Human Rights Chairperson Leila de Lima said the commission has deputized Jose Pablo Baraybar, a forensic anthropologist who helped convict former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori for mass murder, to initially ” make crime scene on-site assessment and evaluation.”
She said, “If Dr.Baraybar recommends the exhumation of the bodies for further investigation, we will coordinate with relatives and proper authorities for that.”
De Lima said Baraybar will be assisted by British Chris Cobb-Smith, a seasoned inspector and investigator in trouble spots all around the world. “Smith’s expertise is relevant to our investigation of the November 23 carnage,” she said.
De Lima will be meeting Baraybar and Smith in Cotabato today together with lawyer Harry Roque, chairperson of Center for International Law, which sponsored the trip of the two human rights experts to the Philippines. Center Law is a member of the Southeast Asia Media Defense Network, which is actively supporting the search for justice for the 32 journalists among the victims of the massacre.
De Lima said Baraybar, who will be working with Filipino forensic expert Rachel Fortun, has conducted workshops with CHR investigators in cooperation with CenterLaw early this year and she is impressed with him.
Baraybar is head of Peruvian Forensic Anthropology Team (EPAF) that helped secure the conviction of Fujimori for his role in two massacres in the early 1990s.
In a historic decision April this year, Fujimori was sentenced to 25 years in prison for ordering the killing of 25 Peruvians. Fifteen of the victims were shot at a barbecue in the Barrios Altos area of Lima. Another 10 were abducted in 1992 from La Cantuta University and later killed.
More than 69,000 Peruvians lost their lives during the country’s 20-year struggle between the two insurgent groups, Shining Path and the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Army, and the government. About 15,000 people disappeared. The majority of the bodies have yet to be recovered and identified.
Baraybar has also participated in the investigation of mass murders in Rwanda, Bosnia, and Kosovo.
Smith is with Chiron Resources, a London-based firm which specializes on “hostile environment support”
Smith served for nineteen years in the Royal Artillery and as a Commando Battery commander, deployed to Kurdistan in support of the 1991 humanitarian mission. After leaving the British Army, he was recruited in 1996 by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office for secondment to UNSCOM as an Iraq Weapons Inspector and Operations Officer. He was appointed Chief Inspector conducting investigations into proscribed weapons programs and suspected concealment.
He has served as liaison officer to the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), mediating prisoner and body exchanges. During the NATO offensive in the Balkans he advised and escorted journalists and camera crews covering events in Macedonia, Albania and Kosovo.
Smith has also conducted investigations into a number of high-profile human rights and humanitarian law violations, primarily in the Israeli Occupied Territories and those controlled by the Palestinian Authority. Foremost among these were the deaths in 2000 of a BBC driver/fixer Abed Takkoush and in May 2003 of director and cameraman James Miller in Rafah, Gaza.
Salamat at may maliwanag na paraang paghahanap ng kung SINO ang tunay na mga salarin sa trahedya sa Maguindanao..Hindi natutulog ang mga ” KALULUWA ” ng mga nasawi, tiyak gagawa sila ng paraan para magising sa katutuhanan ang mga halang na kaluluwa ng mga salarin, na higit pa sa mga hayop, ang pag-paslang sa kapwa nila TAO…parang mga tigre na luma-lapa
sa kapwa nila hayop….ang pagkakaiba at naka-pagtataka, SILAY mga TAO din, may mga pamilya, mga anak, na habang buhay sa pag-dadalamhati…..The Traumatic tragedy will haunt them forever, and can cause mental derangement or illnesses. Similarly, to the whole world who love PEACE and tranquility. Let us all PRAY together the success of these
two professionals who might bring justice to the victims and their respective relatives.
Do we really need to ask outside help for an internal matter? It’s very obvious who did the dastardly act. What we really need is not experts from other countries but to overhaul our judiciary system by kicking out corrupt judges who decides cases not on strong evidences but on who’s the highest bidder. Sad to say that most of our justices are totally corrupt.
Puro investigation lang yan. Ganyan talaga dito sa pinas napakaraming cheche boreche… ubos na ang termino ng isang presidente hindi pa tapos ang kaso.
Ang arroyo administration ginagawa nila ngayon yan para sa ganun magsawa ang tao sa issue ng massacre at mawawala nalang yan na parang utot. Ibig bang sabihin lahat ng taga mindanao isa-isa nilang imbestigahan at ibabase sa similya at mga nakalap ng ibedensya! Kung meron kakanta sa mga pumatay sasabihin niya lahat yan kung sinong involved.
Yung nangyari noon sa Macedonia, Albania at Kosovo may resulta ba ang mga forensic experts! WALA. Pinag-aralan lang nila ang mga taong namatay.
At this time, where injustice becomes a common norm in our society, it is but necessary for CHR to investigate with the help of international experts. To let the whole world know what really happened in Maguindanao.
Kung aasa lang tayo sa gobyerno natin, umiyak ka man ng bato..walang mangyayaring mabuti dito!!
