BAGUIO CITY - A warrant of
arrest has been issued against Cordillera People’s Alliance chairperson, Windel
Bolinget for murder.
A police officer filed a murder case against Bolinget in a court in Tagum City, Davao del Norte in 2020.
The CPA said Bolinget and nine other individuals were accused of the murder of Garito Tiklonay Malibato in Barangay Gupitan, Kapalong, Davao del Norte. “Windel Bolinget has never been to that place,” the CPA said.
A news report dated March 30, 2018 pointed to paramilitary group ALAMARA as perpetrators of the crime.
“Bolinget did not commit any murder or physical harm against any individual. The trumped-up case is obviously meant to silence him and the CPA from asserting indigenous peoples’ rights and human rights against the threat of destructive large scale mining operations and destructive energy projects in the region,” the CPA said in their statement.
“Bolinget is not the first nor will he be the last victim of trumped-up charges if these twisted narratives are not corrected and if the perpetrators are allowed to freely propagate such gruesome tactics against political dissenters. This and all other malicious accusations that endanger lives and threatens democracy must stop.”
Representatives from the CPA at a press conference here said “these are state attacks against human rights defenders including the demolition of the Cordillera Heroes Monument in Bugnay, Tinglayan, Kalinga.”
In a news report on March 23, 2018, the Karadyawan, an organization of indigenous peoples in Kapalong, Davao del Norte, and the PASAKA, organization of Indigenous Peoples in Southern Mindanao, pointed to the paramilitary group ALAMARA as the ones who shot dead Karadyawan member Garito Malibato. In addition, a relative of Malibato expressed that Malibato has been receiving death threats from the ALAMARA prior to his killing.
Since before Christmas, Bolinget’s residence and home towns have reportedly been put under surveillance, with members and assets of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine National Police in search for him.
Based on information gathered by the CPA, the manhunt intensified just before the New Year.
The Bolinget family and CPA said they fear “tokhang”-style execution (extrajudicial killing under the pretext of “resisting arrest” or “nanlaban/fought back”) if Bolinget is arrested and even during his transportation to Davao Del Norte where he should face his case.
“Bolinget did not commit any murder or physical harm against any individual. The trumped-up case is obviously meant to silence him and the CPA from asserting indigenous peoples’ rights and human rights against development aggression (destructive mining and dam projects) and rights violations. It is the latest of a series of attacks against Bolinget,” the CPA said.
In 2006, Bolinget was reportedly included in a military hit list, along with other leaders of the CPA. In Feb. 2018, his name and that of former CPA leaders were included in the Department of Justice’s terrorist list. Their names were eventually dropped from the list.
“Since April 2020, the attacks against Bolinget especially through social media has intensified in an unprecedented manner. Hundreds of Facebook posts tagged him along with his colleagues at CPA as communists and terrorists, and portrayed them as evil
Early in the morning of December 10, 2020 (International Human Rights Day), flyers were reportedly scattered along the road 80 meters away from Bolinget’s house in La Trinidad, Benguet to Baguio City.
The flyers showed a photo of Bolinget and other individuals, with text saying Bolinget is immoral and a recruiter of the armed revolutionary group New People’s Army. The same flyers were also posted in various areas in Baguio City.
The CPA said Bolinget belongs to the Kankanaey and Bontok indigenous peoples in Mountain Province. He had been an environment defender and human rights activist for more than half of his life. To date, he served the CPA for 23 years as Education Commission Officer, Secretary General and now Chairperson. He was known as an indigenous activist strongly committed to his work.
A police officer filed a murder case against Bolinget in a court in Tagum City, Davao del Norte in 2020.
The CPA said Bolinget and nine other individuals were accused of the murder of Garito Tiklonay Malibato in Barangay Gupitan, Kapalong, Davao del Norte. “Windel Bolinget has never been to that place,” the CPA said.
A news report dated March 30, 2018 pointed to paramilitary group ALAMARA as perpetrators of the crime.
“Bolinget did not commit any murder or physical harm against any individual. The trumped-up case is obviously meant to silence him and the CPA from asserting indigenous peoples’ rights and human rights against the threat of destructive large scale mining operations and destructive energy projects in the region,” the CPA said in their statement.
“Bolinget is not the first nor will he be the last victim of trumped-up charges if these twisted narratives are not corrected and if the perpetrators are allowed to freely propagate such gruesome tactics against political dissenters. This and all other malicious accusations that endanger lives and threatens democracy must stop.”
Representatives from the CPA at a press conference here said “these are state attacks against human rights defenders including the demolition of the Cordillera Heroes Monument in Bugnay, Tinglayan, Kalinga.”
In a news report on March 23, 2018, the Karadyawan, an organization of indigenous peoples in Kapalong, Davao del Norte, and the PASAKA, organization of Indigenous Peoples in Southern Mindanao, pointed to the paramilitary group ALAMARA as the ones who shot dead Karadyawan member Garito Malibato. In addition, a relative of Malibato expressed that Malibato has been receiving death threats from the ALAMARA prior to his killing.
Since before Christmas, Bolinget’s residence and home towns have reportedly been put under surveillance, with members and assets of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine National Police in search for him.
Based on information gathered by the CPA, the manhunt intensified just before the New Year.
The Bolinget family and CPA said they fear “tokhang”-style execution (extrajudicial killing under the pretext of “resisting arrest” or “nanlaban/fought back”) if Bolinget is arrested and even during his transportation to Davao Del Norte where he should face his case.
“Bolinget did not commit any murder or physical harm against any individual. The trumped-up case is obviously meant to silence him and the CPA from asserting indigenous peoples’ rights and human rights against development aggression (destructive mining and dam projects) and rights violations. It is the latest of a series of attacks against Bolinget,” the CPA said.
In 2006, Bolinget was reportedly included in a military hit list, along with other leaders of the CPA. In Feb. 2018, his name and that of former CPA leaders were included in the Department of Justice’s terrorist list. Their names were eventually dropped from the list.
“Since April 2020, the attacks against Bolinget especially through social media has intensified in an unprecedented manner. Hundreds of Facebook posts tagged him along with his colleagues at CPA as communists and terrorists, and portrayed them as evil
Early in the morning of December 10, 2020 (International Human Rights Day), flyers were reportedly scattered along the road 80 meters away from Bolinget’s house in La Trinidad, Benguet to Baguio City.
The flyers showed a photo of Bolinget and other individuals, with text saying Bolinget is immoral and a recruiter of the armed revolutionary group New People’s Army. The same flyers were also posted in various areas in Baguio City.
The CPA said Bolinget belongs to the Kankanaey and Bontok indigenous peoples in Mountain Province. He had been an environment defender and human rights activist for more than half of his life. To date, he served the CPA for 23 years as Education Commission Officer, Secretary General and now Chairperson. He was known as an indigenous activist strongly committed to his work.
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