CPP/NDF-Negros Island: NDF-Negros condemns the murder of Sancelan couple and the intensification of human rights abuses in Central Negros

Propaganda statement posted to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Website (Dec 17, 2020): NDF-Negros condemns the murder of Sancelan couple and the intensification of human rights abuses in Central Negros

BAYANI OBRERO

SPOKESPERSON

NDF-NEGROS ISLAND

NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC FRONT OF THE PHILIPPINES

DECEMBER 17, 2020

National Democratic Front – Negros emphatically condemns the continuing human rights violations in Central Negros.

The latest crime of the bloodthirsty butchers of the fascist regime is Dr. Mary Rose Sancelan and her husband Edwin Sancelan. Dr. Mary Rose Sancelan is the incident commander of the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases of Guihulngan City. Before they were brutally murdered on the night of December 15, Dr. Sancelan was red-tagged and was included in an anti-communist hit list issued by Kawsa Guihulngan Batok Komunista (Kagubak). She was mistakenly accused as Ka JB Regalado, the spokesperson of Leonardo Panaligan Command New People’s Army – Central Negros.

The brazen killing of the Sancelan couple demonstrates the danger of red-tagging. At least two others in the list, Atty. Anthony Trinidad and Heidie Malalay Flores, have been killed with impunity in the past years. The fascist dogs are so emboldened to kill even at a time when the whole nation is gripped by the pandemic. The murder of a medical frontliner deprives the people of Guihulngan with the much needed health services amid the pandemic.

Around the same time and near the same area of the murder of the Sancelan couple, a 50-year old resident identified as Saeler “Israel” Alsong was also shot dead by unknown motorcycle-riding assailants. State terror continues to victimize the Filipino people in order to sow fear and silence dissent.

While death squads gets away with murder, peasant communities in the countryside are relentlessly harassed by operating troops of the 62nd IBPA.

The 2-week focus military operation of the 62nd IBPA left a trail of destruction to peasant communities in the hinterlands of Brgy. Budlasan, Canlaon City, Brgy. Trinidad, Guihulngan City in Negros Oriental and Brgy. Macagahay and Brgy Quinten Remo in Moises Padilla, Negros Occidental.

At least three cases of illegal search on their domicile, harassment and interrogation were reported in Brgy. Budlasan, Canlaon City, Negros Oriental. Another four residents of the same barangay were beaten up by operating troops. In Brgy. Quinten Remo, Moises Padilla, Negros Occidental, operating troops forcibly entered homes, took pictures, forced residents to surrender and threatened them.

The military also occupied schools in Sitio Cambairan, Brgy. Trinidad, Guihulngan City and Sityo Tabalogo, Brgy. Budlasan, Canlaon City in Negros Oriental and a church in Sityo Tubod, Brgy. Macagahay, Moises Padilla in Negros Occidental. This is a clear violation of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Respect of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL).

On December 13, elements of the 62nd IBPA called residents from Brgy. Budlasan, Canlaon and Brgy. Trinidad, Guihulngan for a meeting and presented them as surrenderees.

These are just some of the recent blatant attacks and human rights abuses in Central Negros. It is the fascist Duterte regime that tolerates and emboldens human rights abuses in his reign of terror.

We welcome the result of the preliminary examination of the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court which found reasonable basis to believe that crimes against humanity were being committed in the government’s murderous policies, from the sham war on drugs to the threats and killings of human rights defenders, journalists and government critics. The FIlipino people must look forward to the conclusion of the preliminary examination and the possibility of a investigation of human rights situation in the Philippines.

It is imperative that freedom-loving Filipino people unite and link arms in order to demand accountability for the heinous crimes against the people committed by Duterte and his bloodthirsty cohorts. We call on all Filipinos to continue our fight for justice against state-sponsored violence. Ultimately, it is only through the victory of the national democratic revolution can justice be attained. ###

https://cpp.ph/statements/ndf-negros-condemns-the-murder-of-sancelan-couple-and-the-intensification-of-human-rights-abuses-in-central-negros/