Ibp Statement - Maguindanao Massacre

INTEGRATED BAR OF THE PHILIPPINES DAVAO CITY CHAPTER

IBP Legal Resource Center, B. Aquino Hall of Justice Compound Candelario St., Ecoland, Davao City Telefax No. (082) 296-0070; (082) 299-0753 Email Address: [email protected]

Board of Officers: (2009-2011) Socorro T. Ermac Cabreros President

STATEMENT OF THE INTEGRATED BAR OF THE PHILIPPINESDAVAO CITY CHAPTER ON THE MASS MURDER OF INNOCENT CIVILIANS IN SHARIFF AGUAK, MAGUINDANAO ON NOVEMBER 23, 2009

Cres Dan D. Bangoy Vice President

Robert Michael N. Razon Secretary

Antoinette G. Principe Treasurer

Lucilo B. Sarona, Jr.

The Integrated Bar of the Philippines-Davao City Chapter strongly condemns the abduction and mass murder of the group of innocent civilians in the town of Shariff Aguak in Maguindanao Province on November 23, 2009. Reportedly, members of a political clan were on a convoy of several vehicles to file their candidates’ certificates of candidacy at the Commission on Elections (C0MELEC) office in Shariff Aguak accompanied by a number of media practitioners and their two lady lawyers when they were waylaid by group of armed men allied with a rival political clan, who later abducted and killed all those in the convoy.

Auditor

Martin B. Delgra III

Public Relations Officer

Board of Directors: January Faye L. Risonar Jessie Marvin G. Melodias Jonathan M. Jocom Heraclio T. Malaki III Jaime M. Lopoz, Jr.

Manuel P. Quibod

Immediate Past President & Ex-Officio Member

The manner by which the crime was executed is the lowest of its kind as it clearly shows the depravity and the lack of respect for human life by the perpetrators. There is no legal nor moral justification whatsoever for the mass murder of innocent civilians who have family members who rely on them. The IBP Davao City Chapter doubly denounces and deplores the killing of the two lady lawyers who were there to simply assist their clients in the practice of their profession and the media practitioners who were also there to witness democracy at work. Reports of the rape and mutilation of some of those killed seriously aggravate these terrible crimes and utterly have no place in our civilized society governed by the rule of law. We firmly appeal to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to exercise her utmost political will by immediately ordering the leadership of the Philippines National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines to conduct a thorough, swift and impartial investigation of these heinous crimes and bring the perpetuators to the bars of justice – who ever are responsible. This gruesome murders should and ought not to be dismissed and classified as simply another political killings which is prevalent in our ever fragile democracy, for to do so is to degenerate in our political maturity as a nation and worst, makes us complacent to think and act like the perpetuators themselves who, in their sick and neurotic mind, think that democracy is won by the barrel of the gun and the enormous wealth and power of those in power.

Atty. Socorro Ermac Cabreros Chapter President

Atty. Martin B. Delgra III Public Relations Officer