1st February 2019
PRESS STATEMENT
The Campaign for Human Rights in the Philippines UK (CHRP) condemns in the strongest possible terms the killing of NDF peace consultant, Felix Randy Malayao. On 30 January Malayao was shot dead when a gunman boarded the bus in Aritao, Nueva Vizcaya, where he sat asleep and shot him at point blank range.
Malayao, was a member of the team involved in recent peace negotiations
between the National Democratic Front and the Government of the Philippines.
His murder comes in the midst of an increasing number of killings and arrests
of peace advocates and human rights defenders in the Philippines.
On 29 January, Lumad leader Datu Jomorito Guaynon and Ireneo Udarbe, National
Council member of the peasant organisation KMP, were illegally arrested on
false charges of being member of the New People’s Army. A day later, two lumad
farmers Randel Gallego and Emel Tejero were found dead, hogtied with gunshot
wounds, after being reported missing for 2 days. In the same week four farmers
and members of Misamis Oriental Farmers’ Association (MOFA) were also illegally
arrested on trumped-up charges.
With increasing international condemnation of the thousands of extra judicial killings which have taken place since Duterte came to power, and the opening of a preliminary investigation against him by the International Criminal Court, Duterte has increasingly targeted human rights defenders, lawyers and peace advocates.
The Campaign for Human Rights in the Philippines once again calls upon the Philippines government to put a stop to extra judicial killings and to end the climate of impunity he has encouraged in the Philippines.
We call upon the UK Government to add the Philippines to the FCO’s list of priority human rights countries, and to ban the export of arms and surveillance equipment to the Philippines.
For more information contact info@chrp.org.uk