‘While leftists leaders praised the indictment of several police officers in the Asuncion killing, calling it “a small victory for human rights,” they pointed out that relatives of eight other victims of the `Bloody Sunday’ raids are also awaiting justice, along with scores of similar killings before and after that.’
ASIDE from his “mañanita” caper which showed that the holders of power in this country are beyond the reach of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) when it comes to imposing COVID-19 health protocols, retired Police general Debold Sinas has another legacy that is hard to forget: the “Bloody Sunday” raids in Calabarzon.
On March 7, 2021, police operatives with backing from military troopers swooped down on several places in Region 4-A known as the progressive provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon. The purported operations were to serve 24 search warrants on individuals and activists whose activities and affiliations in the legal Left were seen by government authorities as consorting with the Communist Party of the Philippines.
Violence ruled that police operation, leading to nine deaths and six arrests, and the victims were all dedicated advocates of labor and farmers’ rights, climate justice, basic human rights, etc.
The fatalities were Emmanuel “Manny” Asuncion, coordinator of the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan-Cavite); four housing rights and anti-quarrying activists (Abner and Edward Esto, a certain “Makmak,” and Michael “Greg” Dasigao, all members of SIKKAD-K3 in Rizal province); Puroy dela Cruz and Randy dela Cruz, members of the Dumagat Sierra Madre which advocated the rights of indigenous peoples; and the couple Chai Lemita Evangelista and Ariel Evangelista, who worked as staffers of the Ugnayan ng Mamamayan Laban sa Pagwawasak ng Kalikasan at Kalupaan (UMALPAS KA) in Nasugbu, Batangas. This last group is a peasant organization fighting mining, land-grabbing, and taking up climate change and fisherfolk concerns.
The victims were generally killed in their homes, with the authorities claiming that they resisted arrest and were armed.
After nine months, the Department of Justice’s Special Investigating Team has released its recommendation to file murder charges against police officers involved in the death of Asuncion.
While leftists leaders praised the indictment of several police officers in the Asuncion killing, calling it “a small victory for human rights,” they pointed out that relatives of eight other victims of the `Bloody Sunday’ raids are also awaiting justice, along with scores of similar killings before and after that.
Like all efforts at seeking justice, the Asuncion case is expected to be long and arduous, but at least, the process has begun.
