28 March 2014 H.E. Benigno C.

Aquino III President of the Republic Malacaang Palace, Manila Philippines

Dear Mr. President, Greetings from Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP) and the Indigenous Human Rights Defenders Network (IPHRD Network) in Asia. We express our deep concern, alarm and condemnation on the unabated killings of indigenous peoples in the Philippines. We also express our disappointment and frustration with the Philippine governments slow and almost non-action towards the killings of indigenous peoples human rights defenders. These acts including the denial of justice are clearly in violation of the international and national human rights obligations of the government. We stand firm in demanding that the government account for the recent spate of political killings of indigenous peoples and ensure that justice shall prevail. Yet again, we received reliable reports and as reported in media outlets on the recent brutal killing of four indigenous peoples human rights defenders. The recent case is that of Mr. William Bugatti, a Tuwali from Ifugao, who was killed in the evening of March 25, 2014 while on his way to his home in Ifugao province, Cordillera. William is a Regional Council Member of the Cordillera Human Rights Alliance-KARAPATAN, a Regional Council Member of the Cordillera Peoples Alliance representing the Ifugao Peasant Movement and the Provincial Coordinator of Bayan Muna partylist. He was a very dedicated and hard working activist seeking for the improvement of marginalised indigenous communities. William is #21 of the 86th IB Target List out of 28 tagged as brains, members and supporters of the New Peoples Army (NPA). He has constantly been accused of being a member of the NPA and this resulted to notable incidents of surveillance and harassment against him derailing him from fully implementing his work. William is survived by his wife and three children. Another case is the massacre of Freddie Fermin Ligiw, Edie Ligiw and their father Licuben Ligiw on March 2, 2014 in Sukaw, Domenglay, Baay-Licuan, Abra allegedly by elements of the 41st Infantry Battalion. They were missing since March 2nd and their severely tortured bodies were exhumed on March 8th 2014 by a police investigation team. Fermin had been coerced to serve as a guide for the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on February 19, 2014 when they conducted a military operation against the NPA suspected to be present in the area. On March 4th, he was supposed to give his account to human rights workers on this violation against his person but he was never able to meet with them. That same day, the AFP forewarned the villagers not to go to the mountain because a military operation was going on. These incidents of gross human rights violations perpetuated against indigenous peoples leaders are taking place in the midst of their struggles to protect and defend their collective rights over their lands, territories and resources and to advance their welfare and aspirations. We believe it is not mere coincidence that development projects in indigenous territories are also being pursued by the government in these areas along with militarization. We have no doubt that the

systematic attack being made on indigenous peoples communities and their leaders is meant to stifle their opposition and struggle to defend their ancestral lands and against militarism. Of particular concern is the fact that those killed appear to have been carefully selected and intentionally targeted. We are alarmed that this escalating political repression in the form of extra judicial killings, harassments, vilification and intimidation will only aggravate the worsening conditions of indigenous peoples and is a clear affront to the avowed commitment of the government to respect human rights. These acts committed with impunity must end and justice be served to all the victims of human rights violations. Further, we demand the full respect of the collective rights of indigenous peoples especially to their lands, territories and resources, as well as to genuine peace in their territories as stipulated in the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA) and United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). The governments failure to protect the rights of its citizens and to timely address human rights violations is a breach of its obligations to various international instruments to which it is a party to. As a State Party to the UN Convention against Torture, the Philippine government is obliged to prevent acts of torture. Its failure to address the continuing vilification of human rights defenders leading to their extrajudicial killings is a breach of its obligation under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to provided for equal protection to the civil and political rights for all the citizens without discrimination. The failure of the Philippine government to promptly redress these human rights violation are in total contradiction with the principles defended by the UNDRIP to which the Philippine government voted in favour for its adoption. The 1987 Philippine Constitution likewise stipulates the promotion of the rights of indigenous cultural communities within the framework of national unity and development. The killings and threats mentioned above are also breaching those domestic provisions. According to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Part II, article 2, 3, a, which the Republic of the Philippines is a party, each State party to the Covenant undertakes: (a) To ensure that any person whose rights or freedoms as herein recognized are violated shall have an effective remedy, notwithstanding that the violation has been committed by persons acting in an official capacity. We therefore call on Your Excellency Benigno Aquino III and other concerned government agencies and institutions to: 1. Conduct immediately a thorough and impartial investigation on the killings of William Bugatti, Fermin, Eddie and Licuben Ligiw and the other indigenous leaders and activists killed before them and prosecute without impunity all those involved The investigation should not just look into the act themselves but also on the root cause of the issues. 2. Conduct an investigation on the alleged target list that includes the name of the victim, Mr. William Bugatti, and other indigenous leaders and development workers in Ifugao; 3. Organize an independent fact-finding and investigation team composed of representatives from human rights groups, the Church, local government, and other relevant indigenous peoples and human rights agencies and relevant committees in the Senate and House of Representatives;

