CHR to summon soldiers in botanist's shooting

The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) said it will summon officials of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to a public inquiry on the controversial killings of top Filipino botanist Leonard Co, and two other civilians in Leyte in November. During a press conference at their main office in Quezon City on Friday, CHR chairperson Loretta Ann Rosales said she and other CHR officials will hold the two-day "full-blown" inquiry on January 26 and 27 in Leyte's capital of Tacloban City. Co, Sofronio Cortez, and Julius Borromeo were killed by the military in what government authorities claimed was a crossfire in Kananga town in Leyte after being mistaken for communist rebels on November 15 last year. "They [the three victims] deserve nothing but justice. Their families deserve to know the truth," said Rosales. "Treasures like him cannot be measured quantitatively in terms of loss. This [incident] should bear on all areas of government," she added. Among those expected to be invited for the public inquiry are members of the Philippine Army's 19th Infantry Battalion, Charlie Company, who were involved in the supposed firefight. As of posting time, military spokesman Gen. Jose Mabanta Jr. has yet to return calls made by GMANews.TV. However, in an earlier interview, Mabanta has already said the AFP is willing to cooperate in any investigation on the killings. “If there will be a congressional hearing we will welcome it and importantly, whatever is required of us, [such as] to include testimonies of our personnel, we will certainly oblige," Mabanta had earlier said. During the press conference on Friday, the CHR said it has also been requesting cooperation from other government agencies like the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the military's Board of Inquiry, as well as the Energy Development Cooperation (EDC). The EDC was the private firm that tasked Co to conduct the research in Leyte in search of tree species suitable for a forest restoration project called "BINHI Program," which aims to plant 10,000 hectares of endemic and endangered plants over the next 10 years. In an earlier statement, the EDC said prior to Co and his team's trip to the site, the firm, concerned about security in the area, had already informed the local military about it and had even received an approval to proceed. After the November 2009 "crossfire," the CHR launched a fact finding mission that involved deploying regional officials to inspect the site, gather evidence, and interview "key people" who had knowledge about the incident. A forensic expert was also tapped to conduct an independent autopsy on the victims' remains. Rosales revealed that after weeks of conducting their parallel investigation, they have finally come up with an initial "After-Mission Report" but refused to share to the media its contents. "We already have findings but we would prefer not to make it public so as not to compromise the cooperation with the concerned entities," Rosales insisted. The government rights body chief said the report has already been shared with the families of the victims and a copy would also be provided to the DOJ later in the day. The DOJ and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) late last year launched its own investigation on the matter. Even though they gave themselves a one-month deadline, they have yet to release any findings - something that the families feel disappointed about. "We have not heard at all from them yet regarding the progress of the investigation," said Lawyer Evalyn Ursua, the lawyer of the Co family. "Diyan kami nababahala dahil mas nauuna ang DOJ sa imbestigasyon bagaman mas nauna ang CHR na pumunta sa field [at magkaron ng initial report]," she added. Ursua said the cooperation her camp has been getting from the military and the EDC was "insufficient" and called on the two entities to finally release documents they have been requesting. The lawyer said they had been expecting to get documents like military reports and affidavits as early as December last year but none has come their way yet. Co's father Almost two months after the killings, Co's parents Co Lian Seng and Emelina Legaspi still couldn't contain their emotions when talking about their son's death. "Limampung taon, nahirapan ako mag-alaga. Tapos ngayon hindi alam sino patay sa kanya," said a sobbing Lian Seng in broken Filipino, during the same press conference. Lian Seng migrated to the Philippines when he was still 22 and married Emelina, an Ilocana. The couple had six children, Leonard being their eldest and only son. "Paano kami mabubuhay ng solo," the 80-year-old grieving father continued. Leonard's father also appealed to President Benigno Siemon Aquino III for he speedy resolution of the matter. "Tulungan mo ako. Bigyan mo anak ko ng hustisya," said Lian Seng. Agham probe A group of scientists from the Advocates of Science and Technology for the People (Agham) earlier conducted its own investigation and belied the military's claim that the incident was a crossfire. Even Policarpio Balute, a farmer who served as a guide for Co’s research team and who survived the volleys of gunfire, doubted the "crossfire" scenario claimed by the military. According to Agham's observation report, gunshot wounds on Co's body showed that the military could have been on top of a hill when they fired toward the direction of Co and his companions. “The failure of the military unit involved to provide immediate medical attention and hospital treatment to Borromeo prolonged his agony and ultimately led to his death," said Agham national chairperson Giovanni Tapang. The group called on the 19th IB to release the names of the servicemen from the squad and platoon, including their commanding officers, involved in the shooting incident. – VVP, GMANews.TV