of the Philippines the criminal justice system is - Article 2

Badilla, Palawan....
jurisdiction, but at least two officials, Vice-Mayor Larry Vidal and
Councillor Martin Ilagan, expressed their support for its
operations.
Fr. Dionisio Ging-ging: Another priest stabbed to death
On 8 October 2006, a few days after the slaying of Bishop
Ramento (following story), Fr. Dionisio Ging-ging, also a priest of
the Iglesia Filipina Independiente, was murdered in a similar
manner in Barangay Bajao, Tago, Surigao del Sur.
At around 5am, Fr. Ging-ging was on his way to Sunday mass
when three hooded men stopped him outside his house and
stabbed and hacked him to death.
As in the case of Bishop Ramento (see below), the investigating
police quickly attributed the killing, this time to the settling of a
personal score.
Bishop Alberto Ramento:
“I know they are going to kill me next”
Bishop Alberto Ramento (69) of the Iglesia Filipina
Independiente (IFI) was found dead in his room on the 2nd floor
of his parish in San Sebastian, Espinoza Street, Tarlac City at
around 4am on 3 October 2006. He had been fatally stabbed seven
times.
On the day of the incident itself the police announced that
Bishop Ramento was a victim of robbery with homicide,
immediately dismissing a possible alternative motive. They based
their conclusion on earlier reports of break-ins at the San
Sebastian Church and also because the bishop’s cellular phone
and ring were missing. Two days after, they pronounced the case
“solved”, following the arrest of four alleged suspects in Tarlac
City, all of whom had criminal records.
However, Bishop Ramento’s family and fellow clergy believe
that his murder was methodically planned and motivated in
revenge for his work for the poor. They were dissatisfied with
the police investigation. They maintain that the bishop had
received several death threats before his killing and had told his
family, “I know they are going to kill me next. But never will I
abandon my duty to God and my ministry to the people.” However,
the police have resorted to labelling accusations that his death
was politically motivated as being “propaganda”.
Bishop Ramento had publicly criticised the administration for
its failure to stop the constant extrajudicial killings in the
Philippines or launch independent investigations into them. In
an open letter to President Arroyo on 7 September 2006, the IFI
Executive Commission, of which Bishop Ramento was a member,
called on the president to step down because of the failure of her
government to stop the killings.
21
VICTIM: Dionisio Ging-ging
INCIDENT: Killing
ALLEGED PERPETRATORS:
Three unidentified men
DATE: 8 October 2006
AHRC UA-337-2006
22
VICTIM: Alberto Ramento
INCIDENT: Killing
ALLEGED PERPETRATOR:
Unknown
DATE: 3 October 2006
AHRC UA-331-2006
article 2 • February 2007 Vol. 6, No. 1 43