes because they can believe that their taxes paid will be wasted and will not be put to good use thus will not re-invest their profits here but outside the country.
The lack of budget and training affects the security of our country. Human rights activists, left-wing political activists, and Muslims were sometimes the victims of improper police conduct. Violence against women and abuse of children remained serious problems, and some children were pressed into slave labor and prostitution.
Prevention: A tougher approaches to bringing corrupt officials to justice and EFFORTS to end selectivity in investigations and prosecutions.
Strategy: Simple basic management solution is to reform civil service to attract capable, responsible people who can understand and enforce the laws. The same basic management concept can be done within the PNP organization- to attract the right individual police force who can enforce the law instead of learning how to rape and how to hide from the law.
People and government employees can be trained. To me, it’s Management…
leytenean, …, oh well, nevermind.
The professional military and police have nothing to gain from kidnapping, torturing, raping and openly dumping the body of a New People’s Army Commander. – DJB
it’s not an NPA commander that was raped and murdered DJB, it’s his daughter.
We are with utmost sympathy with the victim’s
family. But, as we had said. War is war. Both
sides will commit atrocities to each other.
See what is happening in Iraq. Beheadings,
kidnappings, suicide bombings, etc…even on
daylight times.
We pray that peace will come to our country that
we will Blog instead of fight each other.
everybody has a point. Let us go to the base. The killing or murder or rape-slay of Rebelyn needs no further proof as to who ORDERED given the chauvinist military and political business in this country. There will always be justice in whatsoever forms in the right time and place.