Peasant leader’s daughter urges DOJ to junk ‘sham terrorist list’

The daughter of a peasant leader has called on the Department of Justice (DOJ) to junk its “sham terrorist list” after her father was tagged as “terrorists” in the proscription petition filed before the court.

Novinm Murillo, daughter of Norberto Murillo, said that her father was a human rights defender, being a member of Alyansa’t Lakas ng Mamamayang Demokratikong Pilipinas and Kusog san mga Biktima 1081.

”My father is a victim of an oppressive state that brands as terrorists those who fight for the rights of the people. We demand that Duterte’s sham terrorist list be junked,” Novinm said in a statement provided by human rights group Karapatan on Thursday.

“Many people have not heard of my father, Norberto Murillo. He is not a terrorist. He is a leader of small farmers in Leyte. A father to three children. He spent his life fighting alongside farmers. In the blink of an eye, he was branded a terrorist,” she lamented.

READ: Tag Joma, UN special rapporteur, etc. as ‘terrorists,’ gov’t impels Manila court

Novinm said that her father was detained at the Manila City Jail, along with activists she identified as Dario Tomada and Oscar Belleza who were also included in the DOJ “terror” list.

She said the three were charged with “trumped-up cases of multiple murder for the so-called mass graves in Hilongos, Leyte, purportedly discovered by the military in 1984.”

“I grew up seeing and knowing that my father worked alongside farmers, fisherfolk, drivers and the rest of ordinary people who are awakened from oppression and exploitation by those in power. My father may only be one of them, but greater are his principles and the life he chose to serve the people,” she added.

Novinm said that if the government defines terrorists as “Filipinos who fight for the rights of the people,” then “the Philippines is full of terrorists.”

“You may continue to imprison the political prisoners, torture and silence them, but their advocacy will never cease to exist. A man may be made to rot in jail, like my father, but his ideas and principles will last, as long the people need and aspire for change,” Novinm said.

“Who’s the terrorist now? We call on the people, to join us, and continue to fight for their rights and those who were silenced by the real terrorists,” she said. /je