Karapatan Caraga strongly condemned the brutal killing of Nora Apique, municipal chairperson and provincial council member of the Kapunungan sa mga Mag-uuma sa Surigao del Sur – Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KAMASS-KMP).
Apique, 66 years old, was shot and killed on March 31, 2020 at around 7 o’clock in the evening, by a motorcycle-riding gunman on her way home in Sitio Caraatan, Brgy. Patong, San Miguel, Surigao del Sur. The killing took place at the last day of Women’s month.
Karapatan noted that Apique is the second farmer activist killed in the municipality under the Duterte regime’s counter-insurgency campaign Oplan Kapanatagan. The elderly peasant leader is the 249th farmer killed under the Duterte regime, according to KMP.
“While the country is bearing with the lockdowns and community quarantines related to the COVID19 pandemic, state-backed mercenaries and death squads remain on the loose and [wreaking] havoc on the lives of farmers and indigenous people in rural villages,” said KMP in a statement on April 1.
The national peasant group mulled that the killing was carried out as Surigao del Sur is under a “preventive community quarantine” and checkpoints were set up across the province and entire Caraga region.
“May oras pa talagang pumatay ang mga berdugo ng rehimen kahit may krisis sa kalusugan sa bansa dahil sa Covid19. We strongly condemn this attack and latest peasant killing,” said Antonio Flores of Defend Mindanao.
Karapatan Caraga also vehemently denounced the statement made by PRO13 Director Joselito Esquivel Jr., declared barely a day after the killing, pointing to the “CNTs” or “Communist-NPA terrorists” in the AFP’s parlance as the killers of Apique.
“His statement that “They (CNTs) were good in fabricating stories and issues to deceive the public. They kill innocent civilians, then, blame it to the military and other law enforcement units to discredit the government…” is an insult to Nanay Nora and her family who have been subjected to threats and harassment from the military and its agents for years,” said Karapatan Caraga.
“These terror attacks are unacceptable. The United Nations ordered all involved in armed conflict to declare ceasefire. They CPP/NPA also declared ceasefire but as usual, being the terrorist as they are, they violate and continue to kill innocent civilians who are against them,” Esquivel also said.
Karapatan Caraga also denounced Rico Maca, self-appointed Datu and Indigenous People Mandatory Representative (IPMR) as he called for justice and “slammed the killing” of Apique and called this “shameless and disrespectful.”
“Nora Apique is very active in bringing government services to the hinterlands. In fact, she was designated as the Barangay Agrarian Reform Committee Chairwoman and has been very active in settling land disputes issues used by the CNTs to agitate the masses, particularly the IPs,” Maca said.
Karapatan Caraga said Maca himself has publicly accused Apique and other leaders and members of KAMASS – KMP as NPA supporters, which put their lives in danger.
“That Esquivel and Maca’s statements were accompanied by Facebook trolls saying that Apique was killed for pocketing money of the New People’s Army (NPA), shows the concerted effort to besmirch her name. These are despicable acts, an insult to the already grieving family and friends,” said Karapatan Caraga.
History of red-tagging, harassment and killing of KAMASS-KMP leaders
The human rights group said it is known all over the municipality of San Miguel that Apique has been constantly red-tagged by the military especially under Duterte’s martial law in Mindanao. She was openly accused by the military of being an NPA recruiter along with Silvestre L. Maratas, vice-chairperson of the KAMASS-KMP San Miguel Chapter.
These accusations were publicly made in 2017 and 2018 by military assets Hatung and Eugene Maca in the radio program of the 16th Special Forces Battalion on NICE Radio FM in San Miguel which aired Sundays at 9 to 10 o’clock in the morning.
Silvestre L. Maratas, was also shot and killed in July 16, 2017 by armed men identified to be agents of the 36th IBPA.
Also in 2017, Nanay Nora was ordered by officials of the 16th SFB and 36th IBPA to “report” to the military encamped in the barangay hall of Brgy. Patong to “clear” her name. She was scolded by a military official when she went there accompanied by neighbors and her family and was told that she should have gone there alone.
In 2019, Nanay Nora was “visited” by three soldiers belonging to the 36th IBPA who told her to “surrender.” Nanay Nora refused, telling the soldiers that she will not surrender because she is a civilian.
“Nanay Nora was killed because of her unwavering commitment to the struggle of poor farmers for land and rights. She was killed because she was an activist. She was killed because she was an effective peasant leader,” said Karapatan Caraga.
The bloodthirsty reactionaries in the Philippines (led by Katay Digong) will not stop killing innocent people just to keep the poor people in society down !!! Those who lead the poor in their struggle for justice are the primary target of assassinations by these reactionaries. And their primary instruments are the military, the police, and the para-militaries !!! But justice will be done and the evildoers will have their day of reckoning !!!