From: Human Rights Coordinator <hrcoord@igc.apc.org>
Newsgroups: soc.rights.human
Date: 14 Aug 92 10:19 PDT
Subject: PHILIPPINES: INCREASING ATTACKS ON
Nf-ID: #N:cdp:1476700361:000:5520
Nf-From: cdp.UUCP!hrcoord    Aug 14 10:19:00 1992


From: Human Rights Coordinator <hrcoord>
Subject: PHILIPPINES: INCREASING ATTACKS ON 

/* Written 12:10 am  Aug 14, 1992 by newsdesk in
cdp:ips.englibrary */ Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all
rights reserved.  Permission to re- print within 7 days of
original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Title: PHILIPPINES: INCREASING ATTACKS ON GREEN ACTIVISTS,
JOURNALISTS

manila, aug 11 (ips/ramon isberto) -- environmental advocates and
journalists in the philippines have come under mounting attack
from agents of powerful businessmen and politicians in recent
years, according to a recently-released joint report by two u.s.
groups.

several green activists, including a roman catholic priest, have
been killed for opposing illegal logging, while journalists
exposing alleged environmental abuses have been slapped with libel
suits seeking ''astronomical punitive damages'', said the report
'defending the earth: abuses of human rights and the
environment'.

''the involvement of military forces in some of the attacks is
particularly troubling,'' the report said. ''the risks of
opposition are intensifief in a situation where police or military
forces feel free to commit abuses without fear of punishment.''

the report, co-authored by human rights watch    and the natural
resources defence council, cited the case of nery lito satur, a
parish priest in the southern province of bukidnon who was shot
and bludgeoned to death last oct. 14.

deputised by the governmeoeagp d alofficial forest guard, he had
waged a anti-logging campaign from the pulpit. in the weeks prior
to his death, he had confiscated about 1,600 dollars' worth of
lumber.

''witnesses and other credible sources interviewed by human rights
watch identified an army intelligence officer and five members of
the local militia as the perpetrators,'' the report said.

two other priests active against illegal logging have received
death threats in recent months. to protect themselves, they have
adopted the practice of travelling with local police officers or
parishioners.

another case cited was that of henry domoldol, head of a community
group in the mountainous northern province of kalinga- apayao. a
member of the isneg tribe, he was a well-known advocate of the
community's right to manage its own forest resources.

on july 26, 1991, domoldol was shot dead as he came out of his
home. witnesses said his attackers were members of the philippine
army and the civilian armed forces geographical units (cafgu), a
paramilitary organisation.

the report said the increasing attacks on green activists and
journalists were a relatively recent development and was
apparently a reaction to the rise of a vigorous, catholic
church-backed environmental movement since 1987.

the country has been hit by a series of devastating typhoons,
floods and droughts. last year, up to 6,000 people were killed in
the central philippine city of ormoc when heavy rains caused by a
relatively minor typhoon sent flash floods through heavily
populated areas. (more/ips)

philippines: increasing (2)

green groups say widespread deforestation has worsened the impact
of these natural calamities. they have won powerful support from
catholic bishops who have issued a pastoral letter strongly
assailing the destruction of the philippine environment.

this has emboldened grassroots opposition to illegal logging in
the still-forested areas of the country. community groups, often
supported by parish priests and manila-based environmental groups,
have found themselves pitted against heavily-armed men of powerful
politicians and businessmen.

''in a country where the business and political elite are
indistinguishable, and where elections are generally won by the
biggest spenders, political fortunes have depended almost
exclusively on profits from logging, mining and cash-crop
plantation farming,'' the report said.

threats to journalists have also been on the rise in recent years
despite the end of the authoritarian regime of the late president
ferdinand marcos.

''paradoxically, while reporters are now free to write about
controversial issues, they are now exposed to greater physical
dangers than under marcos,'' the report said.

according to the u.s.-based committee to protect journalists, 32
journalists were killed during the six-year term of former
president corazon aquino -- as many as those slain during the
entire 14 years of the marcos dictatorship.

in recent years, journalists -- both filipino and foreign --
probing illegal logging or mining have reported frequent instances
of death threats and harassment.

filipino journalist marites vitug, for example, faces a 25-
million-peso (one-million-dollar) libel suit filed by jose
'pepito' alvarez, owner of much of the logging concessions in the
island of palawan, one of the few remaining thickly-forested
provinces.

a manila journalist's salary averages about 60,000 pesos (2,400
dollars) a year.

vitug also received a telephoned death threat shortly after 'the
manila chronicle' published her story on the destruction of
palawan's rainforest, 'money grows on trees'.

in 1991 and early 1992, at least seven others who reported on the
alleged involvement of local officials in illegal logging or
mining have been threatened.

this includes u.s. human rights activist kerry kennedy cuomo,
daughter of the late u.s. senator robert kennedy, who was harassed
along with her tv crew while filming a report for turner
broadcasting, a u.s. television network. (end/ips/ri/ln/92)