Aquino must be held responsible for the murder of Willem Geertman

His murder, following the killing of Italian missionary, Fr. Faustino Tentorio, is an ominous sign that foreign missionaries and development workers are not exempted from the deadly killing machine of the Aquino regime. PRESS STATEMENT LUIS G. JALANDONI Chairman, NDFP Negotiating Panel 4 July 2012 **Aquino must be held responsible for the murder of Willem Geertman <http://www.ndfp.net/joom15/index.php/media-releases-mainmenu-53/statements-mainmenu-71/1467-aquino-must-be-held-responsible-for-the-murder-of-willem-geertman.html> ** The National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) condemns in the strongest terms possible the brutal killing of Willem Geertman, 67, a Dutch development worker who had served the Filipino people for more than 40 years. He was shot dead in front of his office in Angeles City, Pampanga, at noontime of 03 July 2012. The two killers riding a motorcycle are believed part of the death squads of the Benigno Aquino III regime. The killing took place at the office of Alay Bayan Inc. (ABI) of which Willem Geertman was the Executive Director.

Willem was a well-known advocate for peasants‘ rights. He was a firm supporter of the peasants and workers of Hacienda Luisita. He was tireless in assisting victims of floods and other natural disasters. He firmly opposed landgrabbing. He fought for the rights of indigenous peoples for their ancestral lands and against destructive mining operations. His murder following the earlier extrajudicial killing of Italian missionary, Fr. Faustino “Pops” Tentorio, is an ominous sign that foreign missionaries and development workers are not exempted from the deadly killing machine of the Aquino regime when they firmly support the peasants, workers, and indigenous people who struggle for land reform and oppose destructive foreign mining corporations. President Aquino must be held accountable for this 81st extrajudicial killing under his watch. Not only has he failed to prosecute the killers and plunderers under the Arroyo regime, he is continuing the same policy of extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances and other gross human rights violations. He keeps the more than 350 political prisoners in detention in violation of the 1998 Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL), signed between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (GRP-NDFP). Worse, he detains more political prisoners and charges them with common crimes of murder, arson, robbery, etc. in violation of the CARHRIHL and the Hernandez political offense doctrine. Willem Geertman was loved by the people with whom he integrated and whose cause he defended and upheld. Abroad, he too had a wide circle of friends. To win support for his various advocacies for the people, he received guests from the European Union and Caritas International, among others. He was a member of the progressive church group Calama, which was close to communities in Latin America. He became a close friend of Bishop Julio Labayen and other church people. In his home country, the Netherlands, he has family, relatives and friends. All these people, whose lives he touched, are now demanding JUSTICE FOR WILLEM GEERTMAN! The struggle of the people will in the end bring justice for Willem Geertman and other people’s martyrs and heroes. (Sgd) LUIS G. JALANDONI Chairman, NDFP Negotiating Panel