8 opposition solons want House probe on ‘Bloody Sunday’ raids

MANILA, Philippines — Eight opposition lawmakers are urging the House of Representatives to condemn and investigate the killing of nine activists in simultaneous police operations in Southern Luzon—which has since been dubbed as “Bloody Sunday.”

House Resolution No. 1644 calls for the investigation of the incident in the lower chamber through the committee on human rights.

The resolution was filed by Bayan Muna Partylist Reps. Ferdinand Gaite, Carlos Zarate, and Eufemia Cullamat; Albay 1st District Rep. Edcel Lagman; Quezon City 6th District Rep. Jose Christopher Belmonte; Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Arlene Brosas; ACT Teachers Partylist Rep. France Castro; and Kabataan Partylist Rep. Sarah Jane Elago.

“The raids, arrests, and killings of activists in Southern Tagalog happened a day after the pronouncement of President Rodrigo Duterte for government forces to kill suspected rebels without regard for human rights, in a speech before the National Task Force-Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict in Northern Mindanao in Cagayan de Oro City,” the lawmakers said in the resolution.

“Left unchecked, the raids, arrests, and killings, being part of an ongoing crackdown against progressive organizations, is expected to continue and would worsen the already dire state of human rights in the country,” they added.

According to the lawmakers, initial information and testimonies of witnesses of the incident run contrary to and cast doubts on age authorities’ narrative of “nanlaban” or that the police officers acted in self-defense when they shot the victims.

They pointed out that “this is not the first simultaneous police operations for the implementation of search warrants that resulted in mass killings and mass arrests of activists and members of progressive organizations.”

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