1st Anniversary of the killing of Benjie Bayles:

Church worker and Bayan Muna partylist coordinator

 

Bacolod City

 

June 14, 2011

 

■  Launching of NATIONAL TASK FORCE BAYLES

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Photos courtesy of BAYAN -NEGROS
           
     

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June 16, 2011

Press statement

Reference: Christian Tuayon, Secretary General BAYAN-Negros

Contact #: 09217859554

 

BAYAN: AFP the killing machine of the state, certified liars

 

The umbrella organization, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN-Negros), successfully staged a protest in front of 303rd Brigade Philippine Army Headquarters at Brgy. Minoyan, Murcia, Negros Occidental to mark the 1st year anniversary of the brutal killing of Benjie Bayles.

 

Bayles is a Church worker and district coordinator of Bayan Muna Partylist who was assassinated last June 14, 2010 in crossing Antolo Brgy. Suay, Himamaylan City by two men who were riding in tandem on a single motorcycle wearing bonnets who where later arrested by Kabankalan City Police and now detained in Bago City.

 

The Philippine Army denies the allegations that the two suspects belong in their rank, but several months after the incident, in the budget deliberation on the House of Representatives last October 7, 2010, Department of National Defense Sec. Voltaire Gazmin admitted that the two suspects who were arrested in the killing of Bayles are Organic Members of 61stIB PA, identified as Pfc. Rey gine Laus and Pfc. Rafael Cordova.

 

While the case is ongoing, the family of Bayles and the witnesses continue to experience harassments and intimidations from the suspected state military agents. The AFP also continue to white wash the case, in fact the last hearing of Bayles murder case last June 9, 2011 the court summoned the radio operator who received and recorded the information call on the day that Benjie Bayles was murdered, surprisingly it was uttered by the radio operator that the page of the Kabankalan PNP logbook dated June 14, 2010 and the whole logbook of Himamaylan city radio operator are missing.

 

Benjie Bayles is only one of the many victims of extra judicial killings in the country that was deprived by justice. Killing of activist and human rights defenders is not the solution to end the conflict between the state and the struggling people for genuine social change. Peace will be achieved if justice will be served and the root cause of hunger and poverty will be addressed.###

 

 
     
           
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Launching of NATIONAL TASK FORCE BAYLES
Mannila, June 14,2011
 
Bishops and church workers join the picket at the DOJ in Manila, June 14, 2011
           
   

 PRESS RELEASE
June 14, 2011

NATIONAL TASK FORCE BAYLES LAUNCHED;
End the Culture of Impunity and Violations of Human Rights

The ecumenical community headed by the Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI) troops to the Department of Justice this June 14, 2011 in an advocacy march and follow-through with Sec. Leila de Lima on the case of Benjamin Bayles, a longtime church lay leader and activist from Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental. Bayles is another victim of extra-judicial killings.

The ecumenical community represented also by the bishops, priests and lay from the United Church of Christ in the Philippines, National Council of Churches in the Philippines, and Promotion of Church People’s Response, among others, were also present in support the political prisoners and their families’ plea for urgent release from incarceration due to fictitious cases and insufficient evidences.

Supreme Bishop Ephraim Fajutagana personally hands-over the letter and explains the formation of the National Task Force Bayles. He requests the office to look into the following concerns: (1) lack of written report on the result of the ballistic tests and forensic examinations (2) Delay in rendering justice a year after the unfortunate killing and (3) Allegations of military pressure to police, fiscal and judge involve in the case.


The effort caps the Media Forum and Launching of the National Task force Bayles (NTFB), a church-based and ecumenical task force committed to battle against the prevailing climate of death and culture of impunity in our land. “We, in particular, commit ourselves to vigorously work for the judicial conviction of those behind the killing of Brother Benjamin Bayles as it will significantly contribute towards changes in the security policy of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), end the culture of impunity and human rights violations and further encourage participation in the Filipino struggle for justice and peace in our land”, explains Bp. Joselito Cruz, Chairperson NTFB.


Resource persons in the media forum include Representatives Neri Colmenares of Bayan Muna and Emmeline Aglipay of DIWA and Bishops Ephraim Fajutagana and Filomeno Ang. Rep. Colmenares applauds the IFI in this timely endeavor that provides a solid foundation to a wider action and response to end the culture of impunity and assures the Church of their support in the judiciary and advocacy work here and abroad. Rep. Aglipay added her continuing support to the worthy cause through the human rights committee in the House of Congress.

The case of Bayles, unlike thousands of cases on extra-judicial killings, has had attackers apprehended while fleeing from the crime scene, and after months of denial and use of fictitious names, were finally admitted by the Department of National Defense to be active military men of the Philippine Army. More so, potential conviction of the perpetrators will further confirm the investigation findings of United Nations Special Rapporteur Phillip Alston in 2007 on the involvement of the government’s armed forces in the killings and disappearances of political activists in the country.
Thursday at 8:01am ·

Photo by Jonash Joyohoy
Photo by Jonash Joyohoy
Photo by Jonash Joyohoy
   
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