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July 17, 2008 Reference:
Tony Salubre
Poja's family and fellow activists continue
the call for justice, demand disclosure of witness to slay Note: FADC is the local chapter of the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas in Davao City. Ka Celso Pojas is the Secretary General and Spokesperson of FADC, killed by 5 armed men, at about 6:00 am on May 15, 2008, in front of FADC Office, Maa Road, Davao City. Ka Celso Pojas actively led the campaign to put a stop to the military operations in Compostela Valley Province from February to March 2008. These military operations escalated the human rights violations against farmers and lumads. He had fought for justice together with the victims of militarization in Baganga and Cateel in Davao Oriental, in New Bataan and Compostela and most recently he spoke for the family of the slain Datu Doming Diarog (a Lumad leader fighting for ancestral land rights who was killed last April 30, 2008 in Tugbok, Davao City ).
"Until now authorities continue to deprive Celso Pojas' family and the farmer's movement of justice. We won't rest until justice has been claimed for our leader and colleague," professed Tony Salubre, acting spokesperson of the Farmers Association of Davao City (FADC).
The farmer's group together with the Pojas family then again picketed the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) claiming that the Task Force Pojas investigations are going nowhere.
"We have long feared a whitewash or a cover-up because we know that out of the more than 900 victims of extrajudicial killings under the Arroyo government, no military or government mercenary has been brought to justice to pay for their crimes. Still, we have given the police our full cooperation and so we deserve to know what the police is keeping from public knowledge," Salubre said.
There are reports of a certain witness being held by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) but the police has yet to disclose what this witness has revealed.
The Pojas family's demand was for the disclosure of the truth about the Pojas killing even if this would involve those in the military.
FADC said that the Pojas family has long doubted the sincerity of the authorities to solve the killing of Pojas who was shot dead outside the FADC office along Maa Road on May 15 this year.
The farmer's group said their colleagues
and the Pojas family have cooperated fully with the authorities and
presented all the necessary information which centered mostly on Ka
Celso's political work as the former chairperson of the FADC and
spokesperson of regional chapter of the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas.
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