"Police investigation on the Philippine farmer-leaders' slay is insufficient, hasty and dubious"

Thursday, July 16, 2009

“It cannot be denied that Rene Peñas was among the more prominent figures who campaigned for the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law (CARPER). His killing came barely two days after the CARPER campaign triumphed in Congress. Naturally, there was a strong clamor from the different sectors and institutions that have supported the Sumilao farmers and CARPER for an in-depth and independent investigation of the murder of Peñas. Together we organised the fact-finding team to ensure the truth will be uncovered and the perpetrators will be brought to justice” said Armida Abales-Pajaron of Palambu-Pakisama and a member of the independent multi-sectoral fact finding mission (FFM). Pajaron added that the mission is composed of representatives from local and national civil society organizations, religious and academic institution. 

The FFM investigation report submitted following general observations and conclusions:

•    The ambush-slaying of Rene Peñas was pre-meditated, well-planned, and well-orchestrated;
•    The official investigation by the local police was insufficient, hasty, and dubious;
•    Jhon Calopes surfaced as a central figure who unduly influenced the official investigation;
•    Rene Peñas was killed because of his active involvement in agrarian reform issues; and
•    The ambush-slaying, coupled with the dubious police investigation, generated a continuing sense of fear in the community.

Jun Pandan, of the non-gouvernemental organisation Kaisahan, and another FFM member said that the above-enumerated observations and conclusions were derived from comprehensive data gathering and collection of pertinent and available documents.

“During the course of our fact-finding mission, we have considered all possible angles and possibilities that would lead us to the truth behind Ka Rene’s killing. We were surprised at the haste that police conducted their investigation and considered the case close. It was as if the arrest of a suspect will silence the questions raised on the murder. Rather than provide answers, the hasty closure of the case by the police only managed to raise more questions including that of the credibility and impartiality of the Sumilao police”, Pandan said.

Noland, eldest son of Rene Peñas said that they will not stop their search for justice. “It took the Sumilao farmers 12 years of struggle, 28 days of hunger and 1,700 kilometers of walking to find justice. Insistence on and pursuit of justice is the legacy that my father left to us, his children and his fellow farmers. It is in that same spirit that we will continue this pursuit of the truth about his death until justice will be served” Noland Peñas said.  

 investigationPe.pdf