Press Lauds
Task Force 211 Chief
The National Press Club of the Philippines
recently honored Justice Undersecretary Ricardo
R. Blancaflor for his all-out support in the
investigation and resolution of cases involving
the killing of journalists, and in monitoring
cases of human rights violations. |
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Undersecretary Blancaflor
is concurrently the Chairman of Task Force 211 or the
Task Force Against Political Violence.
In scarcely five months
since its inception, Blancaflor’s Task Force already
made significant progress of 34 extra-legal killings and
political violence cases.
One of these is the murder case of victim Herson Hinolan,
a local radio commentator in Aklan. Task Force 211, in
collaboration with the PNP, caused the surrender of
Mayor Alfredo Arsenio, the suspect in the case. The
Mayor was a fugitive from justice for over two years.
Other accomplishments of the Task Force include locating
the whereabouts and effecting the surrender of PFC
Roderick dela Cruz, the accused in the killing of
peasant Ricardo Ramos of the famous Hacienda Luisita
case; the arrest of Nanding Bitinol who is suspect in
the killing of Enrico Cabanit; and the filing and
reactivation of extra legal killings cases in court. One
of these is the case of victim Reagan Ibabao, a minor
who was killed while in detention at a police precinct.
In this particular case, the mother of the deceased
openly declared that she never expected government to
take her side against the suspected policemen because
she was simply a lowly washerwoman. She expressed
appreciation for the efforts of the Task Force.
“What makes Task Force 211 different is that we aim for
transparency in what we do”, says Undersecretary
Blancaflor.
He stressed that the public can check out its website at
www.taskforce211.com.ph where the details and status of
all the ELK and political violence cases are declared.
Blancaflor invites the public to peruse these cases. “If
you think you have something to contribute, if you know
of a case not listed in our file, you are welcome to
suggest it to us, and let us sit down and talk about
it”, remarks Blancaflor.
“We welcome the support of the media, civil society,
sectoral organizations, political groups, religious
sector, and practically anyone who cares to end
extra-legal killings and political violence in our
country”, he adds.
Task Force 211 is continuously monitoring more than 200
other extra-legal killings cases, 36 of which involve
media personalities as victims.
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