4. Provide the immediate relief and security for the family of William Bugatti and the Ligiw family; 5. Immediately order the pullout of the military in indigenous communities and the dismantling of paramilitary forces in the country; 6. Take concrete steps to put an end to those aspects of counterinsurgency operations which have led to the targeting, vilification and execution of individuals working with civil society organizations, and the victimization of innocent and unarmed civilians; 7. Immediately direct all military officers to cease making public statements linking political or other civil society groups and their members to those engaged in armed insurgencies. 8. Invite the UN Special Rapporteur on Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions and the Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples to investigate the killings. Further, we reiterate our call for the creation of an inter-agency task force to investigate all the killings of indigenous peoples human rights defenders who now number 44 within the 45 months of the current regime. It is our hope that your administration will also give priority to the promotion and protection of the rights and welfare of indigenous peoples in our country.

Respectfully,

COPY FURNISHED TO: CC: Hon. Severo Catura Presidential Human Rights Committee Malacaang Palace, JP Laurel St., San Miguel Manila Philippines FAX: +63- 2 734 6761 Email: phrc.phil@gmail.com Hon. Nancy Catamco Chairperson National Cultural Communities Committee of the 15th Congress House of Representatives Batasan Complex, Quezon City Fax: +63029315106 Email address: repncatamco@yahoo.com; katutubongpilipino@yahoo.com Hon. Teddy Baguilat Vice Chairperson National Cultural Communities Committee of the 15th Congress House of Representatives Batasan Complex, Quezon City Fax: +63029315106 Email address: gstring_teddy@yahoo.com, katutubongpilipino@yahoo.com Ret. Lt. Gen. Voltaire T. Gazmin Secretary, Department of National Defense

Room 301 DND Building, Camp Emilio Aguinaldo, E. de los Santos Avenue, Quezon City Voice:+63(2) 911-6193 / 911-0488 / 982-5600 Fax:+63(2) 982-5600 Email: osnd@philonline.com, dnd.opla@gmail.com Atty. Leila De Lima Secretary, Department of Justice Padre Faura St., Manila Direct Line 521-1908 Trunkline 523-84-81 loc.211/214 Fax: (+632) 523-9548 Email: lmdelima@doj.gov.ph, lmdelima.doj@gmail.com, lmdelima.doj2@gmail.com Hon. Leonor T. Oralde-Quintayo Chairperson National Commission on Indigenous Peoples West Avenue, Quezon City, Philippines Email: ncipchairmansoffice@yahoo.com Hon. Loretta Ann P. Rosales Chairperson, Commission on Human Rights SAAC Bldg., UP Complex Commonwealth Avenue Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines Voice: (+632) 928-5655, 926-6188 Fax: (+632) 929 0102 Email: chair.rosales.chr@gmail.com, lorettann@gmail.com

Hon. Denis Habawel Governor Province of Ifugao Lagawe, Ifugao Email: denisbhabawel@yahoo.com