Pasensiya na, I just don’t have confidence that they can do the job..Zero confidence talaga…worst they may ended up using this case for political gains at the expense of the many who died and their families.
I blame the government for this tragedy due to neglect and promotion of war lordism in our country for political gains.
Asan ang konsensya ninyo mga pamunuan ng tao? Kailan ninyo kami irerespeto mga taong nasasakupan ninyo? Nagbabayad ng buwis para ano? Sumusunod sa batas para ano?
Hanggang kailan ito?
THE “MY DEAR MOTHER” SPEECH OF MIKEY
I wretched when I read this report about Mikey Arroyo appealing to his mother at the Palace before a group of 200 Pampanga supporters. Read what he said and wretch, too:
“My dear mother, in your decision-making, my sentiments must be taken as inconsequential. My political future must be brought to the back seat because as public servants, we have sworn to give our all to our country,” he said in a speech.
“Madame President, I believe that the best service I can give to my constituents, whom I’ve grown to love so much, is urging you not to deny them the privilege of being represented by your person”.
“This, Madame President, my mother, will be the best gift of gratitude you’ll be giving them for all their support not only to you, to me, but our ancestors as well,”.
Only an Arroyo mind can concoct such a speech and stage this kind of theatrics.
You’re the son of this mother, darn it. For heaven’s sake, get somebody else to do that for you, you son of a …..!
“Madame President, I believe that the best service I can give to my constituents, whom I’ve grown to love so much, is urging you not to deny them the privilege of seeing us being stoned to death”.
It’s good to know that the CHR is availing the services of the most qualified for the job.
How about the Justice Department?
Is it the Plasticman Dureza, who was able to pickup empty shells from the ground to prove that they were being shot at the copter while flying the monster to GenSan, who is still in-charge of the investigation re Task Force Monster?
Ingatan ang dayuhan, baka pati yan maging fertilizer.
“….was able to pickup empty shells from the ground …” – SumPit
As far as I know, what Dureza said was that, the empty shell is from the gun of the soldiers inside the chopper who returned fire when they were shot at. He never claimed it (empty shell) was from those who shot them from the ground.
Randy David, umatras na. All that bravery-kuno saying that he will be running for Congress to challenge GMA — hot air palabas lang pala.
Puro investigation lang yan. Ganyan talaga dito sa pinas napakaraming cheche boreche… ubos na ang termino ng isang presidente hindi pa tapos ang kaso.
Sinabi mo pa Igan Destroyer…kung gustong tapusin ng gobyerno ang problemang ito e dapat wala ng pasakalye pa.
Kita mo ng magcreate si gloria ng cangaroo court upang siyang maglitis kay Pres. Erap, lutong-macao…guilty ang pobre at naghimas ng rehas na bakal for 6 years?
Ng dahil sa listahan ni Sabit Singson? Ngayon…special treatment ang mga Ampatuan at kesyo ang daming alibi, sino ang maniniwala sa kanila e karumaldumal ang krimeng ito.
Nagtatakipan ng kabulukan ang mga halimaw na yan kaya…pinaglalaruan nila ang kukote ng Pinoy kung makalusot di ba.
Walang kwenta ang hustisaya sa ating bansa…may kinikilingan at obsolete na ang timbangan ng katarungan kasi ang may hawak nito e puro kurap at sinungaling ng mga abogago ng bansa.
Randy David? I can’t help but run into a conclusion = nagkabayaran ba?
Kapampangan din yang Randy David na yan.
May this expert unravel the “hand” or “hands” behind this massacre. If this expert put away a wicked leader, maybe he is just the guy we need.
Kaya siguro umatras si Randy David dahil natakot siya sa nangyari sa Maguindanao massacre. Iniisip niya na baka pag nag-file siya ng COC niya, baka…….
Walang magyayari sa imbestigasyon kahit sino pang dayuhan ang pumunta dito dahil wala naman talagang hustisya sa bansa natin. dumating man sa korte ang usapin aabuting yan ng ilang taon hanggang sawaan ang kaanak ng mga biktima at yung mga survivor naman ang patatahimikin malakas yata kay aling glo ang mga salarin. makakalimutan din yan ng tao tapos iba uling issue ang pag-uusapan ganyan dito. onli in da pilipins.
kapag nangyari na ang pinakamababang ranggo sa hanay ng kapulisan ay kaya ng sumagot o arestuhin ang heneral kapag mali ang utos o nagkasala, maniniwala na akong maaayos na ang bansa natin. yang nangyari sa maguindanao alam ng sundalo at pulis may timbre o blessing yan sa nakatataas.
karumal dumal ang maguindanao massacre dahil 57 ang pinatay. eh yung pagpapakawala ng tubig sa mga dam na itinaon sa bagyong ondoy yan ang pinakakarumadumal, sinadya kasi pero may kinastigo ba? napagtakpan na ang lahat, maraming namatay dito hindi naman lumabas sa media pag tinanong mo si mayor 2 lang namatay pero ang totoo daan (hundred).
A country that prides itself of US educated technocrats needs a Peruvian to do its dirty work… Exciting!!!!