Philippines: Death Threats Against Human Rights Defender

Bienvenido Salinas, Director of the Saint Thomas Law Center, a unit of the Urban Poor Associates (UPA), has received multiple death threats. The UPA is a Philippine non-governmental organisation working for the housing rights of the urban poor in Quezon City.

According to the information received, on 9th February 2005 a man telephoned the office and threatened the staff that “Atty (Bienvendio) Salinas' days are numbered, and so are his children’s.” It has also been reported that on 15th February 2005, a man telephoned the offices and issued the same threat to the office staff. Furthermore, on 17th February 2005, two vans with tinted windows were allegedly seen outside the office of Saint Thomas Law Centre.

Recently, Bienvenido Salinas has been involved in a litigation case on behalf of seven families whose homes were demolished on 21st January 2005 without prior demolition notice.

On 31st January 2005, Bienvenido Salinas, on behalf of the families, filed administrative complaints of “grave coercion”, “abuse of authority”, “intimidation” and “conduct unbecoming of public officials”, against the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Demolition Team and the police escorts with the National Police and at the Office of the Ombudsman.

Front Line is deeply concerned for the safety of the human rights defenders Bienvenido Salinas taking into account that three human rights lawyers who were known to have defended the rights of poor litigants have been killed since late 2004. These cases remain unsolved. Front Line is calling upon the Philippine authorities to conduct a prompt and impartial inquiry into the source of the death threats and other forms of intimidation directed towards human rights defender Bienvenido Salinas and for the perpetrators to be brought to justice.