CEGP deplores brutal killing of slain human rights advocate priest

The College Editors Guild of the Philippines strongly deplores the brutal killing of Fr. Marcelito Paez, a former parish priest in Guimba, Nueva Ecija. His death adds on to the growing number of progressive individuals and leaders killed under the fascist dictatorship of the US-Duterte regime.

Paez, a known human rights defender amongst Philippines’ Catholic clergies, was gunned down by motorcycle-riding gunmen on Monday, December 4, in Jaen town, Nueva Ecija.

Earlier in the day, Paez assisted in facilitating the release of political prisoner Rommel Tucay who was detained at a hail in Cabanatuan City.

The US-Duterte regime has emboldened its security forces, both formal and informal, and turned the country into a carnage, killing priests, doctors, lawyers, students, human rights defenders, peasant and indigenous communities, and urban poor communities. It has permeated a disgusting level of impunity, so much that at the maximum goons are hired to brazenly attack human rights defenders.

In fact, in just two days, a total of 10 people have been killed by government forces. On December 3, Pastor Lovelito Quinones was shot by elements of the Regional Mobile Group in Oriental Mindoro. On the same day, composite elements of the 27th IBPA and the marines massacred a group of T’boli and Dilangan Manobo in Lake Sebu, South Cotabato. The indigenous group was occupying the area land grabbed by the Consunjis which is used by the corporation as a coffee plantation.

The Guild calls on all of its member publications and all student publications nationwide to condemn the spate of killings in the country and the intensifying fascist attacks of the US-Duterte regime and to mobilize on December 7 and December 10.