A labor NGO said today that the initial findings of a civil society fact-finding mission on the massacre of 19 individuals in Taboso, Negros Occidental, released on May 15,  sets a standard that the ongoing investigation of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) must meet.

Labor NGO Center for Trade Union and Human Rights (CTUHR) said that the initial report of the fact-finding mission led by human rights group Karapatan on the April 19 massacre raises the yardstick for truthfulness of the CHR’s investigation, which the Office of the President earlier said it will not interfere into.

“Apart from getting testimonies that six of those killed are civilians, the report also shows a pattern of disregard for human rights on the military’s part. It bolsters accusations that the military violated human rights and international humanitarian law, which should be covered by the CHR probe,” said Kamz Deligente, CTUHR executive director.

The mission’s report cited testimonies from residents of Sitios Sinugmawan and Plaringding that narrate various military actions that show rights violations. These violations include interrogating civilians at gunpoint, entering and searching civilian residences without due process, illegal detention, restriction of movements, possibly using civilians as human shield, and indiscriminate firing.

“Human rights violations often do not occur in isolation but happen in contexts where rights are violated in various ways. The report shows this, indicating that the massacre, which the military denies, did not happen from out of nowhere,” Deligente stated.

The report also said that the military was the sole entity that recovered the bodies of the dead and delivered these to funeral homes, and is therefore responsible for mishandling the bodies. The mishandling is especially stark in the case of Errol Wendel, an organizer of agricultural workers and a researcher, whose supposed body belonged to another person, as shown by the investigation of renowned forensic pathologist Dr. Raquel Fortun. 

The report gathered testimonies that those killed are civilians, were not carrying firearms, and were engaged in research about agrarian conditions in the area. Among those killed are Wendel; RJ Ledesma, a community journalist in Negros; Alyssa Alano, a student leader; Mau Santuyo, a peasant advocate; Lyle Prijoles, a longtime Filipino-American activist; and Kai Sorem, an activist from South Seattle in the US.

“The report does not inspire trust in the military and presents what can be called ‘trademark’ military violations of human rights. It indicates that after many years of human rights documentation, condemnation and campaigns, the military has persisted in committing rights violations in carrying out counter-insurgency operations,” Deligente stated. 

Deligente further said that the composition of the national fact-finding and solidarity mission is impressive, as it included more than a hundred human rights workers, lawmakers from progressive legislative bloc Makabayan, journalists, church workers, youth leaders and social movement activists.