SIGNATORIES 1. Organizations # 1 2 3 ORGANIZATION Bangladesh Adivasi Forum Kapaeeng Foundation Trinamul Unnayan Sangstha COUNTRY Bangladesh Bangladesh Bangladesh

4 5 6 7 8 9

Cambodia Indigenous Youth Association (CIYA) Organisation for Promotion of Kui Culture in Cambodia Indigenous Community Support Organisation (I.C.S.O) Building Community Voices ( BCV) NGO Forum on Cambodia Indian Confederation of Indigenous and Tribal Peoples (ICITP) Borosa Foundation for Peace, Democracy and Human Rights Borok People's Human Rights Organisation(BPHRO) Borok Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Development Centre (BITPDC) Civil Society Womens Organization Centre for Research and Advocacy, Manipur Indigenous Women Forum in Northeast India (IWFNEI) Karbi Human Rights Watch (KHRW) Peoples Joint Action Committee for Boroland Movement Naga Peoples Movement for Human Rights (NPMHR) North East Peoples Alliance (NEPA) Aliansi Masyarakat Adat Nusantara - AMAN (Indigenous Peoples Alliance of the Archipelago) PEREMPUAN AMAN Barisan Pemuda Adat Nusantara (BPAN)/The Archipelago Indigenous Youth Front Association of Indigenous Peoples in the Ryukyus (AIPR) Shimin Gaikou Centre

Cambodia Cambodia Cambodia Cambodia Cambodia India

10

India

11 12

India India

13 14 15 16 17

India India India India India

18 19 20

India India Indonesia

21 22

Indonesia Indonesia

23

Japan

24

Japan

25

Jaringan Orang Asal SeMalaysia JOAS (Indigenous Peoples Network of Malaysia) Dignity International Pax Romana ICMICA Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NEFIN) Lawyers Association for Human Rights of Nepalese Indigenous Peoples (LAHURNIP) Kulung Indigenous Peoples being a Chairperson of Nepal Kirat Kulung Bhasa Sanskriti Utthan Sangh (NKKBSUS) Indigenous Women League Nepal Centre for 21st Century Issues (C21st) Damaan Development Organization Cordillera Peoples Alliance Cordillera Women's Education Action Research Center (CWEARC) Kalipunan ng mga Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas (KAMP) Philippine Task Force for Indigenous Peoples Rights (TFIP) Koalisyon ng mga Katutubong Samahan ng Pilipinas KASAPI Pikhumpongan Dlibon Subanen, Inc. (PDSI) Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center Kasama sa Kalikasan (LRC-KsK/Friends of the EarthPhilippines) College Editors Guild of the Philippines Grupo Intercultural ALMACIGA Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP)

Malaysia

26 27 28 29

Malaysia Malaysia Nepal Nepal

30

Nepal

31 32 33 34 35

Nepal Nigeria Pakistan Philippines Philippines

36

Philippines

37

Philippines

38

Philippines

39 40

Philippines Philippines

41 42 43

Philippines Spain Thailand

44

Indigenous Peoples Human Rights Defenders Network (IPHRD Network) Indigenous Knowledge and Peoples (IKAP) Forest Peoples Programme (FPP) Philippine Indigenous Peoples Links (PIPLinks) Global Council of the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines Center for Sustainable Development in Mountainous areas ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR)

Thailand

45 46 47 48

Thailand UK UK UK

49

Vietnam

50

2. Individuals as of April 1, 2014: # 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 Summary of Individual Signatories By Country Philippines Canada Australia USA Thailand Nepal UK India Indonesia Bangladesh Denmark Malaysia Sweden Cambodia Hongkong Germany Saudi Arabia Taiwan Belgium Ecuador Greece Israel

Number 160 21 15 13 10 9 9 8 7 6 6 6 4 3 3 2 2 2 1 1 1 1

23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

Russian Federation Singapore South Africa South Korea Sri Lanka Switzerland UAE Vietnam TOTAL

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 298