UA Date: 18 June 2007
UA Title: Human Rights Defender and Bohol Bayan Muna Secretary General gunned down in Bien Unido, Bohol, Philippines
UA Case: Assassination
Victim/s: Mario "Mayong" Auxilio
· 50 years old, farmer, married with 1 child
· Male
· A resident of Cabiguhan, Trinidad, Bohol, Philippines
· Secretary General, Bayan Muna-Bohol
· Former Regional Coordinator, Bayan Muna-Central Visayas
· Former Secretary General, Hugpong sa mga Mag-uumang Bol-anon (HUMABOL) "Association of Farmers in Bohol"
Place of Incident: in front of a store in a public market in Brgy. Poblacion, Bien Unido, Bohol, Philippines
Date of Incident: 15 June 2007, between 10:00-11:00 in the evening
Alleged Perpetrators: Hilario "Larry" Mandahao Diola, a known military asset of the 15th Infantry
Battalion Philippine Army (IBPA) and a member of Alimaong "Holy Warriors" – a fanatical anti-communist vigilante group organized and supervised by the 15th IBPA.
Account of Incident –
On June 15, 2007, Friday, between 10:00-11:00 in the evening, Mario "Mayong" Auxilio arrived at Brgy. Poblacion, Bien Unido, Bohol after a meeting with the farmers in Brgy. Panaghiusa in Trinidad. He was talking to a friend, who assisted him in coordinating with the farmers in Brgy. Bongbong for a meeting set the following day. They were talking in front of a store while Hilario "Larry" Diola, a known military asset of the 15th IBPA and other unidentified men were seen loitering around the area.
Although it was not unusual to see Larry in the area, Mayong became wary of the presence of other unidentified men so late in the evening. He bade goodbye to his friend and decided to go home. Mayong and Larry knew each other, since the former had extended medical assistance to the latter through Bayan Muna's medical assistance program.
As Mayong was about to board his motorcycle, Larry pulled out a .38-caliber revolver and without warning fired at the victim. He aimed at the victim's head but the latter was able to slightly dodge, hitting him in the left jaw and left shoulder instead. Mayong was also hit in his left thigh.
The victim slumped on the ground while Larry escaped by running towards the back of the store. No one dared to pursue the perpetrator out of fear as he was armed and dangerous. The unidentified men also left the area.
His friends and other witnesses brought Mayong to Talibon District Hospital but he was later transferred to the Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital in Tagbilaran City.
Mayong succumbed to three gunshot wounds at around 10:00 am of Sunday, June 17, 2007.
Aside from leading protests against abuses of the 15th IBPA, Mayong was recently at the forefront of the protest on June, 13, 2007 against the prospective seismic testing for oil exploration in Bohol strait.
In February, he led fishers, in protesting before the regional office of the Commission of Human Rights in Cebu for the beastly acts of the Philippine National Police-Regional Mobile Group (PNP-RMG), Bantay Dagat (Sea Patrol) force, and fish wardens of strafing them, including minors, off the coast of Bien Unido, Talibon and Carlos P. Garcia towns.
Four years ago, on September 26, 2003, Mayong was abducted and tortured by alleged agents of the Regional Intelligence and Investigation Division (RIID) of the PNP Regional Office in Cebu City.
The victim was the secretary general of Bayan Muna (People First), a duly accredited national political party that promotes the rights and welfare of the marginalized sectors of the country – the workers, peasants, fisherfolk, indigenous peoples, urban poor and other down-trodden –by actively pushing urgent people's concerns in the halls of the Philippine Congress.
Bayan Muna members have long been considered by the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police as enemies of the state under the counterinsurgency Operation Oplan Bantay Laya or Operation Freedom Watch.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Send letters, emails or fax messages calling for:
1. The immediate formation of an independent fact-finding and investigation team composed of representatives from human rights groups, the Church, local government, and the Commission on Human Rights that will look into the assassination of Mario Auxilio.
2. The arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators of the crime/s of assassination.
3. The immediate and proper indemnification of the victims; and
4. The Philippine Government to be reminded that it is a signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and that it is also a party to all the major Human Rights instruments, thus it is bound to observe all of these instruments' provisions.
You may send your communications to:
President of the Republic
Malacanang Palace ,
JP Laurel St., San Miguel
Manila Philippines
Voice: (+632) 564 1451 to 80
Fax: (+632) 742-1641 / 929-3968
Cell#: (+ 63) 919 898 4622 / (+63) 917 839 8462
E-mail: corres@op.gov.ph / opnet@ops.gov.ph
Department of National Defense
Room 301 DND Building, Camp Emilio Aguinaldo,
E. de los Santos Avenue
Quezon City
Voice:+63(2) 911-9281 / 911-0488
Fax:+63(2) 911 6213
osnd@philonline.com
Sec.
Raul M. Gonzalez
Secretary, Department of Justice
Padre Faura St., Manila
Direct
Line 521-8344; 5213721
Trunkline 523-84-81 loc.214
Fax: (+632) 521-1614
Email sad@doj.gov.ph;
http://www.doj.gov.ph/contact.html
Chairperson, Commission on Human Rights
SAAC Bldg., UP Complex
Commonwealth Avenue
Diliman, Quezon City
Philippines
Fax: (+632) 929 0102
Email: drpvq@chr.gov.ph
Please send us a copy of your email/mail/fax to the said government official to our address below.
URGENT ACTION Prepared by:
KARAPATAN (Alliance for the Advancement of People's Rights)-National Office
1 Maaralin cor Matatag St., Brgy. Central, Quezon City 1100 PHILIPPINES
Voice/Fax: (+632) 435 4146
Emails: <karapatan@tri-isys.com > / karapatan@edsamail.com.ph / karapatan.pid@gmail.com
Website: www.karapatan.org