 
KAIROS Partner Killed in the Philippines
29 November 2004
Contents
Two gunmen believed to be members of the Philippine military summarily
executed a KAIROS partner in the Philippines on November 10, 2004.
In her testimony, Wilma, Joel Baclao’s wife, related that
on November 10, 2004, at around 8:00 pm, Joel went out of their
house in Lacag, Daraga, Albay to check on what their dogs were barking
at. After a few seconds, Wilma heard a burst of gunshots and saw
Joel lying down. She pleaded to the gunmen to stop firing their
guns, to no avail. Joel was dead on the spot, his face shattered
from multiple gunshots.
Wilma further related that Joel received death threats a few days
before his violent death. There were also reports stating that military
men had been asking neighbors about Mr. Baclao’s whereabouts
several of nights before he was gunned down.
Mr. Baclao was the regional coordinator of the Promotion of Church
People’s Response (PCPR), a lay preacher of the United Church
of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP), and a volunteer of Andurog
Mayon, the relief and rehabilitation program of the National Council
of the Philippines in the Bicol region. These are KAIROS church
partners in the Philippines.
Mr. Baclao was a staunch advocate against large-scale mining and
rampant military atrocities and human rights violations in Albay.
His determination to uphold human rights, and bring justice and
meaningful change may have earned him the ire of the powers that
be.
Mr. Baclao now belongs to a growing list of people who have been
murdered under the Arroyo government for their principled stance
against government policies that are detrimental to the people.
He was not the first member of Canadian church partners in the Philippines
to become a victim of summary execution. On April 28, 2004, Isaias
Manano, Jr., a youth leader of the UCCP, was shot to death in Calapan,
Mindoro Oriental. His killers have not been brought to justice.
This recent spate of killings is an evidence of the grim fact that
church-workers are being targeted and permanently silenced, in the
context of escalating human rights violations against people who
are actively promoting human rights and working for social justice
in the Philippines.
We ask you to write to the President of the Philippines and other
government agencies, to express your outrage at the murder of Joel
Baclao; to demand an immediate and impartial investigation into
his murder; to bring to justice all those responsible; and to demand
that immediate steps are taken to end these abuses and ensure that
the human rights of all Filipinos are respected and protected.
Please send your letters to:
1. Her Excellency President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines
New Executive Building, Malacanang Palace
J.P. Laurel Street, San Miguel, Metro Manila
Philippines
Email: opnet@ops.gov.ph; kgma@yahoogroups.com
2. Hon. Chairperson Dr. Purificacion Quisumbing
The Commission on Human Rights
SAAC Building, Commonwealth Avenue
U.P. Complex, Diliman, Quezon City
Fax: 632-929-0102 Email: drpvg@chr.gov.ph
3. Hon. Sec. Avelino Cruz
Department of National Defense
Camp Aguinaldo, EDSA, 1110 Quezon City
Email: snd@dnd.gov.ph
We ask you to send a copy of your letter to:
1. Hon. Pierre Pettigrew
Minister of Foreign Affairs
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6
Email: Pettigrew.P@parl.gc.ca
2. Ambassador Francisco Benedicto
Philippine Ambassador to Canada
Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines
130 Albert Street, Suite 606
Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5G4
Email: embassyofphilippines@rogers.com
3. Sharon Rose Ruiz Duremdes
National Secretary
National Council of Churches in the Philippines
EDSA, Quezon City, Philippines
Email: srjrduremdes@edsamail.com.ph
4. KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives
129 St. Clair Avenue West
Toronto, Ontario M4V 1N5
Email: csorio@kairoscanada.org
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November 26, 2004
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
Office of the President
Malacanang Palace
Manila, Philippines
RE: Killing of Joel Baclao, a member of the United Church of
Christ in the Philippines, and gross human rights violations in
the Philippines
Dear Madam President:
I am writing to express my outrage at the killing of Joel Baclao,
regional coordinator of the Promotion of Church People’s Response
(PCPR). We urge you to conduct an immediate impartial investigation
into his murder. He was killed on November 10, 2004, in front of
his two young children by two men who are believed to be members
of the Philippine military. Joel Baclao was a lay-preacher of the
United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP), and a volunteer
of Andurog Mayon, the relief and rehabilitation program of the National
Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP). .
Joel Baclao was not the first member of the progressive church
in the Philippines to become a victim of summary execution. On April
28, 2004, Isaias Manano, Jr., a youth leader of the UCCP, was shot
to death in Calapan, Mindoro Oriental. His killers have not been
brought to justice. Like Baclao, Manano was a vocal critic of military
atrocities and human rights abuses.
We are greatly alarmed by the escalation of human rights abuses
in the Philippines under your administration, and are outraged by
the impunity with which these crimes are committed by the military.
In the last two years, 41 members of progressive organizations and
14 members of human rights groups have been killed by the military.
We call on you to immediately conduct an impartial investigation
into these abuses and bring to justice all those who are responsible
for these atrocities. We urge you to take immediate steps to end
these abuses and ensure that the human rights of all Filipinos are
respected and protected.
Sincerely,
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