PREDA Answer-Counter Affidavit
ANNEX H: 'Validate Child-Murderers Claim'
TODAY
October 06, 1999
FATHER CULLEN ACCUSES DAVAO CITY MAYOR OF CODDLING CHILD MURDERERS
DAVAO CITY--Mayor Benjamin de Guzman has dared childtights advocate Fr. Shay Cullen to validate his- claim that the mayor was "coddling people killing children" in this city.
Reactng to a barrage of letters he received from Cullen and supporters, de Guzman did not hide his scorn for what he described as painting him as a murderer."
"I invite Father Cullen to come to the city and talk to these children," he said.
De Guzman said Cullen's letter has been "unfair" to Davao residents, who, he said, has already gone through the period of politically- motivated killings in the mid 1980's.
De Guzman's invitation-cum-challenge to Cullen stemmed from the latter's September 8 letter, which cited the killing of two alleged notorious child pickpockets, Royroy and. Mamay, on July 6, by armed men believed to be members of the shadowy Davao Death Squad.
"The cold-blooded murder of street children Royroy and Mamay in public presents credible evidence that 'death squads' are loose in Davao City murdering and harassing street children allegedly with the tacit approval of your administration," Cullen said.
The letter also claimed that during a meeting of social workers and street children with city administrator Nestor who is a witness to the murder by the men on black motorcycles, clearly recognized one of the killer gunmen in city hall."
"This shooting and harassment of street children must stop. It is a direct violation of Philippine laws, international laws and The Convention on the Rights of the Child. As city mayor you will be held responsible before the international community for these atrocities against children," he said.
Cullen also vowed to mobilize several key agencies of the government and key leaders of the international community to force the prosecution of the killers of Royroy and Mamay."They are known and have been identified, it is your [de Guzman] duty to bring them to justice for the murder of the children.
"Denial and claims of ignorance about these murders have no credibility. The evidence is clear, children are being murdered on the streets by an organized squad of motorcycle-riding gunmen," he added.
"Like the officials who allow, order or approve, by act or omission, the Violation of human rights, are brought to trial at the International Court of Human Rights in The Hague, the Netherlands, likewise higher leaders and civil authorities who cause, allow,or approve the execution of impoverished brought to trial," Cullen said.
The group called Preda, which Father Cullen founded, also mounted an appeal [on September 20] to you [letter recipient] to support our protest against' the murder of street children in Davao City by motorcycle-riding death squads."
The Preda Child Advocacy Team also urged recipients of their letter barrage to "write Mayor Benjamin de Guzman."
"If you [letter recipients) are unable to write and mail a letter of concern yourself please print out the letter of Father Shay below and mail it to the mayor of Davao. You may write: 'I support this letter'," it said.
Preda said that the letter barrage was "a small request for a great cause, protecting the abandoned throwaway children of the streets. Your action can save the lives of many more children."
De Guzman disclosed that he received. the letter of Father Cullen and criticized the priest for spreading his letter across the world. "I am being treated as murderer, of coddling people who are killing children."
He said he has already talked with women organizations even as he said that the city has already child-welfare institutions and a Council for the Welfare of Children. "As a matter, of concern, this is all addressed to all of us, that as well-meaning residents, to report all. cases of alleged killings of and abuses on children," he said.
"I have been assuring them, that I'll treat with confidentiality all information reported to us. So what problem is he [Father Cullen] talking about?" he said. He said that he would issue an executive order "organizing a group, to monitor violations of the rights of children; to protect the child victims and witnesses." He said he was appointing former councilor, LeoAvila III to head the newgroup.
Avila also headed the CWC, which is looking into the other complaints filed by street children who were known friends of the two murdered children. The worst case, so far, was the case of one Romeo Soriano, 19, of Leon Garcia street, Agdao this city.
In a documentation made made by the non-governmental group called Tambayan, a center for the care of abused children, it said that Soriano was grabbed by burly men placed inside a sack and thrown to the sea. Tambayan said that Soriano, however was able to untie himself with a pocket-knife and swam to shore. "Romeo [Soriano] decided to leave [and] his whereabouts are presently unknown."
Among the other complaints include the trailing of children who were then visiting the wake of Royroy and Maymay. One girl, which Tambayan declined to identify, claimed that she and another female companion were stopped by an unidentified motorcycle-riding man, who showed them a "long list' of names of street children. She said that some names have checkmarks on them, one of which was that of Maymay and that of a certain Darwin.
Tambayan stated that Darwin, 22, was shot by unidentified men on March 29 this year at Bankerohan Public Market.
By Manuel Cayon
Reporter
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