Japan Group Releases Report on Killings in Philippines

Prior to the Killing

Mr. Lapa worked as a caretaker at Milagros Farm, a piggery farm located at Calumpang, Liliw, Laguna. He was the Union president of Milagros Farm Workers Union from 1977 until his Killing in 2001. He also served as the Bayan Muna Coordinator of District Three of Laguna Province covering San Pablo, Liliw, Nagcarlan area.

Prior to his death, he has been very actively involved in mobilizing and organizing farm workers. He was always organizing big rallies for organizations such as Kilusang Mayo Uno Labor Federation (KMU) or his Milagros Union. The purpose for these rallies was to increase salaries and gain better benefits for farm workers. The rallies were typically held on May 1st, International Labor Day or December 10th, Human Rights Day. Lapa worked with the workers on the farm to organize the rallies with the support of Bayan Muna.83

Circumstances of the Killing

In 2001 the military began to conduct surveillance on Lapa by discreetly following him to and from his work place. The first time it was noticed by Lapa, the military entered his home; and the second and third time it occurred, the military entered his place of work.

On October 25, 2001 at 11:30 a.m., before lunchtime, two CAFGU members entered their home and asked his wife Juanita (hereinafter, Mrs. Lapa) and son Jhopel if Lapa was there. The CAFGU, a paramilitary unit of the military was led by 204th Infantry Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division under Jovito Palparan

Since he was in the farm at the time and still on his way home from work to join his family for lunch, Mrs. Lapa and Jhopel said he was not there. Two CAFGU members said they will wait for Lapa outside. Mrs. Lapa saw three other members sitting inside a waiting car. Since Mrs. Lapa had known two of the men before the killing, she could identify them as Mike and Dennis. (She did not know their last names).

After a few minutes, Mr. Lapa, who had bought noodles in a nearby store, arrived. The men approached Mr. Lapa in front of the house and escorted him away from the house. Jhopel saw the two CAFGU members physically turned him away from their house by placing their arms on his shoulders and moving him in the opposite direction. After a few seconds, Jhopel witnessed his father was shot and killed by two CAFGUs in front of the water tank which is around 15-20 meter away from their house. Soon after a gunshot was fired, Mrs. Lapa saw the CAFGU members running away as she was going towards her husband. She found him dead on the ground. He was shot with a .45-caliber gun just below the left ear; there was a large exit wound on the right ear.

Investigation and Prosecution

Mrs. Lapa told HRN that,

“After the incident, we provided the police with information about the killing and the identity of the assailants. We even drew sketches of them. The Police were able to recognize the assailants as two CAFGUs, Mike and Dennis. But the Police had not captured them. They said that the assailants were in the custody of a military camp of Task Force BANAHAW, 204th Infantry Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division under Jovito Palparan.

The military rejected the police’s request to have the custody of the assailants”

To date, after more than five years passed, neither investigation nor prosecution has taken place. For security reasons, Mrs. Lapa has not made an official complaint with the public prosecutor. She said

“My son and myself saw the assailants’ faces. If we point them out, they will kill us.” While there is witness protection in the Philippines, they cannot trust the system. She had, however, filed the case before the Commission on Human Rights.

Case 12: Expedito and Manuela Abarillo84

Background Information:

【Victim】 Expedito Albarillo (male)

Councilor of Barangay Calsapa, San Teodoro

Secretary General of Bayan Muna Southern Tagalog

Manuela Albarillo (female, wife of Expedito)

A leader of a women’s association in San Teodoro

An active member of Bayan Muna.

【Incident】The couple was killed outside of their house in Sitio Ibuye, Calsapa,

San Teodoro, Oriental Mindoro about 5:30 a.m. on April 8, 2002.

【Perpetrators】The family identified Luitenant Dimapinto and other elements of 16th　Battalion of the AFP as perpetrators.

Prior to the Killings

Expedito and Manuela were Bayan Muna leaders and organizers. In 2001, the first time Bayan Muna joined the party-list elections, Bayan Muna got the largest vote in Southern Tagalog.