 |
| Sasahan sa Brgy. Lupac, Boac, Marinduque |
Unang naging usap-usapan
sa Marinduque ang pangalang "GINA O. REYES" noong 1985. Ayon sa mga dokumentong
hanggang sa kasalukuyan ay pinakatago-tago ng ilan nating mga kababayan, yung tipong may
pagkiling sa kasaysayan, nagulantang ang tahimik na lalawigan ng mga panahong
iyon dahil sa sinapit ng ilang mga taga-barangay Lupac sa bayan ng Boac. Nangyari ito - ayon sa mga biktima, mga saksi, mga dokumento, at pahayag ng mga opisyal ng pamahalaan at mga grupong pang-sibiko - sa ilalim ng kamay ng mga taong dumusta at umapi sa kanilang pagkatao, kasama na nga si "Gina O. Reyes", abogada.
Sumigaw ng No to ‘Human
Rights Violation!’ ang ilang samahan ng mga edukadong mamamayan noon tulad ng BOAC
ORGANIZATION OF AWARE AND CONCERNED CITIZENS (B.O.A.C.) na ayon sa mga
dokumento ay pinangunahan nina Ricardo G. Nepomuceno, Jr., Antonio E. Barroro,
Romulo Sto. Domingo, Salvador Larracas, Rey Cerezo at Boy Santiago.
Ang sabi ng mga ito ayon sa
mga nakalap na dokumento ay ganito: “Ang pangyayari sa Lupac ay dapat na
magpamulat sa mga mamamayan ng Marinduque: ang Kalayaan at karapatan ay di
dapat ipagwalang bahala… At tanging ang mamamamayan ang dapat kumilos upang ang
mga ito ay galangin at bigyang halaga.”
Ayon din sa kanila, ang pangyayari sa Lupac “kung saan ang ating mga kapatid ay DINUSTA at INAPI,
kung saan ang kanilang karapatang pantao (Human Rights) ay nilapastangan…” ay
patuloy na magaganap “maliban na lamang kung ang sambayanan ay isisigaw at
isasambulat ang kanilang poot na damdamin…”
Dahil sa pangyayari nabanggit,
isang grupong pang-simbahan, ang CONCERNED CATHOLICS FOR JUSTICE AND PEACE
(CCJP), ay nagpahatid rin ng kanilang panawagan, “…nananawagan kami na tayo ay
magkaisa sa pagtataguyod at pagtatanggol sa ating mga karapatan (Vigilance is
the price of Liberty)… at ipaalam ang kanilang responsibilidad: “…ang Simbahan
ay may karapatan at may tungkulin na ipahayag sa antas ng lipunan, bansa at
daigdig ang katarungan at isumpa ang mga gawaing di makatarungan…”
Sa paglahad ng
pangyayari sa Barangay Lupac, Oktubre 11, 1985 na naganap “sa malaking bahay na
bato sa Lupac na pag-aari ni Delegada Carmencita O. Reyes” ay nailahad ng CCJP
na ito “ay isang pangyayaring ni sa panaginip ay hindi dapat naganap sa ating
hugis-pusong lalawigan”.
ANO ANG MGA
KARAHASANG NAGANAP SA LUPAC?
Ayon sa mga tala, ang malagim na
pangyayari ay kinasangkutan ng pagpasok at paghalughog sa mga bahay ng biktima sa
gitna ng gabi kahit walang ‘search warrant’ “o ni kasamang isa mang authoridad”. Ayon din sa mga tala, naganap din ang paglulublob sa dagat ng makailang ulit ng isang 14 na taong
gulang na bata, pananampal, pagsuntok, pagtadyak, pagpalo ng puluhan ng baril
sa balikat ng iba pang biktima. May isa pang “kinarati at sinakal”.
“…Hindi pa nasiyahan
ay ibinilad mula 10:00 ng umaga hanggang alas 3:00 ng hapon sa arawan sa tabi
ng aplaya”. (Tala ng CCJP)
Matapos ito,
ikinulong sila ng mahigit sa apat na araw: “… ang mga katulong sa malaking
bahay at iba pang hindi nabanggit ay nakakulong pa sa komandansya simula pa
noong Linggo na sa sandaling ito ay may apat na araw na o 96 oras na ngayon…”
Isa pang grupo, ang
NABABAHALANG MAMAMAYAN NG MARINDUKE, ang naglahad ng ilang katanungan dahil sa
pangyayari: Mga inilahad na tanong nila:: "1. Tayo ba’y
nabubuhay sa isang bansang DEMOCRACY O DEMO-CRAZY namay JUSTICE O JUST-TIIS?"; 2. Binigyang-pansin
ba naman ng mga kinauukulan ang mga hinaing at sakit ng mga biktima?; 3. Ito
ba’y simula ng ating pagpapabaya para ito’y lalong lumala?; 4. Ang
hangad ba natin ay kalayaan o karahasan?”
