CHR Chairperson Loretta Ann Rosales INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—The Commission on Human Rights was looking into the possibility that the advocacies of Dutch aid worker Wilhelmus JJ Lutz Geertman had to do with his killing in Angeles City last Tuesday, said CHR chair Loretta Ann Rosales on Saturday.
Rosales, while in Bangkok during the week, directed CHR Region 3 director Jasmin Regino to investigate the brazen killing of the 67-year-old Geertman, who was set to be laid to rest in Aurora Saturday.
“He’s known to be an ally and supporter of the people’s rights to land. That’s the human rights aspect. The killing may have something to do–although we’re not sure–with his efforts in protecting the economic and social rights of the people,” Rosales said by phone. “He was loved by the people.”
As of Saturday, the CHR has not received an initial report from the field about Tuesday’s fatal shooting of Geertman, executive director of the nongovernment Alay Bayan Luson Inc. (ABI), in his office at the L&S Subd. in Barangay Sto. Domingo, Angeles City.
Geertman had just returned from a bank, where he withdrew P1.2 million, when he was shot in the back by two men who barged into the compound of ABI’s office. The assailants escaped aboard a motorcycle.
The Catholic Church and militant groups condemned Geertman’s killing, saying it was extra-judicial.
Dutch Ambassador to the Philippines Robert Brinks has also urged the government to find his killers.
Rosales indicated that looking into Geertman’s advocacy against mining would be a good start for the CHR to shed light on his killing.
“He had campaigned against mining. He had been helping people. In which case this is not necessarily military or police. It could be transnational interest in cahoots with local business who don’t want intervenors to get in the way. It could be something like that,” she said.
But Rosales acknowledged that the main agency that could get into the bottom of the killing was the Philippine National Police.
“We will ask for a report from the area commander. No matter what, they should come up with reports, and give CHR a result of their reports, alongside our own investigation,” she said.
Initial pronouncements by police investigators that this was a case of robbery since the killers ran off with Geertman’s bag containing P1.2 million were hasty, Rosales said.
“We should investigate, whether you’re Left, Right or Center. Let’s stop shooting conclusions without solid evidence, facts and figures,” she said.
Rosales said statements claiming that this was an “extra-judicial killing” perpetrated by either the military or police were sweeping.
“I would like to gently advise certain sectors to be more sensitive to professionalism and rules of procedure. Let’s avoid making sweeping statements that are not evidence-based, that are not anchored on solid facts. What it does is it destroys reputation of certain groups and individuals unfairly and unjustly,” she said.