of the Philippines the criminal justice system is - Article 2

At the time of his death, Gojol was counsel in cases involving
defense of the rights of the poor. He was also legal counsel for
Sotero Llamas, a consultant of the National Democratic Front,
who was killed in May. The presidentially-appointed Melo
Commission recorded the following in its January 2007 report
concerning that case (pages 43–44):
Sotero Llamas joined the CPP/NPA during the martial law regime of
President Marcos; he was forced to go underground because he was an
active member of the Kabataang Makabayan. After he was captured in
May 1995, he was granted amnesty under the Joint Agreement on Security
and Immunity Guarantee. He thereafter served as political consultant
for the NDF in the peace negotiations between the NDF and the GRP
from 1997 to 2004. He also served as political affairs director of the Party
List Bayan Muna. In the 2004 elections, he ran for in Albay but lost.
On May 29, 2006, at about 8:30 a.m., while on board a multi-cab which
was maneuvering to make a u-turn, three men on board a motorcycle
approached the right side of the multi-cab and at close range fired several
shots, hitting Llamas once on the head and thrice on the body while the
driver sustained one gunshot wound on the right arm. Llamas was
pronounced dead upon arrival in the hospital.
Two alleged eyewitnesses, a male pedicab driver and a 19-year old female
student, who were not named in the file, supposedly identified one of
the gunmen as Edgardo Sevilla, allegedly a member of the Communist
Terrorist group operating in the first and second districts of Albay. The
two witnesses were supposedly presented before the Office of the
Regional State Prosecutor and they affirmed their statements positively
identifying Edgardo Sevilla and one Edgar Calag. According to the police,
their intelligence report disclosed that Edgardo Sevilla is currently an
NPA commander while Edgardo Calag, a discharged Phil. Army special
forces member who went AWOL after killing his detachment commander,
is “believed to be an NPA member operating in Albay and Sorsogon.”
8
VICTIM: Renato Estrella
INCIDENT: Killing
ALLEGED PERPETRATOR:
Unidentified gunman
DATE: 12 December 2006
AHRC UA-004-2007
9
VICTIM: Crisanto Frivaldo
INCIDENT: Killing
ALLEGED PERPETRATORS:
Unidentified gunmen
DATE: 11 December 2006
AHRC UA-004-2007
34
Renato Estrella: Killed for opposing the military?
At around 6pm on 12 December 2006 Renato Estrella (58), a
barangay (village) chief of Atlag, Malolos City, was shot in the
head at close range by a gunman in Sitio Buhangin. Estrella
died on the way to the Santos General Hospital in Malolos City.
The police have claimed that Estrella’s death was possibly
perpetrated by a rebel hit squad. However, according to the Bagong
Alyansang Makabayan (New Patriotic Alliance) in Central Luzon,
Estrella had received threats on his life, allegedly from the
military. Estrella had opposed the deployment of government
troops in his area.
Crisanto Frivaldo: Murdered while caring for baby
Crisanto Frivaldo, a student at Aquinas University College of
Law, was shot dead by hooded gunmen in his house in San Julian,
Irosin, Sorsogon on 11 December 2006, while caring for his twomonth-old
baby. He died from five gunshot wounds: one to his
head and four to his chest.
Frivaldo was the younger brother of former councilor and Bayan
Muna party municipal coordinator Maximo Frivaldo, who was
himself shot dead on 30 January 2006.
article 2 • February 2007 Vol. 6, No. 1