The Philippines: Death threats against human rights defender Kelly Muñez Delgado

Front Line is deeply concerned following reports that human rights defender Kelly Muñez Delgado has received death threats and is reportedly under constant surveillance. Kelly Muñez Delgado is Secretary General of the KARAPATAN Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights in the Southern Mindanao Region of the Philippines. His work as a human rights defender has involved responding quickly to reports of human rights violations, in particular those perpetrated by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) against indigenous peoples and farmers.

Further Information

Posted 17 June 2008. On 16 May 2008, at approximately 10 am, death threats were made against Kelly Muñez Delgado following an interview he had given at Charm Radio regarding the assassination of human rights defender Celso Pojas. The death threats were sent in three text messages to Charm Radio. One of the messages contained the threat “Ikaw nmn ang sunod jn mr. Kelly n iligpid. Siz fet below d ground kn Kelly (You are the next one to be eliminated, Mr Kelly. You’re already six feet below the ground)”. Charm Radio forwarded the messages to Kelly Muñez Delgado but, because it is the radio station’s policy to keep its listeners’ details confidential, Kelly Muñez Delgado was not given the mobile phone number from which the threats were sent. According to reports, since that date, unidentified armed men have been keeping Kelly Muñez Delgado under surveillance and armed motorcyclists have been seen outside the KARAPATAN offices in F Torres Street, Davao City.

Kelly Muñez Delgado has recently been following up on the assassination of Celso Pojas on 15 May 2008. Celso Pojas had campaigned to defend indigenous peoples’ rights in the Philippines before his death. Between February and April 2008 Kelly Muñez Delgado worked to expose reported human rights violations against indigenous peoples and farmers perpetrated by the 28th, 67th, 66th, 25th and 72nd Infantry Battalions of the AFP. He assisted victims seeking justice for state atrocities through filing cases with the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), Region 11; lobbying the municipal and provincial local governments; and reporting cases to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

Front Line believes that Kelly Muñez Delgado has been targeted as a result of his legitimate work in defence of human rights, in particular his work to defend the rights of indigenous people and farmers in the Philippines. Front Line is concerned that this is part of an ongoing trend of harassment against human rights defenders in the Philippines. Front Line is concerned for the physical and psychological integrity of Kelly Muñez Delgado.