“I never expected
that in this modern age of law and reason, there are still people who are
minded to dealing others with uncivilized and inhuman treatments. As I go
around the province these last few days people keep asking me if there is a
possibility of changing the name of Lupac to Little Tokyo because what happened
thereat poses to them a grim reminder of the brutalities during the Japanese
occupation. This is worse they said because the atrocity was committed not by
the Japanese but by Filipinos against Filipinos.
" The joke is now on
us, my friends. Everywhere in Marinduque, Filipino humor has taken over and
people have now injected a different meaning to our party, the KBL. They say it
no longer means Kilusang Bagong Lipunan but “KAMI’Y BINABAD SA LUPAC”, ‘KAMI’Y
BINILAD SA LUPAC” and phrases of such kind. It is a crying shame for us who
belong to the KBL to be witnesses to the crumbling of such a household name in
just a day, after all the years we have dedicated and devoted to keep it
strong, credible and progressive.
"But I assure you
that there are groups of men who are decided in seeing to it that the
untarnished truth is preserved. Efforts are now underway to perpetuate the
truth. In due time, this will be made available and open to public scrutiny,
despite the apparent efforts to the contrary of certain quarters to kill these
truths.
" Also, you and the
public can be sure that no pressure of any kind from my Office or whatsoever
source was exerted upon the affiants. Their narrations are purely voluntary and
spontaneous and beyond question as to their veracity and motivations.”
“KAMI’Y BINILAD SA LUPAC”
Full text of Lecaroz’ speech is
reproduced below (Lecaroz remains active today as a member of local socio-civic organizations engaged in the uplift of less fortunate Marinduquenos).
 |
| Former Governor Aristeo M. Lecaroz of Marinduque |
"SPEECH OF GOVERNOR ARISTEO M. LECAROZ PRESENTED BEFORE THE MEMBERS OF
THE SANGGUNIANG PANLALAWIGAN IN THE REGULAR SESSION ON OCTOBER 28, 1985.
Sometime
ago last week, a group of concerned and affected citizens made it their priority
to see me. They had a story to tell me. And it is their express desire that I
handle the matter concerned to its logical conclusion. After all, it is the
sworn duty of my Office as Chief Executive of this province, to see to it that
all laws are implemented with justice and equality in every nook and corner of
our jurisdiction. I also consider it my sacred duty to ascertain that our
constituents are accorded equal protection of the law at all times,
irrespective of political affiliations and consideration.
The
story they narrated to me is now well known to each one of you, I am sure. It
has been the continuing topic of discussions, jokes and condemnations
province-wide, among the young and the old, students, teachers and
professionals, the lettered and illiterates, among men of goodwill and cynics
alike, voters and non-voters, etcetera.
I
am referring to none other than the infamous incidents at Lupac, Boac, where an
alleged robbery took place in the house
of Assemblywoman Carmencita O. Reyes sometime between October 11-12, 1985.
The
incident actually consists of two (2) phases. Phase
I started in the morning until late afternoon of October 13, 1985 at Lupac.
I
shall refrain from dealing in detail with the facts and happenings that
transpired under Phase I, lest my political opponents in the KBL accuse me of
political gimmickry and witchhunting at the expense of truth and justice. Nor
will I name names for the same reason.
Suffice
it for me to state here and now that I am deeply pained and saddened by what
transpired during Phase I at Lupac. I never expected that in this modern age of
law and reason, there are still people who are minded to dealing others with
uncivilized and inhuman treatments. As I go around the province these last few
days people keep asking me if there is a possibility of changing the name of
Lupac to Little Tokyo because what happened thereat poses to them a grim
reminder of the brutalities during the Japanese occupation. This is worse they
said because the atrocity was committed not by the Japanese but by Filipinos
against Filipinos.
The
joke is now on us, my friends. Everywhere in Marinduque, Filipino humor has
taken over and people have now injected a different meaning to our party, the
KBL. They say it no longer means Kilusang Bagong Lipunan but “KAMI’Y BINABAD SA LUPAC”, ‘KAMI’Y BINILAD
SA LUPAC” and phrases of such kind. It is a crying shame for us who belong
to the KBL to be witnesses to the crumbling of such a household name in just a
day, after all the years we have dedicated and devoted to keep it strong,
credible and progressive.
But I assure you that there are groups of
men who are decided in seeing to it that the untarnished truth is preserved.
Efforts are now underway to perpetuate the truth. In due time, this will be
made available and open to public scrutiny, despite the apparent efforts to the
contrary of certain quarters to kill these truths.
Also,
you and the public can be sure that no pressure of any kind from my Office or
whatsoever source was exerted upon the affiants. Their narrations are purely
voluntary and spontaneous and beyond question as to their veracity and
motivations.
The
real reason why I relinquished the chair and took the floor for the time being
today is to focus our individual and collective attentions to Phase II of the
Lupac incident.
In
the late afternoon of October 13, 1985, the group being held at Lupac were then
turned-over to the PC Headquarters for investigation.
