A human rights group yesterday called on the local government of Calatrava, Negros Occidental, to address reports of military torture in the town.

Karapatan Negros secretary-general Fred Caña said the town's leaders must address reported human rights abuses in the area after a follow-up investigation on the alleged torture of a farmer confirmed initial findings that the victim died violently.

Dr. Owen Labakin of the Philippine National Police regional crime laboratory confirmed that farmer Alano Clerigo's death last month was indeed caused by torture as earlier reported, Caña said.

In a fact-finding mission that included the exhumation of the farmer's body in Brgy. Menchaca, Calatrava Saturday, Ca ña said the police medico legal verified that Clerigo died of suffocation and cardiovascular arrest.

Along with Karapatan and the PNP doctor, representatives of the Commission on Human Rights regional office and a television crew joined the investigation.

Clerigo was reported missing by his family members on October 10 and was later found dead on a shallow grave after a Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit member named Silvestre Abeso and two unidentified scout rangers picked him up.

The DAILY STAR tried to contact the CHR investigator in charge with the case but he did not answer calls nor replied to text messages.

Labakin's findings, Caña said, corroborated an earlier autopsy on Clerigo's body that the victim was hit with a hard object on the nape and a foreign object was stuffed in his mouth.

“There were also theories that he may have been buried while he was still alive,” Caña said.

With the results, Caña said that they are coordinating with the CHR regional office to file the charges against the military members allegedly involved in the incident.

Calatrava mayor Alfonso Baguio Jr., also did not reply to text messages or answered calls.*PP

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