Japan Group Releases Report on Killings in Philippines

Since 2001, Mr. Expedito Albarillo served as a Councilor of Barangay Calsapan. He was elected as a Councilor with the third largest vote.

The couple was also active in opposing mining operations in Mindoro Oriental from 1994 to 1999. They opposed the mining operations because of the negative impact it had on the town. The cutting of trees and continuous blasting of the mountains created problems for the farms and destroyed the agricultural produce of the farmers in the town.

In 1995 there was a large disaster caused by flash flooding that destroyed their crops. The town blamed the mining operation for stripping the land which increased the chances of flooding. Prior to the start of mining operations, there were no disasters of this nature. In 2000, mining operations were temporarily stopped due to a petition from the community.

Harassment by the Military

Prior to their death, the military labeled the victims as local NPA and communists.85 In 2000, General Palparan was deployed to the area’s military camp. In the same year, Mayor Oscar Aldaba, a friend of Gen. Palparan, was killed. Expedito Abarillo was suspected as the assailant, arrested by the military and detained for nine months.

Two weeks prior to Albarillo’s death, the military frequently visited the couple’s home to encourage them to stop campaigning for Bayan Muna. The military belonged to the Philippine Army’s 16th Battalion reporting to the 204th Brigade under Gen. Jovito Palparan who was a Colonel at that time. The 16th Battalion is composed of many companies such as Alpha company or Charlie company. Lt. Dimapinto who led the 16th Infantry Battalion introduced himself to the Albarillos and encouraged them to stop helping the New People’s Army. The military considered Bayan Muna a communist and NPA front. The Albarillos responded by saying that “we have no reason to quit; Bayan Muna is a political party mandated by the people. It is legal and we are not combatants. It is a legitimate organization.”86

At the time of the military visits, Arman Albarillo was living in the town of Calapan. However, he visited his parents on weekends. During these visits his parents told him about the military’s visit to his parents’ house.

Circumstances of the Killing

On April 8, 2002, around 5:30 a.m. a group of about eight armed men, some of whom were in complete military uniform and others wearing black clothes with bonnets, arrived at the Albarillo home. These men tied up the Albarillos and dragged them outside. Adeliza, the Albarillos’ youngest daughter, 11 years old, was in the house at the time. The noise from the scuffle woke her and she witnessed her father being hog-tied by armed men in fatigues.

Arman’s aunt Lorna Pantoja and his cousin Eleonor Albarillo Pantoja who lived next to the Albarillos, witnessed the couple being forcibly taken away by the armed men.

They saw Manuela pleading to the military, “We have not done anything wrong. I am a member of Bayan Muna, I am not a communist or a member of NPA”. After a few minutes, when the Albarillos and their attackers were no longer in sight, Lorna and Eleonor heard several gunshots. They rushed to the scene and they found the dead bodies of Expedito and Manuela with multiple gunshot wounds. Expedito’s left eye was even removed using a knife.

Identifying the Perpetrators

Arman told the HRN fact-finding mission,

“The group who killed my parents was the 16th Battalion. Lt. Dimapinto was there. Because, at 10 o’ clock in the morning of this day, my cousin Eleonor went to town police/ military camp to report the incident and saw Lt. Dimapinto wearing the same clothing as the perpetrators. Although assailant was wearing bonnet and hiding his face, my cousin realized Lt. Dimapinto as the assailant. Because it was exactly the same clothes, same height, same weight, and he had the same Ilocano dialect as the perpetrator.”

Police Investigation

After the incident, the brother of Expedito, immediately went to the town proper together with Mario Aldaba, to report the incident to the police but instead of immediately investigating the incident, the San Teodoro policeman were reluctant and said that they do not have a driver and were still waiting for other colleagues.　It was only two hours after the crime was reported that the police investigating team left their station to conduct a crime scene investigation.

There has been no development in the investigation or prosecution of the case.87

The family filed the case before the Commission on Human Rights, but because of the lack of any assurance of their security, they could not pursue a criminal case.88