Philippines: Violations Against Environmentalists
11/18/91
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/** rainfor.genera: 136.1 **/
** Written 1:50 am Nov 18, 1991 by elawmanila in
cdp:rainfor.genera ** FATHER NERY SATUR AND OTHER HR VIOLATIONS
AGAINST ENVIRONMNTALISTS: This is a reposting from another
conference. It is more
appropriate here. Dear ELAWers,
A long overdue update on the human rights situation in the
Philippine environmental movement. Edward Yates has already
supplied JB with everything we have on the arrest of Lito Alisuag,
our lawyer in Palawan on subversion charges. He has moved for a
reinvestigation hoping that the provincial prosecutor will see his
way clear to overturning the resolution of the investigating
prosecutor and dismissing the case. It is scheduled for the end
of November.
It might also interest you to know that the Supreme Court has
ruled late last year that warrantless arrests are legal for
persons on suspicion of subversion. (Umil v Ramos, The theory is
that subversion is a continuing crime such that any and all acts
are in furtherance thereof and done in the presence of any
arresting officer. On motion for reconsideration, the High Court
ruled that such arrests are within the traditional exceptions
under the Rules of Court.
A recent occurence which dealt a big blow to the environmental
movement is the murder of Fr. Nery Lito Satur of Valencia,
Bukidnon, in Mindanao. After saying mass at a barrio an hour away
from Valencia, he was gunned down by three masked men. His head
was even smashed with the butt of a rifle. A 17 year-old church
worker who witnessed the incident was also wounded. Father Nery,
along with other citizens, were deputized by the Department of
Environmental and Natural Resources to arrest illegal loggers and
seize the illegally cut logs. Before Father Nery, Fr. Mario
Estorva , who was also active in the illegal logging campaign in
Agusan del Sur was gunned down in 1988. Other church workers
active in the campaign have also been harassed and threatened.
Another notable HRV is the murder of Henry Domoldol in July, an
incident reported about by the Rainforest Action Network= in its
September 1991 Action Alert.
We will try to update this conference on other HRV's against
environmental workers.