‘Liquidation list’ includes some activists’ names – Karapatan

The name of Negros-based activist Zara Alvarez was included in the “liquidation list” recently sent to Karapatan through a text message. (Photo from the Facebook account of Cristina Palabay of Karapatan)

MANILA, Philippines — Human rights group Karapatan on Saturday said it was alarmed by a text message sent to its Southern Tagalog office and to the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) warning about a “liquidation” list with the names of some activists.

Karapatan made a series of tweets, one of them showing a screenshot of a text that included the name of activist Zara Alvarez, who was shot dead in Bacolod, Negros Occidental last Aug. 18.

URGENT ALERT: This evening, a person using the cellphone/mobile number +639636172043 sent the following message to Karapatan – Southern Tagalog and the National Union of People's Lawyers. pic.twitter.com/EjK56SANtS

— Karapatan (@karapatan) August 22, 2020

“Karapatan considers these human rights defenders under extreme risk following the killing of Zara Alvarez and the numerous cases of extrajudicial killings in Negros,” read the tweet.

Also included in the list were Ernesto Longhinos, spokesman of Bayan-Negros; Clarizza Singson, Karapatan- Negros secretary-general; John Lozande, secretary-general of National Federation of Sugar Workers; Rey Alburo, spokesman of Karapatan Negros; and Filipe Jelle of the September 21 Movement in Negros.

“These killings are a handiwork of those who in the past have relentlessly vilified and threatened these individuals conducting human rights work and advocacy in Negros,” Karapatan said.

Last week, peasant leader and peace consultant Randall “Ka Randy” Echanis was stabbed to death inside his apartment in Novaliches, Quezon City.

A separate probe conducted by the Commission on Human Rights showed that Echanis was tortured before being killed by his assailants.

[atm]