PRO-Cor probes human rights advocate’s shooting in Ifugao

Army denies role in assassination job 

LAGAWE, Ifugao – The Police Regional Office has started an investigation on the shooting of a human rights advocate, also a contributor for a weekly newspaper in Northern Luzon who was seriously hurt after being shot in front of his house here Tuesday.

Brandon Lee, 37, of the Baguio-based Cordillera Human Rights Alliance was immediately brought to the hospital after the shooting.

Lee was reportedly an American-Chinese national with an Ifugao wife.

Maj. Carolina Lacuata, PROCOR public information office chief, said they have created a task group to probe the shooting of Brandon Lee, a consultant of the Ifugao Peasant Movement.

 “Their order is to conduct an in-depth investigation for the immediate identification of the perpetrator or perpetrators and to determine the motive of the shooting,” Lacuata said.

 Lee was shot in front of their residence in Sitio Dugong, Barangay Tungngod, Lagawe, Ifugao around 5:40 p.m. on August 6.

He was rushed to the Ifugao General Hospital Clinic in Natuwolan, Lagawe for medical treatment.

Lee sustained a gunshot wound on his face and another on his back area.

Lacuata said the victim is still in the Intensive Care Unit (Unit) following the surgery in the early evening of Thursday.

According to CHRA, Lee is a paralegal volunteer of the non-government Ifugao Peasant Movement and a contributor to Northern Dispatch, a newspaper and online news site that covers the Ilocos, Cordillera and Cagayan Valley regions.

Lee was among the activists whom the military supposedly tagged as supporters and members of the New People's Army in 2015.

"Weeks and days before this incident, the 54th [Infantry Battalion, Philippine Army] frequented the Ifugao Peasant Movement office as well as the residences of Brandon and other officers of the Justice and Peace Advocates of Ifugao conversing with them, gathering data, and intimidating them," CHRA said in a report on the shooting by Northern Dispatch.

Barangay officials and members of local people's organizations have also been tagged as rebels, including Montabiong (Lagawe) chairman Edwin Bumolyad, Tulludan (Tinoc) kagawad Nonoy Bangtiwen and Tpaya (Lagawe) kagawad Dick Tangid. 

Tangid is vice chairperson of IPM.

In a statement, the PRO-Cor said it “strongly condemns the criminal act perpetrated by unidentified suspect/s”.

The incident was reported to the Lagawe Police Station through a neighbor of the victim, who said Lee was already rushed to IGH Clinic in Natuwolan, Cudog in the capital town by his neighbors.

The PROCor statement said its “leadership immediately ordered the activation of the Provincial Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) led by the provincial police director of Ifugao under the supervision of the deputy regional director for operations to conduct an in depth investigation for the immediate identification of the perpetrator/s and to determine the motive of the shooting.” 

Cordillera police director Brig. Gen. Israel Ephraim T. Dickson urged the public, “especially those who have any knowledge about the incident to cooperate with the authorities for the speedy solution of the case and that justice will be served. While we are conducting extensive investigation, we also request the assistance of the public to help us by giving relevant and timely information.”

This, as the non-government Philippine Task Force for Indigenous Peoples’ Rights condemned Lee’s shooting.

“The shooting incident that led to Brandon’s severe injuries is the latest incident of attacks against indigenous peoples’ rights defenders and advocates under Duterte’s de facto martial rule in the whole Philippines. The IPM and some indigenous leaders in Ifugao were continuously harassed and threatened by state agents. They were accused as being commanders of the NPA and were even included in order-of-battle lists by the AFP units based in Ifugao. Lately, they were maliciously named as terrorists with their names and even photos posted around the streets in the province,” the PTFIP said in a statement.

“Brandon Lee and the staff of IPM are development workers. They conduct education and information dissemination on pressing peoples’ issues such as big dam projects, effects of climate change, human rights violations, among others.

They frequent schools and communities and enjoin the people to be aware and act as they will be the ones who will inherit and enjoy the rich Ifugao in the future.

“We believe that these are not acts of terrorists but by people and organizations concerned for the genuine development of Ifugao communities,” said PTFIP executive director Jill Carino.

Despite allegations elements of the 54th IB were involved in the shooting, the army battalion’s top brass said in a statement they were condemning Lee’s shooting.

“We assure the peace-loving citizens and the IPM that we will fully support the ongoing investigation of the PNP on the shooting. At this instance, the officers and men of 54IB condemn the shooting incident and inhumane act to Brandon Lee in the strongest terms. We are looking forward for his fast recovery, said Lt. Col Narciso B. Nabulneg Jr., commander of 54IB

“I also appeal to the people of Ifugao and to the general public as a whole to give any information to the authorities that could lead to the immediate apprehension of the perpetrator/s in soonest possible time,” Nabulneg added.