In the Philippines, more than 550 people have been victims of political killings by the Philippine government or forces supporting the government since 1988. Some of the murdered citizens have been tortured or mutilated. Entire families, including infants and the elderly, were massacred. Women were raped before being stabbed to death.On February 25, 1986, the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos was overthrown by the government of President Corazon Aquino, and the new government introduced measures to protect human rights. However, the abuses and massacres continued with the execution of extrajudicial executions in the Philippines after 1988.
In Cebu, Philippines, 21-year-old Renato Tabitha Zabate was massacred on September 8, 1991. A member of the United Farmers Organization (UFO), he was found dead in Candoman, Mandaue City, Cebu Province on September 13, 1991, five days after he was abducted by armed men of the National Police (PNP). His body clearly showed signs of having been tortured. Renato left his relative's house with his friend on September 8 at around 1 p.m. As the two were walking on the road, two armed men approached them on the street. They put a gun to the back of Renate and her friend. They were then pushed into a waiting jeep and drove off in the direction of Talamban. Renato was taken to the PNP's Cebu Metropolitan District Command in Sotelo, Cebu City. Renato's body was found by school children in Sogod, about 62 kilometers north of Cebu City, on September 13. The victim was bound with electric wires and gagged with his own towel. An autopsy revealed that the body had about 31 wounds, including abrasions and contusions, and the cause of death was strangulation.
Renato's death is linked to his activities in the UFO organization, which belongs to a militant peasant organization in Cebu province. in the early 1990s, members of the UFO and other local labor organizations were harassed and threatened by government forces and anti-communist vigilantes as suspected supporters of the New People's Army (NPA). Renato's wife, whose relatives were also active in the UFO, was charged with state overthrow along with four others in Cebu City In May 1987, Renato was arrested and detained by government military agents. He was detained along with two others in an unofficial detention center in a safe house southwest of Cebu City; the three were released without charges 11 hours later.
Since 1988, at least 550 unarmed civilians have been killed in the Philippines by the Philippine government or government-sponsored forces. The Philippine government has claimed that this is a long-term justifiable sacrifice to eradicate the armed opposition. In reality, however, entire families, villagers working in the fields, were gunned down. Women were raped by soldiers before being murdered. The most inhuman tortures were inflicted on those who were targeted for murder. Socially and economically disadvantaged citizens and politically vulnerable citizens were targeted the most. Armed opposition groups have also carried out political killings. Victims have included residents of rural areas, trade unionists, government officials, and military suspects.
In 1986, a people's power revolution against President Ferdinand Marcos led to the inauguration of Corazon Aquino as president. Although the new government promised to restore democracy and sever rights abuses, massive political killings were carried out after 1988. Extrajudicial executions included those of the Philippine Army (PA), Philippine Constabulary (PC), Integrated National Police (INP), the newly created Philippine National Police (PNP), Civil Armed Forces (CAFGU) militia units, Civilian Self-Defense Organizations (CVOs), semi-official paramilitary groups, and anti-communist vigilantes.
Extrajudicial executions are a serious violation of human rights in the Philippines: since 1986, hundreds of people have disappeared and been killed or tortured in police and military custody. Those held in clandestine detention were particularly vulnerable to killing and torture. This is heightened in situations such as the Philippines, where the police and military can carry out violations without fear of punishment; in 1991, at least 12 prisoners of conscience were identified. Hundreds more were among the hundreds of political prisoners, and many political detainees were subjected to torture and ill-treatment while in custody.Between 1990 and 1991, senior military and government officials reinstated the death penalty for heinous crimes, including political offenses such as sedition and vandalism. Certain groups of citizens were targeted, including trade unionists, human rights lawyers, religious leaders, and peasant activists. Eighty-five people were killed by the government or government-backed forces, and several others by armed opposition groups.
Extrajudicial executions in the Philippines occurred against the backdrop of more than two decades of intense political conflict between government forces and armed opposition groups. The most important factors are the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), the New People's Army (NPA) and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF). The Philippine military and government authorities treated victims of human rights violations as legitimate targets for counterinsurgency operations and political killings as an inevitable byproduct of armed conflict. By pointing to human rights violations by armed opposition forces, they justified extrajudicial executions and absolved the security forces of responsibility for human rights violations.
In recent years, the urban population of the Philippines has grown by about 6 percent a year, largely due to migration from rural to urban areas. Legitimate political organizations that support the urban poor, including the growing squatter community, emerged in the 1970s and 1980s. Urban organizations organized resistance to forced evictions as well as social movements to improve services such as garbage collection, water supply, and drainage. Activists from the urban poor have promoted development projects and workshops in cities. Citizens who participated in social activities were accused by the government forces of being involved in the CPP/NPA and were killed by members of the security forces. After being arrested for no clear reason, the victim died in police custody. The authorities propagated that the victim tried to escape, took weapons from the arrested, or committed suicide. Forensic evidence obtained by the victim's lawyers and relatives cast doubt on the claims.
