March

25, 2015

Statement on the First Death Anniversary of Human Rights Worker, William Bugatti

On this day last year, William Bugatti Cordillera Human Rights Alliance (CHRA) Regional
Council member and Ifugao Peasant Movement (IPM) leader attended the court hearing of
activists Rene Boy Abiva and Virgilio Corpuz, who are unjustly detained in Lagawe. They
were represented by Atty. Catherine Salucon of the National Union of Peoples Lawyers
(NUPL).

He reminded Atty. Salucon to always be watchful about her security as he noticed that State
security forces were monitoring her movements as she was lawyering for human rights
victims.

William Bugatti was also subjected to such. The surveillance and harassment heightened in
2012 when an Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Target List named him as utak ng
New Peoples Army (brains of the New Peoples Army) with 27 other people - activists,
human rights workers, members and leaders of peoples organizations in Ifugao. These
actions are part of the Aquino governments Oplan Bayanihan implementation patterned
after the United States Counter Insurgency Guide with the objective of stopping political
dissent against the government. With this, political dissidents including activists working
within the very limited democratic space in Philippine society are subjected to
neutralization. Different methods are employed such as political vilification, threats,
harassment or intimidation, filing of false charges, unjust arrest and detention, and even
enforced disappearance or extrajudicial killing.

Despite these challenges, William persisted in his commitment to serve the people of Ifugao
- serving the militarized communities and political prisoners in the province, facilitating
relief and rehabilitation services to disaster-stricken communities and socio-economic
projects to communities to help ease government abandonment of social services and
working for indigenous peoples rights and human rights.

He courageously lived the message he wanted to bring across - that it is right to humbly
serve the people and work for the welfare, development and rights of the oppressed and
exploited.

While he was driving his motorcycle home at around past 6 in the evening on March 25,
2015, he was shot from the back three times.

We hold the Aquino government accountable for his extrajudicial killing.

State aggression continues in Ifugao subjecting Williams colleagues in the Ifugao Peasant
Movement (IPM) to political vilification, surveillance and harassment. Among them are
Nestor Peralta, Claudine Panayo, Billy Karty, Ben Calingayan, Brandon Lee, Montabiong,
Lagawe Barangay Captain Edwin Bumolyad, Nonoy Bangtiwan and Dick Tangid - barangay

officials of Tulludan, Tinoc and Tupaya, Lagawe respectively, Ricardo Mayumi and Engineer
James Tayaban. Atty. Salucon continues to observe that she is under surveillance despite a
March 12, 2015 Court of Appeals decision granting her the Writs of Amparo and Habeas
Data for her protection.

In these difficult times, we continue to pay tribute to William, who remained steadfast in his
commitment to serve the people until his last breath.

We urge the people to join us in honoring him by calling for justice for the extrajudicial
killing of William and by supporting the human rights workers and activists in Ifugao who
are currently being subjected to State aggression.#


JUSTICE FOR WILLIAM BUGATTI!
JUSTICE FOR ALL VICTIMS OF EXTRAJUDICIAL KILLINGS!

STOP THE POLITICAL VILIFICATION AND HARASSMENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND
INDIGENOUS PEOPLES RIGHTS DEFENDERS IN IFUGAO!

SCRAP OPLAN BAYANIHAN!


For reference:

Audrey Beltran
Secretary General
Cordillera Human Rights Alliance