Opposition lawmakers urge House to condemn, investigate ‘Bloody Sunday’ raids
MANILA, Philippines — Eight opposition lawmakers are calling on the House of Representatives to condemn and investigate the “Bloody Sunday” raids that led to the deaths of nine activists and the arrests of six more.
The six-member Makabayan bloc, together with Rep. Edcel Lagman (Albay) and Rep. Kit Belmonte (Quezon City) filed Wednesday House Resolution No. 1644 calling on the chamber’s human rights panel to investigate the simultaneous police and military operations in Calabarzon last March 7.
“Left unchecked, the raids, arrests and killing, being part of an ongoing crackdown against progressive organizations, is expected to continue and would worsen the already dire state of human rights in the country,” the lawmakers said in House Resolution No. 1644.
Nanlaban?
The lawmakers said testimonies of witnesses of the raids run counter to police’s narrative that those shot and killed fought back.
“This is evident in the killing of [Bagong Alyansang Makabayan Cavite Coordinator] Emmanuel “Manny” Asuncion, whose office, the Workers Assistance Center in Damariñas City, was subject to a raid but was located several kilometers away from the location indicated in the search warrant,” the lawmakers said.
The lawmakers also noted that the killings of the activists came a day after President Rodrigo Duterte directed government forces to kill armed rebels and ignore human rights.
READ: UN 'appalled' by killing of 9 activists in Calabarzon raids
They also said that this is not the first time that simultaneous police operations for the implementation of search warrants resulted in killings and arrests of activists and members of progressive organizations.
But will House heed their call?
The leftist Makabayan bloc, composed of Reps. Ferdinand Gaite, Carlos Zarate, Eufemia Cullamat, Arlene Brosas, France Castro and Sarah Elago, have repeatedly called for investigations into various alleged abuses by uniformed personnel, but the House, dominated by allies of President Rodrigo Duterte, has yet to heed their call.
For one, a House panel has yet to take up their proposed investigation into the killings of nine Tumandok community leaders and the arrest of 18 others in police and military operations in Capiz and Iloilo.
They have also tried to seek an investigation into the arrests of six trade unionists and a journalist during Human Rights Day in 2020, but to no avail.
Philstar.com has asked the office of House human rights committee chairperson Rep. Jesus Suntay if he would be following the call of the opposition lawmakers, but has yet to receive a response as of posting.
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