MANILA, Philippines—There was no crossfire, and the shots coming from where the soldiers were positioned were trained directly on the area where noted botanist Leonardo Co and his companions were working, leading to their deaths.
This was according to the findings of a team of scientists including Co's co-workers that looked into the killing of the botanist and his companions Sofronio Cortez and Julius Borromeo last month in the forest of Kananga, Leyte.
The fact-finding team's report ran contrary to the earlier statements of the military that the three men were killed in an exchange of gunfire between soldiers and communist rebels. Co, along with four companions, was in the forest working as a consultant for the Lopez-owned EDC Corp.
The team also said the military failed to provide immediate medical aid to Borromeo after the shooting despite the pleas of survivor Ronino Gibe, thus prolonging Borromeo's suffering before expiring.
The team had visited the Kananga forest and had talked to Gibe and the other survivor, Policarpio Balute.
Atop a ridge
Physicist Giovanni Tapang of the group Agham, a member of the fact-finding mission, said the team found that the soldiers had opened fire while on a ridge overlooking the area where Co et al. were working.
Tapang said there had been no return fire, as indicated by the absence of bullet marks on the trees near the ridge.
“The only consistent explanation for these key observations would be that the military was positioned on top of the ridge and firing toward Leonardo Co and company. There was no indication of any crossfire,” Tapang said in a press briefing Wednesday at the University of the Philippines’ Institute of Biology.
He said the bullet marks on the trees that were near Co and his group showed that the gunfire had come from a higher location.
“The direction of fire was mainly concentrated on the area where Leonard Co, Ronino Gibe, Sofronio Cortez, Policarpio Balute, Julius Borromeo were standing,” he said.
The fact-finding team also said the number of bullets that hit Co et al. indicated that they were the actual targets.
The tree nearest them was hit three times; another tree behind which Gibe took cover had six bullet marks.
DOJ, CHR
Anthony Arbias of the Philippine Native Plants Conservation Society, a member of the fact-finding team, said copies of its report would be given to Co's family, the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the Commission on Human Rights (CHR).
Co's wife Glenda said the family was grateful to the team for its work. She said the family would await the findings of the DoJ and CHR before taking further action.
Co's brother-in-law Roberto Austria said EDC should disclose its protocol and whether it was required to, and if it actually did, inform the military of Co's presence in the forest.
Karapatan lawyer Kathrina Castillo, also a member of the fact-finding team, said the military men involved in the shooting should be investigated and charged.
Castillo said the 19th Infantry Battalion, which operates in Kananga, should name the soldiers and commanding officers involved. She said the soldiers who failed to help Borromeo should also be held accountable.
Reconstruction
The fact-finding team reconstructed the events of Nov. 15.
It said the shooting began a few minutes before noon, when Co was inspecting a tree and trying to determine its species. Upon hearing the shots, Co and his companions dropped to the ground, with Co shouting: “Maawa kayo, hindi kami kalaban (Have pity, we are not enemies)!”
Survivors Balute and Gibe also pleaded for the shooting to stop. But the gunfire did not waver for 15-20 minutes, they said.
They also said they were sure that the gunmen had heard them because they heard a man remark, in the local tongue, that Co's group had been there all along (“Nandito lang pala kayo”).
At the briefing, Co's family, friends and supporters, and civil society groups also launched the Justice for Leonard Co movement (www.justiceforleonardco.org).
The Philippine Tropical Forest Conservation Foundation has also launched a Leonardo Co Forest Research Fund as a tribute to the scientist.
This was according to the findings of a team of scientists including Co's co-workers that looked into the killing of the botanist and his companions Sofronio Cortez and Julius Borromeo last month in the forest of Kananga, Leyte.
The fact-finding team's report ran contrary to the earlier statements of the military that the three men were killed in an exchange of gunfire between soldiers and communist rebels. Co, along with four companions, was in the forest working as a consultant for the Lopez-owned EDC Corp.
The team also said the military failed to provide immediate medical aid to Borromeo after the shooting despite the pleas of survivor Ronino Gibe, thus prolonging Borromeo's suffering before expiring.
The team had visited the Kananga forest and had talked to Gibe and the other survivor, Policarpio Balute.
Atop a ridge
Physicist Giovanni Tapang of the group Agham, a member of the fact-finding mission, said the team found that the soldiers had opened fire while on a ridge overlooking the area where Co et al. were working.
Tapang said there had been no return fire, as indicated by the absence of bullet marks on the trees near the ridge.
“The only consistent explanation for these key observations would be that the military was positioned on top of the ridge and firing toward Leonardo Co and company. There was no indication of any crossfire,” Tapang said in a press briefing Wednesday at the University of the Philippines’ Institute of Biology.
He said the bullet marks on the trees that were near Co and his group showed that the gunfire had come from a higher location.
“The direction of fire was mainly concentrated on the area where Leonard Co, Ronino Gibe, Sofronio Cortez, Policarpio Balute, Julius Borromeo were standing,” he said.
The fact-finding team also said the number of bullets that hit Co et al. indicated that they were the actual targets.
The tree nearest them was hit three times; another tree behind which Gibe took cover had six bullet marks.
DOJ, CHR
Anthony Arbias of the Philippine Native Plants Conservation Society, a member of the fact-finding team, said copies of its report would be given to Co's family, the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the Commission on Human Rights (CHR).
Co's wife Glenda said the family was grateful to the team for its work. She said the family would await the findings of the DoJ and CHR before taking further action.
Co's brother-in-law Roberto Austria said EDC should disclose its protocol and whether it was required to, and if it actually did, inform the military of Co's presence in the forest.
Karapatan lawyer Kathrina Castillo, also a member of the fact-finding team, said the military men involved in the shooting should be investigated and charged.
Castillo said the 19th Infantry Battalion, which operates in Kananga, should name the soldiers and commanding officers involved. She said the soldiers who failed to help Borromeo should also be held accountable.
Reconstruction
The fact-finding team reconstructed the events of Nov. 15.
It said the shooting began a few minutes before noon, when Co was inspecting a tree and trying to determine its species. Upon hearing the shots, Co and his companions dropped to the ground, with Co shouting: “Maawa kayo, hindi kami kalaban (Have pity, we are not enemies)!”
Survivors Balute and Gibe also pleaded for the shooting to stop. But the gunfire did not waver for 15-20 minutes, they said.
They also said they were sure that the gunmen had heard them because they heard a man remark, in the local tongue, that Co's group had been there all along (“Nandito lang pala kayo”).
At the briefing, Co's family, friends and supporters, and civil society groups also launched the Justice for Leonard Co movement (www.justiceforleonardco.org).
The Philippine Tropical Forest Conservation Foundation has also launched a Leonardo Co Forest Research Fund as a tribute to the scientist.
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