Some
of the group were released only after being detained for more than 60 hours on
end, while the rest were released only in the afternoon of their 4th
day of detention. Aside from this group, others from Lupac were also herded to
the PC Headquarters for investigation.
Interesting
and curious things happened to these people while in PC custody. Consider:
1.
Those turned over in the afternoon of October
13, suffered hunger and inconvenience till the following day; . All were
custodially investigated in connection with the alleged robbery without being
informed of their constitutional right to remain silent and to the presence and
assistance of counsel of their choice in case they opt to give any statement;
on the contrary, they were being required to affix their signatures on certain
documents on the threat that they will not be released until they sign the
same;
3.
No criminal complaint based on any evidence was
filed against them during the material periods of limitation, to justify their
prolonged detention;
4. At least one among them was physically injured
with fist blows and another subjected to electric shock torture in order to
extract confessions from them on the alleged crime. Even very
young children were included in the group.
All
these acts of the military are in evident violation of the human, legal and
constitutional rights of the victim in such cases, and results in the
unnecessary degradations and humiliation of these poor people before their
fellowmen, oppressive and high-handed.
To
the poor and unlettered whose good names and simple aspiration in life are the
only wealth they consider their own, such abuse they encountered at the hands
of the military opens the door to a sneaking senselessness of being law-abiding
citizens. It gives them a basis for concluding that they are no entities under
the law – that the laws were made only to favor the rich and to grind the poor.
A dismal feeling of hopelessness is created that ultimately erodes their
confidence in the government and law-enforcement agencies who are supposed to
implement the law impartially, without fear or favor.
I
have firmly resolved on my own to bring to your attention the challenge posed
by these abuses against our legitimate authority, our mettle, our efficacy and
our grit as the duly elected leaders of our constituency. The raging question
that stores us directly in the eye as real men is: Shall we act in the defense
of our people or do we abandon them in times of crisis when their rights and
safety are trampled upon and in danger? Shall we allow ourselves to be guided
by selfish political inclinations or by our sworn duty to defend and support
the constitution as imposed upon us under Sec. 4, Art. XV thereof. Shall we
turn our backs against the constitutional grant in our favor of supremacy of
civilian authority over the military under Sec. 8, Art. 11 of the constitution?
Is it not high time for us to assume these constitutional duty and grant of
superior authority in favor of our people, now that the military has slapped us
across our faces because they think they can always hide behind the barrel of
the gun?
Let no one ever under-estimate the courage
and intelligence of Marinduquenos. As long as we have faith in the belief that
reason and justice are more powerful than the gun, there is no reason why we
should not prevail in our quest against all kinds of abuses.
To run away in retreat
would be unmitigated cowardice under pressure and we would cease to be entitled
to receive any salary from our tax-paying people, the victims of the abuse
included, because of a plain and patent dereliction of duty on our part which
we owe to our people who expect so much from us in times of evil like this.
In
councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted
influence by the military, or any group for that matter, at the expense of our
liberties, because the potential for a disastrous rise of misplaced power
exists and will persist, unless we stand on the way.
Let
me caution you my friends that unless we condemn, resist and emphatically show
our displeasure against the abuses we are discussing now in the strongest
possible terms, we shall remain to be continuing victims of oppression from all
quarters, because of our timidity and acquiescence by silence.
It
is, therefore, clear that our rights, liberties and freedoms are not enough. Without eternal vigilance on our part, all
the liberties we hold sacred will be swept out to sea by the tide of tyranny
and despotism. Indeed, those who expect to reap the blessings of right and
freedom must bear the fatigue of supporting it, like true men. If we fail to
act now in the face of these transgressions, it would be like denying these
same freedoms to others while claiming them for ourselves. As Abraham Lincoln
had warned: “Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not”.
It
is unfortunate that the civil rights of our people were violated in the name of
law and order. But it would be doubly tragic and unfortunate if we sit back in
silence and allow this to pass unrebuked, also in the name of law and order.
Let us not forget that peace without justice is a tyranny, like in communist countries,
where peace is equated with the silence of the grave. We don’t want that kind
of peace, do we?
As
long as I am the Governor of this province, I will not and cannot allow it to
be said that I have consented to a reign of terror, fear and oppression in my
time. For all intents and purposes, this provincial capitol building is one
which I consider founded on the principles of peace, freedom and justice.
As
this provincial capitol housing this Session Hall where we are now, stands side
by side with Camp Col. Maximo Abad, let us remind the military personnel
occupying the camp that Maximo Abad was a patriot beloved by Marinduquenos and
the celebrated hero of the Battle of Pulang Lupa who fought for democracy and
independence, and that the use of this camp for arbitrary detention and
torture, is a desecration of his memory and an unacceptable insult to the
intelligence and sensibilities of the people of Marinduque.
I
therefore propose that we pass a resolution condemning the military abuse in
question and take all necessary action in the premises against such abuses,
with the aim in view of galvanizing public opinion against the same and prevent
a repetition thereof in the future by continuing vigilance on our part."
