Kin of Negros ‘massacre’ victim hoping for justice

Leonora Avelino stands before the coffins of her husband, Ismael, and brother-in-law, Edgardo, who were slain by officers in a military-backed police operation in Canlaon City, Negros Oriental province, early on Saturday, March 30, 2019 (Contributed photo)

ILOILO CITY, Philippines — Cynthia Avelino will bury her father Ismael and uncle Edgardo Avelino on Monday morning at the Canlaon City Cemetery in Negros Oriental.

Ismael, 53, will be entombed on top of the tomb of their mother, Criscenciana, while Edgardo will be buried on top of the tomb of their brother-in-law, Joel Gallenero.

The city government gave their families P12,000 for each of their coffins.

Two days later, their remains will be subjected to an autopsy to determine and document why how they died.

But for Cynthia and her family, their will loves ones were mercilessly killed by police officer in a coordinated military-backed operation on March 30, purportedly to serve search warrants for unlicensed firearms on suspected members or supporters of the New People’s Army.

“We hope they will have justice,” Cynthia told the INQUIRER.

Several of the 14 farmers killed in the police operations were buried earlier in Canlaon City and the towns of Manjuyod and Santa Rita.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) and Malacanang have justified the operations and the deaths of 14 residents claiming they were killed after they fought against a team composed of the Regional Public Safety Battalion, the elite Special Action Force and soldiers.

The PNP last week relieved the provincial police director and the chiefs of police of the three local governments to pave for an investigation.

But Cynthia said this was not enough.

“They might just be transferred later on and they were not really the ones who led and primarily implemented the operations,” she said in Hiligaynon.

She maintained that her father and uncle were not rebels and were unarmed when armed men forcibly entered their adjacent houses and shot them dead.

A fact-finding team of human rights and other groups which interviewed the family and neighbors of those who died and 12 residents who were arrested is set to release its findings in a press conference in Cebu City on Monday.

“Our initial findings affirmed the pattern on how the victims were killed Tokyang-style,” said Reylan Vergara, national vice chair of the human rights group Karapatan.

“An overwhelming number of armed men whom the family members of the victims later knew as policemen forcibly entered their houses between 2 a.m. to 3 a.m. and ordered the family members out of the house leaving the victims inside. They were later shot dead but were brought out of the house and to the hospital after several hours,” Vergara said.

“Those involved in the operations wore bonnets and covered their nameplates which are clear violations of operational procedures,” he said.

He said the search warrants were also defective including those with erroneous or misspelled names which made the search illegal.

Aside from burying their dead, the family of those who died are dealing with the trauma of the killing of their loved ones.

Cynthia said a 16-year-old daughter of Edgardo has been having dreams on how her father was killed.

“She sometimes speaks to herself and keeps on telling us she has seen her father and uncle waving at her,” Cynthia said.

Relatives and neighbors have also been sleeping in a close cluster of houses due to fear.

“It’s crowded in the houses but we feel safer that way,” she said.

Manila Auxilliary Bishop Broderick Pabillio has joined the call of San Carlos Bishop Gerardo Alminaza for a swift and impartial investigation on the killings.

“The police claim that they were legitimate operations because they were armed with search warrants. Do they have to kill just because they have search warrants? The usual reason given is that they fought back, which in tokhang language is “nanlaban.” That is an old excuse which nobody now buys,” Pabillio said in a statement.

“Violence will not solve the peace and order problems of Negros if there is no justice. Guns are not the solution. The more violence is used, especially by police and military forces, the more the anger of the people will blaze up. The people ask for more equitable distribution of land and the resources of the island. Why can’t people see this? There will be no peace if there is no justice!” he said. /atm