From the wall of Cynthia Dacanay Jaramillo: -------------------- Today, October 4 is the first month death anniversary of our DEARLY BELOVED PAPA AJ. 2 days from now, it will also be his birthday. We have prepared a gift for him. The poem which AJ wrote for Raia and Cholo entitled “Fireflies in the Forest” has been made into a beautiful song. This was first sung during AJ’s tribute at UP Baguio and rendered by our lovely daughter Raia. This endeavor has been made possible by close friends who helped in arranging this to become a lullaby. We hope that this song would reach as many children as possible, especially those from the poor and marginalized communities of the Cordillera where AJ served and fought for a long time to realize a future for children who will no longer suffer because of poverty, hunger and neglect and attain a society where children would be tenderly cared for and sufficiently provided with their basic needs in life. Let us all carry on AJ’s dream. We love you very much Papa! Thank you to Julie, Luchie, Lingling, Mutya (Gaea) for helping us on this project. --------------------------- STATEMENT of the Family of Arnold B. Jaramillo on the CONDUCT OF THE AFP’s OPERATIONS IN LACUB ABRA ON SEPT. 4 2014 No words can express the grief of our family over the loss of our beloved ARNOLD “AJ” B. JARAMILLO. But we are not simply grieving for AJ, we are deeply disturbed and enraged by the manner of his death. AJ was killed in an alleged encounter with the military on September 4, 2014 in Guinguinabang, Lacub, Abra. The 41st Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army claimed responsibility for AJ’s death reporting that he was a casualty during a gun battle with the New People’s Army (NPA). The chief of the Northern Luzon Command even declared that, to quote, “It’s confirmed he was among the slain rebels. We scored big in this particular encounter against the NPA.” However, our family finds it hard to believe that what transpired was actually an encounter, considering the autopsy report. Since the time Arnold decided to join the New People’s Army (NPA) and took up arms for the cause he believed in, we have prepared ourselves for the possibility that he might get caught and be incarcerated or die in a gun battle with the AFP. Although we hoped that this moment would never come, it did come. And even if we prepared ourselves for such an eventuality, the news about his death still came as a shock to us. After the initial shock came the ordeal of receiving his disfigured body, showing signs of how much he may have suffered before his death, or how his body may have been mutilated. The autopsy report confirmed what we feared the most. The official autopsy and narrative report of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) indicates that AJ was brutally and inhumanely killed by the military. Dr. Ronald Bandonill, the Medico-legal Officer of the NBI CAR-Baguio, narrates that Arnold’s body was riddled with multiple gunshot wounds on his back and lower extremities. One particular gunshot wound was fired close-range, as the skin surrounding the bullet’s point of entry had a burnt appearance. AJ’s arms were riddled with bullets down to his wrists and thumbs. Due to the multiple gunshot wounds, his internal organs appeared “macerated”, and his body appeared porous like a “sponge”. There was also a massive laceration of his upper lip, that his upper and lower jaws were fractured, “shattering both jaws inward into his throat”, necessitating the embalmer to insert cement into his mouth to keep the architecture of his mouth intact. We believe AJ was slain in a brutal and inhumane manner and the authorities must answer for this. If he died in a legitimate gun battle with the AFP, we would not be raising these issues, as the risk of untimely death was expected given the path he had chosen. But as the autopsy report shows, the gun shots were all inflicted from the back, suggesting that he was probably caught first or was running away when shot at close range. Dr. Bandonill surmised that AJ was felled by a high powered firearm, and his entire body including extremities riddled with bullets, indicating that those who killed him did not only ensure AJ was dead but also mutilated his body. It is equally disturbing that the bodies of the 6 other members of the NPA who were killed and the 2 civilians who became casualties during the same military operation seem to have suffered similar fate. All their families are as horrified as we are to see the bodies of their loved ones showing various signs of mutilation and disfigurement. Ironically, those involved in the military operation have even been rewarded with the highest honor of valor by the Armed Forces of the Philippines . We are aware that during times of war, there are rules of engagement that each side must adhere to. Part IV of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL) sets principles and standards that apply to members of the armed forces who have surrendered or laid down their arms or those placed hors de combat by sickness, wounds or any other cause. According to Article 4 of Part IV of CARHRIHL , violence to life and person, particularly killing or causing injury, being subjected to physical or mental torture, mutilation, corporal punishment, cruel or degrading treatment and all acts of violence and reprisals and the desecration of the remains of those who have died in the course of armed conflict or while under detention shall remain prohibited at any time and in any place.” The official NBI autopsy report of AJ clearly indicates that these rules were violated by the AFP in the conduct of their military operations in Lacub, Abra last 4th of September 2014. We therefore call on all concerned bodies to investigate the conduct of operations by the 41st Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army and any other units of the AFP, that resulted to the brutal killings. The full force of the law must be applied on those found guilty of these human rights violations. We cannot rest until we find justice for AJ and his compatriots. 24 September 2014 Meldy Jaramillo Lim ALex Jaramillo Pocholo Jaramillo Jervilyn Angeli Luchie Maranan Gina Alvarez Marie Lisa Dacanay Nadine M. Navarro
Posted on: Sat, 04 Oct 2014 22:58:44 +0000
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