Police presents two alleged victims of extrajudicial killings from Karapatan records

By Ronron
March 20, 2007

Police presented on Tuesday two alleged victims of extrajudicial killings reported by the human rights advocate group Karapatan, but who turned out to be “well and alive.”

During the weekly media forum at Camp Crame in Quezon City, Task Force USIG Commander Chief Supt. Geary Barias identified the two as Danilo Fajardo, 43, a member of the Citizens Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU); and Hilario Paraon, a farmer.

Fajardo comes from Barangay Tibagan, while Paraon hails from Barangay Buliran, both of San Miguel, Bulacan.

“These two gentlemen, Mr. Paraon and Mr. Fajardo, are listed in the Karapatan list of the 800 plus (victims of extrajudicial killings). And they are found to be alive. They are here with us,” Barias said.

Sr. Supt. Buenaventura Viray, Jr., deputy police provincial director of Bulacan, said in an ambush interview after the forum that Fajardo was reported by Karapatan to have been killed last February 18, 2005, while Paraon was reportedly slain last February 21, 2006.

Fajardo is listed by Karapatan as a victim of case No. 650, while Paraon is a victim of case No. 652, Barias said.

Viray said the two were discovered “well and alive” at their respective residences during a visit by policemen last March 7 to verify the Karapatan report.

Barias disclosed that the task force is verifying 207 cases out of those presented by Karapatan, which include those of Fajardo’s and Paraon’s.

“That is only to show that Task Forces USIG is continuing its validation of the list… This brings to five already those from the list of Karapatan (that we found out to be not true),” Barias said.

“Task Force USIG is determined really to pursues these cases under the task force,” he added.

Barias identified the three other false victims as Edwin Mascariñas of Mindoro; Renato Bugtong of Batangas; and, Marites dela Cruz of Isabela. Mascariñas and Bugtong were already presented by Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. in an earlier press conference.

Both the task force and the military accuse the Karapatan figure as “padded and inaccurate” as it supposedly includes those perpetrated by the New People’s Army (NPA) and cases of legitimate encounters./DMS