Once more, bullets silenced another small voice.

The ambush of the family of Dr. Constancio “Chandu” Claver, in the
morning of July 31, 2006 near the Police Headquarters in Bulanao,
Tabuk, Kalinga is repugnant. Chandu, the “people’s doctor” was
seriously wounded, and Alice, his wife was killed, and their daughter
is traumatized. Such atrocity has never been so real in the Cordillera
until these recent months.

We, in the Cordillera have always cherished freedom and held it as
essential to full humanity. This unflinching belief has helped us
maintain our dignity all these years of government neglect, social
marginalization, political isolation and economic deprivation. We
fought for it.

We take pride in the fact that it shaped the ethos that binds the
indigenous people of the Cordillera and links them with other
indigenous peoples here and abroad. The ambush of the Clavers and of
Marcus Bangit before them is alien to the culture of the people in the
Cordillera.

We condemn the ambush of Dr. Claver’s family. The assault of unarmed
civilians in public places is a manifestation of a rotten social
order. It can only be motivated by a desire to perpetuate fear,
subservience and maintain a state of repression.

The killings are deliberate and systematic, planned and executed only
by those who have the means and capacity to undertake such atrocity
with impunity and sophistication.

We believe that peace and justice is possible if the reasons for
dissent and civil unrest are sincerely heard and addressed by those
who hold power. At the core of democracy is a government that submits
to the processes so painstakingly instituted to protect and ensure the
welfare and interest of the majority of the citizens over and above
all else.

We deplore the killing of people simply because of their political
beliefs. This horrendous decimation of perceived “leftists” sends a
chilling message that democracy is interpreted only by those who wield
power. People in the Cordillera have demonstrated in the past that we
cannot be cowed by any power to speak peace and surrender our freedom.

Wherefore, we now stand firmly united and demand that Government
muster the political will and sincerity to put an immediate stop to
these killings, find the perpetrators and mete justice.

We affix our signatures voluntarily and with fervent prayers and hope
that political decency and moral uprightness will sweep clean the
corridors of powers in this country. Let that small voice reverberate
to the far reaches of this country and across the seas to swell the
crescendo of the cry for justice and peace.

1. Jun Verzola
2. Evelyn Padua-Australia
3. Dee Hunt, Brisbane, Australia
4. Joel Saracho, Quezon City, Philippines
5. Daisy Timbreza-Valerio
6. Aida F. Santos
7. Arnold L. Tarrobago (Quezon City, Philippines)
8. Bobby Garcia (QC, Philippines)
9. Gil “Pamboy” Navarro (San Pablo City, Laguna,Philippines)
10. Joel Rocamora , Quezon City, Phils
11. Viol De Guzman, (Manila, Philippines)
12. Gil Navarro
13. Milagros Isabel Amar