Sierra Madre violence strikes fear among environmental advocates

INSIDE PCIJ: Stories behind our stories
Sierra Madre violence strikes fear among environmental advocates
June 6, 2006 at 7:01 pm � Posted by Luz Rimban
Filed under General, Environment Issues

THE killings of activists and journalists have left a chill in the hearts of anti-logging advocates in the Sierra Madre area.

The Diocese of Infanta is worried over the safety of Fr. Pete Montallana, coordinator of the Diocese's indigenous peoples' apostolate. Fr. Pete works mainly with the Agta community and is an outspoken advocate against illegal logging in Quezon and Aurora where more than a thousand people died or went missing from flashfloods that hit
these two provinces in December 2004. Some environmentalists believe the flashfloods were caused by illegal logging.

Last April 22, Marilou Sanchez and Virgilio Rubio of General Nakar, were shot dead allegedly for being members of the New People's Army. They were killed, according to a report by the Asian Human Rights Commission, reportedly by members of the 16th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army. The killings came in the wake of the still unsolved disappearance last March of environmental activist Joey Estriber who was believed abducted by armed men. Estriber was based in Baler, Aurora province.

A year ago, journalist Felipe Agustin of Dingalan in Aurora province was also shot dead. Agustin was the editor and publisher of the local paper Starline Times.

According to the Task Force Usig of the Philippine National Police, 122 members of party list organizations and 155 "militants" have been killed since 2001. The PNP also counts 42 journalists killed in the same period.


Today Fr. Pete sent journalists this letter:

Before I Become Just Part of Statistics�

May 25, 2006 there was a dialogue between the military and the local government officials, Church people led by the Bishop Rolando Tria Tirona, NGOs and peoples' organizations of Real, Infanta, and General Nakar. The outcome of the dialogue was good in the sense that there would be regular dialogue between the military and the group mentioned above. I was one of those who expressed concern about the actuations of the military. I also revealed to the group that the military has been telling people that I am an NPA.

May 27, 2006 there were propaganda materials distributed in Infanta and General Nakar accusing me as a communist: " a devil wearing a habit" who is spreading the "ideology of communism" and that I received 1 billion pesos from The Netherlands for the indigenous people. It asked why this was not used for the indigenous people instead of being used to fund a bloody revolution. The propaganda material was signed by National Alliance for Democracy (NAD).

By the way the same kind of paper and the same print was used in the propaganda material released by NAD last April 29, 2006 during the village assembly in Barangay Magsikap accusing the NPA as the killers of Marilou Sanchez and Virgilio Rubio last April 22, 2006. That accusation was questioned by a resident of Magsikap because no thorough investigation has yet been made. I supported the stance of that person. I said that there are two suspects: one, the military who also said that they are being blamed by the leftists; the other, the NPA according to the military.

Sotero Llamas who left the NPA was killed recently. He has become another statistic. Today 2 other people were killed in Samar. I know that with the propaganda against me, I could be next. My Bishop Roland Tria Tirona has advised to take precautions.

Thanks be to the grace from God I am not afraid to die � I am able to sleep soundly at night. I am aware that guns will not fire if it is not the will of the Father. I will continue in my mission with the Agtas and with those taken advantaged of. If the people behind the propaganda have plans, the Holy Spirit, the all powerful One, has also plans. I only ask for your prayers that I may made worthy when my time has come. Hopefully I can be of help to wake up all Filipinos to become brother-sister to one another especially to the poor. We have the duty to transform our country.

Fr. Pete Montallana
June 6, 2006

P.S. 2 or 3 years ago I presided over the funeral of my cousin, Jun Villanueva, a radio announcer in Albay espousing the cause of the poor, who was also killed by gunmen riding on motorcycle. It is alarming where our country is heading to.