FRIENDS, family members and supporters of slain fair trade executive Romeo Capalla unveil a 10-foot concrete memorial sculpture at the fence of the office of Panay Fair Trade Center in Barangay Tagbak Sur in Oton, Iloilo province. The sculpture was unveiled in commemoration of the fifth month after his murder and after an international fact-finding and solidarity mission by fair trade organizations. NESTOR P. BURGOS JR./ INQUIRER VISAYAS
OTON, Iloilo—International fair trade organizations have decried the failure of Philippine authorities to arrest those behind the March 15 killing of Panay fair trade executive Romeo Capalla.
“I am not just frustrated. I am shocked. I am angry,” said Rudy Dalvai, global president of the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO), on the lack of progress in the case and the inability of police and local officials to pinpoint those behind the killings of Capalla and farmer Dionisio Garete.
The Netherlands-based WTFO is the global organization of more than 200 fair trade groups, including producers, marketers, exporters, importers, wholesalers and retailers.
“Romeo and Dionisio were killed by professional killers. Their assassinations had been planned in detail,” Dalvai said in a press conference after a four-day international fact-finding and solidarity mission.
He said the killings of Capalla and Garete were meant to sow fear in fair trade organizations, farmers and communities hosting muscovado mills.
“Who can afford to pay professional killers? There are big interests behind,” he said.
At least two gunmen repeatedly shot Capalla in front of the public market of Oton town in Iloilo province. He died from two gunshot wounds in the head.
Capalla, 65, was the chair of the board of directors of Panay Fair Trade Center (PFTC) and its general manager for more 12 years. He was also a younger brother of Davao Archbishop Emeritus Fernando Capalla.
An hour after Capalla’s killing, unidentified persons also burned a truck and other equipment of a muscovado sugar mill operated by the farmers’ organization Katilingban sang mga Mangunguma sa Dabong (Kamada), a partner organization of PFTC in Janiuay town in Iloilo.
PFTC helps produce and sell natural and organic products for local and international markets. It buys organic muscovado sugar and bananas at prices higher than in the mainstream market from farmers and exports these to fair trade organizations in Europe and Asia.
In May, armed persons shot dead Kamada member Garete in Barangay (village) Mangil in Janiuay.
Police on March 28 filed a murder complaint against Julie Cabino and four other unidentified persons but no arrests have been made. Investigators have also not determined the motive behind the killing.
But in a letter dated May 23 and in response to a query of a member of the German parliament, Maria Cleofe Natividad, Philippine Ambassador to Germany, cited a report of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and the Philippine National Police stating that Capalla was killed by the breakaway Revolutionary Proletarian Army-Alex Boncayao Brigade (RPA-ABB).
The killing was allegedly in “retaliation” to last year’s gunning down of RPA-ABB leader Demetrio Capilastique. The New People’s Army (NPA) has claimed responsibility for the killing of Capilastique.
The RPA-ABB broke away from the Communist Party of the Philippines and the NPA in the 1990s over ideological differences. On Dec. 26, 2000, it entered into an interim peace agreement and a cessation of hostilities with the government shortly before the ouster of President Joseph Estrada.
Capalla, a former political detainee, has been repeatedly tagged by the military as a top NPA commander in Panay but all cases against him have been dismissed for lack of evidence.
The allegations have also been dismissed by PFTC as he has been the center’s manager since the 1990s.
Dalvai said it was unacceptable that no arrests have been made even after one of the assailants had been identified and a murder complaint had been filed.
The Seoul-based iCOOP Korea also demanded justice for the killing of Capalla and Garete. “The [government officials] should take responsibility (in resolving the killings),” said Sumin Kim of iCOOP Korea.
“They seem to treat the killings as if these are normal already. This is unbelievable,” Kim said.
The mission participants conducted consultations with government officials including law enforcement agencies.
Dalvai said fair trade organizations worldwide would continue to hold protests and seek actions from the Philippine government to bring justice to the victims.